field studies final

Loddiero Stream Stratigraphy

f. calcarenites/sands
e. alcaline basalts (lava)
d. fossiliferous sands/calcarenites
c. sub-aerial volcanics
b. sub-marine volcanics
a. sands w/ corals

Unit A (Loddiero)

on upper pilocene tholeiitic volcanics, coral fossil shape indicates water qualities

Unit B and C

sub-marine and sub-aerial volcanoes, pillow lava and fragmented lava deltas

Unit D

restoration of marine env, shallow waters, calcarenite fossils

Unit E

sub-aerial volcanoes, vesicular rock texture and columns

Unit F

yellowish calcarenites and sands, rich in fossils, horizontal and cross- stratification (shallow intertidal zone) Along the river slopes, erosional channel filled with reworked sediments.

endemic species

exclusively found in geographic area, not naturally ocurring anywhere

Invasive alien speices

introduced by humans to places outside of natural range, negative impact

threats to species biodiversity

habitat loss

deforestation

agriculture

climate change

habitat fragmentation

pollution

ecosystem

non-living environment & interactions

habitat

place where organism lives (living + nonliving surrounding environment

ecological niche

specific set of env conditions required by organism to survive/reproduce

ecosystem diversity

#of different habitats and ecosystems within given area, species & genetic diversity, ecosystem services

threats to ecological diversity

climate change

exploitation/overconsumption

urbanization

functional diversity

ways that species interact with each other and env.

functions - nutrient cycling

biological roles - pollinators

processes - photosynthesis

threats to functional diversity

invasive species

loss of keynote species

any disturbance to balance

conservation biology

intelligent and informed management of highly disrupted ecosystems (ecology - genetics - economics - sociology - philosophy - anthropolgy)

in situ

on site, quickly increase population size and gene flow

ex situ

off site, botanical gardens and germoplasm banks

Red List of Threatened species

vulnerable/endangered

1. population size reduction

2. geographic range (occurrence/occupancy)

3. small population size & decline of mature individuals

4. small/restricted population

5. quantitative analysis (probability of extinction)

“Barometer of Life”

taxonomic indicator of the health of the world's biodiversity, highlighting species facing extinction risk

conservation values ethics

endangered species = endangered habitat

mitigation hierarchy

1. avoid

2. reduce/mitigate

3. compensate

10 must knows 24

3. considering undiscovered biodiversity

   7. protecting land resources

biodiversity hotspots

36, mediterranean flora 15-25k, 60% unique

mediterranean threats

habitat loss/degradation

pollution

overexploitation

natural disasters

invasive alien species

human disturbance

bycatch

conservation actions

species protection (legislation/action plans)

site protection

ecosystem approach

communication & education

monitoring & research

fundamental biogenetic law

by ernst haeckel, development of individual organism mirrors evolutionary history of species (not accurate, but regulator genes do influence species evolution)

ecological footprint

by william reyes, measuring env impact through total area of ecosystem used

mutualism

benefit A benefit B

commensalism

neutral A benefit B

parasitism

harm A benefit B

neutralism

neutral A neutral B

amensalism

harm A neutral B

competition

harm A harm B

allelopathy

compete by interfering growth through bioactive compound allelochemicals

evolutionary ecology

change in genetic characteristics of population over time

spatial/habitat niche

physical space

trophic niche

food level of organism

hypervolume/fundamental niche

max area a species can inhabit (no competition)

realized niche

biotic constraints, actual occupied hypervolume

gause principle

no 2 species with identical niches can coexist (competition)

law of tolerance

for each abiotic factor, an organism has a range of tolerances

flora

catalogue of plant species, described according to systematic botany

vegetation

phytocoenosis, vegetation area, plant landscape distribution community patterns

phytosociology

plant sociology, group of plant communities fall into hierarchical classification

class —> order —> alliance —> association

plant survey

1. area

2. geolocation/location

3. date, survey #, name

4. physiographic features (slope, exposure)

5. lithological substrate

6. structural elements (stratification, height)

7. quantitative notation for species

8. observations

species accumulation curves (SAC)

cumulative species x increase sampling effort

adaptation

characteristic that improves organism’s survivability/reproduction

adaptive radiation

rapid increase in # species with common ancestor due to new ecological contexts

bryolat protocol

altitudinal zonation/transcet

1. 2 plots per 200m

2. divide into quadrats

3. sample 3 quadrats

4. collect 3 microplots

direct active

animal is disturbed by operator (eg capture)

direct passive

animal is detected (sight, hearing) but not disturbed

indirect active

work done on tracks left by animal through intervention (eg barbed wire)

indirect passive

tracks left by animal accidentally

messinian salinity crisis

cruise revealed reflective seismic layer, 3km of evaporitic sediments

evaporites

rocks produced by precipitation from saturated solutions
found in deepest portion (balearic, algerian, ionic, levant)

economic resource

criticism of MSC theory

order of precipitation: carbonates — sulfates — chlorides
expected salt deposit of 24m

new theories:

1. sea level dropped (evaporation)

2. increased salinity from brine, lateran discontinuity of depots (salt pans)

dry season deposition

low run off, strong evaporation, sinking brines

wet season deposition

high runoff, increased precipitation, low evaporation, strong bottom anoxia

evaporitic sequence

lower —> upper

1. tripoli formation (diatomites)

2. first cycle: evaporites direct from marine water

3. second cycle: re-deposition by sea level drop & erosion of evaporates

4. trubi formation: marls, limestones

tripoli, basal limestone, gypsum, halite, trubi

tripoli evaporites

fine sedimentary rocks, micro-organisms (diatom), narrow/shallow. diatom blooms = anoxia

trubi evaporites

open sea env (recovery). cyclicity from color (4) and errodability (global temp/rainfall variations)

• grey: clay minerals, fossils of sub-tropic

• white: calcium carbonate from micro-organisms living in water column, deposited at bottom when dead

• beige: temperate periods

milankovitch cycle

earths orbit and sun exposure

• orbital eccentricity

• obliquity (axis tilt)

• precession (wobble)

if gibraltar closed

1000 years for evaporation

zanclean mega-flood theory

re-opening straight = rapid flooding, basins

weather

meteorological components (temp, rain, wind, sun), limited duration, changes w/ seasons

climate

long-term shifts in temp/weather

natural causes of climate change

• solar activity: energy reaching atmosphere, small influence

• tectonic process: volcanoes release ash/chemicals, avg decline (but effects vary)

• earth orbit: milankovitch cycles

• meteorites: extinctions

volcanic explosivity index

log scale based on: volume of products, eruption cloud height, qualitative observations

ice age/glacial age

millions of years, ice caps @ poles and glaciers @ continents

glacial period/glaciation

thousands of years within ice age, MORE glaciers

quaternary period

insense seasonality and periods of cooling. wurm —> riss —> mindel —> gunz

last glacial maximum

during wurm, thick 3km ice and sea level drop 120m

istocacy

earth’s crust in gravitational equillibrium with mantle due to density and thickness. may change with processes (erosion, mountains, glaciers)

eurytherms

organisms live in wide range of temps (can go deeper)

stenotherms

organisms live in narrow range of temps (usually shallow)

temp variation and organisms

distribution, availability of nutrients/growth, fertility, bioconstructors (sclerochronology)

climate hosts

migration due to climate change (found fossils elsewhere)

sea level variation

land bridges and isolation, migration speciation evolution (size changes)

sicilian pleistocene megafauna

elephants and hippopotamus, smaller in size due to limited resources/predators

charles lyell

studying calabria earthquake, related phenomena to faults/fracture zones

normal fault

direct, extension

inverse fault

thrust, shortening

strike slip

latteral

stable sliding/continuous slip

gradual release of energy, no earthquake

stick slip

pulses, increased potential energy, breaks when exceeds friction force

earthquake

sudden slip along fault plane

focus/hypocenter

point of nucleation

epicenter

vertical projection of epicenter

intensity

mercalli scale, based on observed damage to land/structure

magnitude

richter scale, instrument measure of energy released (does not change with distance)