Unit 4 - Managing ecosystems and biodiversity

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What are biomes?

a form of ecosystems that are smaller than the biosphere

What are the 2 major abiotic factors of a biome?

temperature & precipitation

Describe the climate of hot deserts:

• High daytime & low nighttime temperature; generally light winds

• >250mm of rainfall annually; high evaporation rates

Describe the soil of hot deserts:

Light colored soil that’s dry & sandy; top layer may be absent/very thin due to lack of vegetation

What’s an example of a plant’s adaptation to the hot desert?

Cacti have drought tolerant seeds with waxy cuticles to prevent water from escaping

Examples of human impact in hot deserts:

• mining

• removal of rare species

• use of groundwater + drying out surface water

Describe the climate of tropical rainforests:

• Temperatures range from 22-31°C; low diurnal temperature (difference b/t high and low temperature in the same day)

• 2000mm of rainfall per year w/ high humidity levels; daily convectional rainfall

Describe the soil of tropical rainforests:

• Red/yellow soil

• high rainfall = nutrients + clays being leached out & replaced with aluminium oxide (high rate of decomposition)

Example of a plant’s adaptation to the tropical rainforest?

• Tall + thin trees allow for light

  • thin bark eliminates the need to conserve water

  • leaves have a waxy surface with drip tips to allow excess water to runoff + prevent algae

    • Supports high biodiversity

Examples of human impacts in the tropical rainforest:

• Deforestation: causes fragmentation + lost of tropical forests

  • Plants + animals in the fragmentation ecosystem remain vulnerable (those that do survive cause a rapid decline in biodiversity)

  • Loss of genetic material + biodiversity

• Soils are thin + lack nutrients → due to leaching & heavy rainfall

  • Nutrients = stored in biomass

  • Completely deforested areas → soils collapse + high soil erosion

• Contributes to climate change → forests store a lot of carbon (e.g. in photosynthesis)

• Mining

• Farming

Describe the climate of grasslands

• Temperatures range from 20-35°C

• Up to 750mm of rainfall annually w/ wet summer; unpredictable rainfall

  • Distinct dry & wet seasons

Describe the soil of grasslands:

• Red soil (high iron), highly weathered + porous allows for rapid drainage & thin layer on surface decays rapidly due to high temperatures

  • Soils aren’t very fertile; limited vegetation

Describe the vegetation in grasslands:

• grasses & umbrella shaped trees

  • Trees are spread apart & root systems are either widespread (to absorb water) or deep (reach groundwater during dry season)

Human impact examples in grasslands:

• grazing

• urbanization

• less biodiversity due to loss of habitat + hunting

Describe the climate of tundras:

• Temperatures range from -34-12°C; strong polar winds

• Less than 250mm of rain annually & short summers

Describe the soil of tundras:

Dark brown soil, permafrost (permanently frozen) sub layer, organic material at surface

Describe the vegetation in tundras:

• small plants that grow close together & are low to the ground

  • Waxy hair to coat them from cold & wind, shallow root systems due to permafrost

Human impact examples in tundras:

• melting of permafrost (methane)

• drilling for resources

What is ecological succession?

process of an ecosystem changing & developing

Describe primary succession:

• no soil present / uncolonized areas

• longer time to reach climax community than secondary succession

• examples: new lava flow & newly formed sand dunes

Examples of pioneer species + their impact in primary succession:

• Pioneer species (lichens & mosses) will establish themselves on bare rock

  • Start formation of soils by breaking down the rock → grasses + shrubs can grow

Describe secondary succession:

• colonized area that was disturbed or damaged (hasn’t eliminated all life/removed all nutrients)

• Pioneer species = small plants

• example: where a mudslide occurred

What’s an intermediate community?

a change from the initial community, but the final stage hasn’t been reached

What’s a climax community?

• final stage of succession; depends on climate

  • can take a few days to hundreds of years

Species involved in succession are controlled by abiotic factors like:

geology & climate

What is primary productivity?

the rate in which energy is converted into organic material by autotrophs

What is gross primary productivity?

• total amount of biological productivity within ecosystem/biome - all production by producers

  • Energy production per unit area / units of time

What is net primary productivity?

amount of energy captured minus energy used for respiration

• GPP - R

What are abiotic factors that affect productivity?

CO2, water, sunlight

What do ecological/trophic pyramids represent?

• Compare communities within/between ecosystems by analyzing their trophic levels

  • Represents energy, number of individuals/biomass in each trophic level

A pyramid of energy shows:

• feeding relationships of an ecosystem

  • Greatest amount of energy at the bottom → ~10% transfer of energy b/t levels

    • Energy loss as heat due to respiration & excretion

What is a pyramid of numbers?

• # of individual organisms in an ecosystem

  • Normal pyramid of numbers: largest # of organism at the bottom

  • Producers at bottom & tertiary consumers at the top

  • Along with a pyramid of biomass can have an unusual/inverted shape

    • Number below can support upper trophic levels

What is a native species?

• originated & developed in a specific region/ecosystem and adapted to living there

  • Indigenous: occurring naturally in a specific area; native to an ecosystem

What is an invasive species?

• outcompete other species in the area it has invaded → changes balance in the ecosystem it invades

  • Can be native (outcompete other organisms in the ecosystem) or non-native

  • Primarily spread through human activity & often spread rapidly

  • Degrade native ecosystems → harmful to human health + local economies

Potential impact of invasive species include:

• grazing

• competition

• predation

• disease transmission

How is food security a benefit of conserving biodiversity?

protects plants, animals, & genetic resources that support soil fertility, disease regulation, & pollination of crops

How is economic growth/poverty reduction a benefit of conserving biodiversity?

many poor populations depend on natural areas for their livelihoods; forests provide timber, food, & water

How is combating climate change a benefit of conserving biodiversity?

forested areas can reduce CO2 levels & coastal ecosystems can lessen the impact of storm surges

How are medical resources a benefit of conserving biodiversity?

medicinal qualities in plants to treat illness

How is high genetic diversity a benefit of conserving biodiversity?

greater stability → species are able to adapt to various conditions (e.g. disease & climate change)

How is cultural + recreational value a benefit of conserving biodiversity?

biodiversity reflects social values + local beliefs

• e.g) a culture may use rivers for baptism

How can sustainable harvest conserve biodiversity?

use of a resource that ensures its constant supply without harming future yields/causing irreversible damage to an ecosystem

• Optimal harvest (set % of resource is harvested) & systematic random sampling (set % of material harvested from a defined part of an ecosystem) are sustainable

What is CITES?

• aims to ensure sustainable trade & protect endangered animals + species

  • Limitation: hasn’t stopped illegal trade of protected species & voluntary participation

What’s the IUCN Red List?

scientific info + tools to guide int’l actions in conservation

What is EDGE?

•  aims to protect species on the verge of extinction & have unique evolutionary history

  • EDGE Score: combined endangered conservation status + distinctiveness of species

What is captive breeding?

• breeding endangered species in captivity with the goal of releasing them back into protected wild areas in the future

  • Aims to develop a self-sustaining population of a species

  • Can lead to inbreeding w/ weak genetic traits → lower survival rates

How can rewilding contribute to habitat conservation/creation?

restoring an area of land to its natural uncultivated state

• Reintroduced species + communities can thrive → biodiversity increases & ecosystem health improves

How can protection of habitats contribute to habitat conservation/creation?

protects the whole habitat + each species benefits

• Encourages species protection & biodiversity conservation

How can nature reserves contribute to habitat conservation/creation?

legally protected area that is of importance for organisms or geology

• Conservation, protecting natural resources, & scientific research

How can national parks contribute to habitat conservation/creation?

protects landscapes, wildlife, & natural features of large areas that are of conservational, education, or scientific interest

• Protected by national laws

How can marine conservation zones contribute to habitat conservation/creation?

nat’l/int’l importance with rare or threatened species + habitats that require protection

• Typically don’t have a fishing ban, but have “no-take” zones (prohibits destroy natural resources)

• MCZs form a greater network of protected zones

How can deforestation impact a tropical rainforest?

causes fragmentation + lost of tropical forests

• Plants + animals in the fragmentation ecosystem remain vulnerable (those that do survive cause a rapid decline in biodiversity)

• Loss of genetic material + biodiversity

How can mining impact tropical rainforests?

forests being made into roads + infrastructure

• Mining can lead to water, air, soil, noise, & light pollution

How can agriculture impact a tropical rainforest?

depletes the soil of nutrients due to soil erosion

• Soils are thin + lack nutrients → due to leaching & heavy rainfall

  • Nutrients = stored in biomass

  • Completely deforested areas → soils collapse + high soil erosion

How can climate change impact a tropical rainforest?

forests store a lot of carbon (e.g. in photosynthesis)

How can int’l agreements manage human activity in tropical rainforests?

manage species + forested areas through sustainable harvesting(e.g. CITES)

• Need to include: educating those exploiting resources & providing consequences to negative action(s)

How can legislation + protected areas manage human activity in tropical rainforests?

establishment of anti-deforestation public policies + private measures can significantly protect forested areas, biodiversity, + forest’s ability to absorb CO2

• Needs to be rolled out across countries w/ large areas of tropical rainforests

How can debt reduction manage human activity in tropical rainforests?

many tropical rainforests are found in LICs that have high levels of debt

• Instead of remove rainforests to generate income → some HICs agreed to write off debt

  • In return, HIC asks for the protection of an area of the rainforest

Why should we preserve tropical rainforests?

• maintain biodiversity

• protect the production of resources

• manage climate change

• manage local water quality

Examples of human impact in Antarctica:

• Climate change: warming oceans → loss of ice

  • Ocean acidification (from excess CO2) has caused a loss of biodiversity

• Fishing: overfishing leads to the loss of krill, which can lead to the collapse of food chains

• Tourism: increases potential of oil + sewage spillage (pollution)

  • Can disturb colonies of Antarctic animals

  • No individual gov’t has the power to set regulations

• Ozone depletion: CFCs → hole in the ozone layer in the stratosphere above Antarctica

  • Strong and frequent winds + storms

What are some strategies for managing the impacts of humans of Antarctica?

• Legislation & int’l agreement (e.g. The Antarctic Treaty):

  • Features like: banning the mining of minerals & no nuclear testing/disposal of nuclear waste

• Tourism control through agreements like the IAATO

  • Stricter agreements are being put into place

  • Educate tourists, reduce noise & light pollution, waste management policies