Terrestrial Biodiversity and Ecosystem: Study Guide

Ecosystem Diversity

Measures the quantity of different types of ecosystems around the planet.

***Functional diversity***

Measures the diversity of their niche or energy acquisition.

***Species diversity***

Measures to the diversity of species in a region or ecosystem

***Genetic diversity***

Measures diversity of genes within a species.

HIPPCO

H - Habitat Loss

I - Invasive Species

P - Population

P - Pollution

C - Climate Change

O - Overharvesting

Some ways in which humans use the land:

* Wood & wood derivative products
* Agriculture/animal husbandry
* Mining
* Recreation
* National/state parks & reserves
* Urbanization

**Land Usage & Biodiversity**

humans use land to make materials/services to maintain population and economy.

**Habitat Fragmentation**

How roads, farms, logging, etc. can cause ecosystems to be **fragmented. (break). L**arge and contiguous habitats get divided into smaller, isolated habitats.

* Increases amount of “**edge.**” (places where two cover types come together)
* this causes a movement of animals called **isolation** that causes animals to move to the isolated “islands”

Habitat Fragmentation causes..

disruption of organisms within an ecosystem: due to the movement/migration of habitat fragmentation, himpacts organisms’ reproduction.

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animals and plants requiring the habitat will disappear from one edge to another.

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ecosystems/communities’ changes fundamentally

so, it changes new species coming into an ecosystem.

**Ecosys / Econom Services of Forest**

* Removal of CO2 & other air pollutants


* Removal of pollutants from water
* Reduction of erosion 
* Provide habitat for species (80% of all terrestrial species in US)
* Provide medicines & pharmaceuticals
* Provide fuels & wood used as raw material

Invasive Species (Intrusion)

Formation of an island leading to the isolation of communities

This leads to loss of biodiversity.

leading to 4 different gene pools within the habitat

WHICH leads to a reduction in genetic diversity

WHICH leads to a loss of species.

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fragmentation = more edge = more effects

Forest Conservation (Deforestation)

The alteration of a forest ecosystem turning into a highly disturbed area

Causes of Deforestation

agriculture (conversion to farms)

mining

urbanization (conversion to cities, roads, etc.)

logging

Deforestation: Climate Change

Deforestation can be caused by climate change since climate change is associated with:

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increased frequency of forest fires

changes in precipitation

heat stress in trees

Which biome is the MOST in danger to deforestation?

Tropical Rainforests b/c they have the HIGHEST biodiversity

Old Growth/ Primary Forest

Forests are 1,000’s of years old or older.

human disturbance is LOW.

**New growth / secondary forest**

Clear-cut forests that have grown back.

Terms for Old and New Growth

Age - younger

vertical structure

presence of invasive/exotic species (new)

biodiversity - more limited (new)

Maximum Sustainable Yield

how much a resource can be extracted in a sustainable manner.

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BALANCE between harvest rate and GR OPTIMIZE sustainability and resource extraction.

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Refers to the cut-rate that optimizes extraction & growth.

* Does not refer to the ecological impact of logging.
* Intermediate-aged trees are abundant in these forests.

Maximum Sustainable Yield Graph

carrying capacity: population size in the absence of harvesting

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managers harvest at this population size to obtain maximum sustainable yield.

Logging Techniques

**Clear Cutting - cut all trees.**

**Strip Cutting - cut some trees.**

**Selective Cutting - cut some trees.**

Clear Cutting

* all trees are cleared from a site and a new, even-age stand of timber is grown.
* Clear cut soils prone to high rates of erosion.
* As root systems are destroyed, water & wind can cause erosion.
* This can cause long term degradation, since topsoil requires a lot of time to develop.
* **Yields high rate of resources extraction.**

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clear cutting is when all trees are cleared from a site and are grown evenly. The soil is now prone to high rates of erosion which causes long term degradation.

Scheduled Cutting

* where all trees are harvested on a timeline.
* *Plantations are not ecosystems.*
* *Clearcut occurs on a “rotation time”*
* Designed to produce “maximum sustainable yield”.
* Does not account for the ecological impact of clear-cutting.
* **This practice still greatly decreases species biodiversity.**

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all trees are harvested on a timeline. The cutting occurs in a rotation time and produces maximum sustainable yield. However the practice decreases species biodiversity

Selective Cutting

* Certain tree species within a forest are targeted for cutting.
* All other species are left undisturbed.
* Root networks are able to remain intact.
* **Erosion is limited**
* **Water impacts are limited.**
* This is the most ecologically sustainable way of managing a forest ecosystem.
* May impact species that depend on trees that are being harvested.

Strip Cutting

* Clear cutting is limited to strips
* Cut on “rotation time”
* Strips of clearcut areas extend away from central road.
* High impact the ecological structure of the forest.
* Significant increase in fragmentation / “edge”
* Root networks are able to remain intact.
* **Erosion is limited**
* **Water impacts are limited.**

Climate and Biome

* Major contributors to climate also help to determine biome:
* **Temp**
* **Precipitation**
* Hours of sunlight / Angle of Incidence
* Wind currents
* Altitude
* **Interplay of these factors can determine the types of biotic factors in a region.**

Whittaker Biome Graph

Climate Graph

**Climate Defintion**

**Long-term atmospheric conditions - or the average of weather.**

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NOT WEATHER!!

Climate is affected by different factors..

Atmospheric circulation patterns

ocean currents

elevation

radiant energy (sun)

biological factors (e.g. plants)

Factors Affecting Regional Climate

* Convection cells
* Latitude / insolation
* Tilt of the earth’s axis
* Wobble of the earth’s axis.
* Oceanic currents
* Altitude of region

Climate Graphs

* Show annual precipitation and temperature, along with moths of the year.
* Can be used as a model for understanding common patterns in biomes.
* Should be able to identify the biome just by looking at the climate graph.
* In addition to this, you should also know the dominant vegetation and a couple examples of animals in each major biome.

What is this Biome #1

tropical rainforest

What is this Biome #2

Tropical Grassland

What is this Biome #3

Temperate Forest

Atmospheric Currents

Warming in the earth’s atmosphere is uniform b/c it is a spheroid.

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air moves from areas of HIGH PRESSURE to LOW PRESSURE (air rising in the atmos = low pressure)

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WARM AIR has LOW PRESSURE (b/c of LOW density) and RISES in COOLER air. (air increases in atmos = air is COLD)

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air LOSES moisture as it RISES (precipitation occurs) (tropical rain forest biomes occur after)

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the Coriolis effect causes the DEFLECTION OF AIR

Hadley Cells (TRF)

The amount of heat in the atmosphere @ the equator triggers TRF.

That warm air has LOW PRESSURE b/c the density is so low so that air RISES into COOLER air.

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That air LOSES moisture as it RISES.

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This causes precipitation to occur.

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TFR occurs when the amount of heat @ the equator triggers it. due to the low density in the air, the warm air has low pressure so when it rises, the air cools. As it rises, the air loses moisture causing perciptation to occur

Ferrel Cells/ Deserts

Deserts occur at 30 degrees N and S b/c when the air moves N and S it has LOW MOISTURE because it loses that moisture at the TRF.

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So cooler air will begin to SINK to the TROPOSPHERE.

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That results in high pressure due to the lack of water in the sinking cool air.

Coriolis Effect

a deflection of air currents at the right angles and moves air masses east and west.

Identify three leading causes of anthropogenic habitat fragmentation.

Urbanization

Agriculture

Land Development

Mining

Identify the four categories in which biodiversity can be measured.

Genetic

Species

Functional

Ecosystem Biodiversity

Contrasts species richness and evenness

richness: the number of species in a population.

evenness: the relative abundance of species in a population

describe the concept of maximum sustainable yield and why it matters.

Definition: The extraction of resources in a sustainable manner

Why it matters: If your yield is sustainable, a population remains balanced and you are able to use that resource regularly and over the long term.

Identify the two main approaches to conserving the planet’s biodiversity.

Species Conservation

Ecosystem Biodiversity

Convection Cells

a self-contained zone in which warmer air in the center is pushed upward and is balanced by the downward motion of cooler air

Hot Spot

A small area or region with a relatively hot temperature in comparison to its surroundings.