environmental concepts test 2

components of earths climate system

the sun, the oceans, water, the atmosphere, land

electro magnetic spectrum

wavelength to frequency

atmosphere layers [from earth out]

troposphere; 0-12km

stratosphere; 11-50km

mesosphere; 50-80km

thermosphere; 80-500km

albedo

measure of the reflectivity of the earths surfaces

why does temperature differ from the equator to the poles?

curvature of the earth means sunlight is more direct at the equator

the atmosphere radiates heat back into space equivalent to incoming sunlight, how does atmosphere gain and store heat?

energy absorbed by the atmosphere [clouds, particles, ozone], and energy transferred from earth to atmosphere by evaporation conduction/convection and thermal heat radiation

what do convective currents do?

help to redistribute heat energy through processes of heating/ cooling air or precipitation

6 giant convection cells

distribute heat towards the poles and contribute to long range transport [warm air raises at equator and cooler air drops at poles]

ocean conveyor belt

distributes heat, temperature and salinity driven, water at poles freezes expelling salt making the flowing water denser moving the belt like a waterfall this also brings nutrients back up to surface

infrared absorbed and re-emitted by gases in atmosphere but…

green house gases trap some of it when they try escaping, only releasing some of the IR

green house gases are, naturally occurring components and man made chemical components in the troposphere, what are these gases?

water vapor H₂O, carbon dioxide CO₂, methane CH₄, nitrous oxide N₂O, ozone generated by smog O₂, halocarbons containing fluorine, chlorine, and bromine

human generated contributions to greenhouse effect

cultural greenhouse effect arises as we emit more GHGs and produce new GHGs too, the more GHG emissions into the atmosphere the more IR becomes trapped in the troposphere

Vostok ice cores help reveal how GHG concentrations varied pre-historically

3600m cores equates to 400,000ya , have info on precipitation and temperature

trends of carbon dioxide concentrations

going up drastically within last century

positive radiative forcing

net increase in energy and temperature because of the energy imbalance between, incoming solar energy and outgoing IR energy from the atmosphere

effects of human-induced change in climate budget. the main cause being a high volume of IR trapped in atmosphere causing ecosystem changes like….

• severe weather - patterns and occurrences

• biosphere - increase loss of species, change in distribution

• lithosphere - soil degradation and loss of agricultural production

• cryosphere and hydrosphere - patterns in snow and ice melt

artic amplification is driven by and resulting in changes in the…

• sea ice - reduction in albedo and revels water that rapidly warms bc of positive feed back

• Greenland ice sheet - melting fresh water into artic ocean causing water levels to rise and penitential shut down of the ocean conveyor belt

• permafrost soils - melting of deep soil profiles contribute to collapsing soils and likely production of carbon and methane plus add to the rapid warming

sustainable development is done thorough ecosystem management, what is ecosystem management?

A decision making tool directly connected to sustainability concepts via ecological, social, and economic components. As well as achieving societal goals in a defined geographical area for the interacting biotic and abiotic attributes.

there are 12 principals of the ecosystem approach, which three have a higher importance?

1. management with a focus on societal choices - should a resource be developed or preserved

11. all encompassing in knowledge and inclusive information - perspectives of all involved and effected e.g. scientists, first nations, farmers, local land owners, foresters, etc.

12. everyone should be included and have a voice

what steps are the 12 principles for ecosystem approach developed into?

A. geographic boundary - made up of 4 levels

• Jurisdictional basis - map with subdivisions aka provinces

• Administrative basis - districts where there might be unique goals and objectives/ priorities [national or provincial park]

• Ecological basis - defined based on ecological features

• Combo of 3 - combination of priorities/ objectives

B. describe features and relate to goals - characterize biotic and abiotic features of ecosystems with stakeholders [gov’t, first nations, local landowners, scientists, etc.], use information on ecosystems from surveys and stakeholders to help decide on management objectives from knowledge of structure and function of ecosystem features

C. what are key economic considerations - attempt to remove negative economic incentives such as high taxes and environmental damages; to create positive incentives such as subsidies in beneficial development, awards and reduced taxes

D. adaptive management - determine what’s happening in adjacent ecosystems to minimize negative impact, enhance positive impacts and improve stakeholder buy-in

E. over time - create long-term goals and flexible ways of reaching them, develop alternative strategies to maximize success, monitoring and achieving goals [base line monitoring of ecosystem] and monitoring satisfaction of stakeholders

Canadian national parks are country wide system of representative natural areas of Canadian significance, but they’re also…

regions protected by law with key goals of public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment while maintaining ecological integrity in a unimpaired state; this is also a shift from prior values centered on monumentalism [big statues or buildings used to boost the parks reputation as a place for human activity and not preservation or conservation of the ecosystems]

ecological integrity means…

keeping ecosystems healthy and whole, in states of unimpaired ecological biodiversity, structure and function

riding mountain national park what issues arose?

because RMNP is a ecological island/ fragmented habitat, elk utilized more then the protected area meaning they engage with cattle. problematic for land owners as elk could be infected with TB and spread it to cattle, also cause conflict with indigenous hunting on land owner property.

how did RMNP solve it’s issues?

made riding mountain a biosphere reserve where cattle are relocated to crown land hence removing threat of TB, and a “extension” of park boundaries by 12,000km². This helps to maintain ecological integrity and MVP of elk. indigenous were also able to satisfy their cultural needs.

park biologists estimated the MVP to conserve biodiversity, what is MVP and why do parks use it?

MVP - smallest population that can maintain itself and its genetic variability indefinitely

national parks determine the MVP of there native wildlife species in effort to maintain ecological integrity

what are components and functions of both provincial and national parks?

Provincial - use a conservation model based on the 3 pillars of sustainable development and holds human interest and resource development at same importance level as protecting resources e.g. tourism, cottaging, forestry unless protection of a species becomes priority focus

National - protects species or landscapes without reference to human interests and uses a historical reference for feature worth preserving. also are limited in how tourism activities develop, are very restricted in cottaging and rec development and industrial development of any type are excluded

what makes a species more vulnerable then others?

1. long lived and delayed maturity

2. low reproductive rate - low birth rate

3. limited habitat availability and challenged to establish new locations

4. breed in colonies - contributing to high density at seasonal times

5. specific requirements at life stages -when hibernating, mating/staging grounds, wintering areas

6. niche specialization

what does IUCN stand for and do?

international union of conservation of nature tracks, reports, and assists humanity to evaluate the status and overall is a barometer of the biospheres health; also known as the red list.

convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora known as CITES, does what?

ensures international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild. has varying degrees of protection to 35,000+ species of plants and animals

Canadas species at risk act, SARA, is used to….

prevent native Canadian species, subspecies and distinct populations from extirpation or extinction, by providing recovery for endangered or threatened species. while also encouraging management of other species to prevent them from becoming at risk.

what are the SARA categories for species at risk?

extinct - a species no longer exists

extirpated - a species no longer existing in the wild in Canada but occurring else where

endangered - a species facing imminent extirpation or extinction

threatened - a species likely to become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed

special concern - a species particularly sensitive to human activities or natural

why are IAS important?

ecological changes

• prey on native species and compete for food and breeding space

• disrupts food webs and introduce new pathogens

• contribute to loss of species biodiversity

economic losses

• impacts to commercial and consummative interests

health concerns

• introduction of human pathogens and their vectors

recreational losses

• affects human enjoyment and use of the environment

why is Canada vulnerable to invaders from south U.S.A?

invaders are transported via the Mississippi watershed close to the great lakes and Hudson’s bay basins. cargo tankers fill their ballast to stabilize the ship and dump about 5 billion tonnes [annually] of water filled with micro-organisms, eggs, larvae and larger organisms at destination. on a recreational level public education is critical to reduces invasive species.

shadows of the forest, is a short documentary on woodland caribou, what does it tell us about the species?

• low reproduction rate

• life span of 5yrs in captivity and 13yrs in wild

• threatened since 2000

• biggest threats: predation [wolves] and brain-worm

• loyalty to calving and wintering sites

• illusive, always on the move

• indicator species = health of ecosystem

shadows of the forest is a short documentary on woodland caribou, what research strategies and focuses were being used to learn more about woodland caribou?

• 1970 1^st collaring of caribou, now use GPS and get live data

• 1994 caribou management comity

• Julie Bartlet - combined tech and indigenous knowledge to gain basis of migration patterns

• research focused on: understanding habitat and range, delicacy of ecological niche, know more about habitat needs

• humans prioritize them over moose in deer [trying to tailor the ecosystem to woodland caribou and exclude deer and moose]

shadows of the forest is a short documentary on woodland caribou, how has logging changed to implement forest management and preserve forest habitat?

• logging done in areas where caribou are infrequent but in patterns similar to forest fires to simulate a natural environment

• closing and decommissioning logging roads so there is a singular entrance with multiple gates to help prevent predators and illegal logging of area

• leaving behind what they don’t need and avoiding damaging the ecosystems ex, running over lichen which woodland caribou eat

• make the forest more for woodland caribou then moose or deer

what does TEK stand for?

traditional ecological knowledge, is the wisdom, advice, and knowledge of indigenous people correlating over hundreds of years or indigenous generational wisdom of an area.

ecosystem management is…

providing strategies to combat habitat loss and fragmentation

ex, wildlife over and under passes, biosphere reserves, national parks, hunting banes, legislations on industry use of resources, etc.