Community and Ecosystem Models Lecture Review

Flashcards covering Dr. Todd A. Aschenbach's lecture on Community and Ecosystem Models, ecological restoration definitions, assembly filters, Michigan plant community types, and off-site inventory considerations.

How does the Society for Ecological Restoration International (2004) define ecological restoration?

The process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed.

Why is active assistance often required in ecological restoration instead of relying solely on natural recovery?

Ecological succession can take a long time, and without assistance, natural recovery may be slow or may not reach the desired condition.

What is the ecological hierarchy outlined in the lecture from smallest to largest organizational unit?

Individual to Species to Population to Community to Ecosystem.

What is the primary focus and guiding question of a community model?

It emphasizes living organisms, species composition, and community structure, guiding which organisms should be present and asking the question: "Who is there?"

What is the primary focus and guiding question of an ecosystem model?

It emphasizes ecosystem functions and processes, including transfers of matter and energy (such as hydrologic, nitrogen, and carbon cycling), asking the question: "How does the system work?"

What does the regional filter consider in community assembly, and what question does it address?

It considers the species pool, dispersal barriers, colonization order, climate, and historical legacy, asking: "Can it get there?"

What does the environmental filter consider in community assembly, and what question does it address?

It considers abiotic conditions, disturbance, habitat stability, and heterogeneity, asking: "Can it survive there?"

What does the biotic filter consider in community assembly, and what question does it address?

It considers competition, trophic interactions, and mutualism, asking: "Can it coexist?"

How does Slide 7 depict the interaction among the three community assembly filters?

It depicts feedback between filters rather than only a rigid one-way sequence.

What are the key canopy, disturbance, and dominant species characteristics of a prairie?

A grassland with few or no trees where fire is an important disturbance, dominated by big bluestem, little bluestem, and Indiangrass with high forb diversity.

Where are biomass and carbon primarily stored in a prairie compared to a forest?

Prairie biomass and carbon are primarily underground, whereas forest biomass and carbon are primarily aboveground.

What canopy and shrub layer cover ranges characterize a savanna or barren?

A canopy cover of $10\text{–}60\%$ and a shrub layer cover of $0\text{–}50\%$.

What are the typical overstory and shrub layer species in a savanna or barren?

The overstory consists of scattered oaks or pines (with hickory as a potential subdominant), and the shrub layer includes American hazelnut and New Jersey tea.

What are the canopy percentage, primary disturbance factor, and dominant overstory trees of a forest community?

A closed canopy of $\sim 80\%$, wind as the emphasized disturbance, and an overstory dominated by American beech and sugar maple (with hemlock and white pine in northern forests).

What understory species characterize the herb and shrub layers of a forest community?

The shrub layer includes pawpaw, dogwood, and musclewood, while the herb layer includes spring ephemerals and shade-tolerant species.

Where are floodplain forests located, and what species dominate their overstory?

They are located in the floodways and floodplains of major streams and are dominated by silver maple and green ash.

What determines the herb and shrub layers in a floodplain forest, and what ecological benefit is delivered by flooding?

They are highly variable depending on flood frequency and duration, and flooding brings nutrient inputs.

What hydrological and pollutant concerns are highlighted in the handwritten notes on off-site inventory?

Water entering from outside the site (run-on) may contain pollutants, and impervious surfaces can alter runoff patterns.

What management considerations outside of hydrology are listed in the off-site inventory notes?

Planning plant protection for transplants and seedlings ahead of time, identifying opportunities to mitigate negative external influences and support beneficial communities, and considering social amenities, present human use, and possible conflicts.

If a site features scattered oaks, native grasses, fire evidence, and $35\%$ canopy cover, how is it classified?

It is classified as a savanna (or barren) because the scattered trees and $35\%$ canopy cover fall within the lecture's $10\text{–}60\%$ canopy cover range.