restoration ecology

Restoration Ecology

• Definition: "Restoring" disturbed natural systems through human intervention.
• Example: Darlington's daring wetland restoration (Source: ontarioparks.ca)

Assignment Details

Field Study

• Meeting Location: Solar panels by Lady Eaton College parking lot (West Bank Drive).
• Study Area Details:
  • Parking spots labeled (P) indicate areas for parking.
  • Otonabee River is significant in relation to the meeting area.

Preparation

• Important Note: If Thanksgiving or the Water Fest prevents attendance, substitute with any seminar during the same week.
• The seminar will occur rain or shine.
• Suggestions for attire: Wear good footwear and appropriate clothing based on weather conditions.

ERSC 1010H Workshop Schedule

Important Dates

• Monday, October 13
  • F06 Workshop: Cancelled due to Thanksgiving holiday.
  • Students must attend another workshop during that week or the week prior.

Scheduled Workshops

Week of October 6

• Monday, Oct 6:
  • F05: 10 am - 11:50 am (OCA 171)
• Tuesday, Oct 7:
  • F03: 9 am - 10:50 am (OCA 104)
• Wednesday, Oct 8:
  • F01: 11 am-12:50 pm (OCA 104)
• Thursday, Oct 9:
  • F09: 12 pm - 1:50 pm (OCA 171)
• Friday, Oct 10:
  • F11: 1 pm - 2:50 pm (ECC 212)
  • F07: 1 pm - 2:50 pm (ESC B319)

Week of October 13

• Monday, Oct 13:
  • F06: Cancelled
• Tuesday, Oct 14:
  • F04: 9 am - 10:50 am (OCA 104)
• Wednesday, Oct 15:
  • F02: 11 am-12:50 pm (OCA 104)
• Thursday, Oct 16:
  • F10: 12 pm - 1:50 pm (OCA 171)
• Friday, Oct 17:
  • F08: 1 pm-2:50 pm (ESC B319)

Energy & Material Flow in Ecosystems

Two Broad Considerations of Natural Systems

• Structure
  • Includes scale, types of species, distribution of species, and behavior.
• Function
  • Focuses on the flow of energy or nutrients through the ecosystems.

Energy Flow in Ecosystems

• Source of Energy:
  • All energy originates from the sun.
• High-Quality Solar Energy Drives:
  • Photosynthesis
  • Cycles of matter
  • Climate and ocean currents

Energy Input and Output Diagram

• Incoming Solar Radiation: 100%
  • Photos: 0.023%
  • Wind and waves: 1%
  • Evaporation of water: 23%
• Reflection and Emission:
  • Reflected by clouds: 34%
  • Reflected by Earth's surface: 42%
  • Outgoing radiation (emissivity): 66% (degraded heat or longer-wave length far infrared).
• This demonstrates the First Law of Thermodynamics: The Earth's energy is balanced between inputs and outputs.

Thermodynamics Principles

First Law of Thermodynamics

• Definition: Conservation of energy states that energy is neither created nor destroyed.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

• Definition: The quality of energy degrades over time and use. "Entropy happens; you can't break even."

Understanding Energy Quality

Low Quality Energy

• Characteristics:
  • Diffused, dispersed, or low in temperature.
  • Difficult to gather and utilize for productive purposes.
  • Example: Heat stored in oceans.

High Quality Energy

• Characteristics:
  • Intense, concentrated, or high in temperature.
  • Useful for performing work.
  • Example: High-voltage electrical energy, energy in gasoline.

Photosynthesis and Respiration

Process of Photosynthesis

• Chemical Equation:
  • ext{CO}2 + ext{H}2 ext{O}
    ightarrow ext{CHO} + ext{O}_2
• Sunlight Role:
  • Provides energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars, lipids, amino acids (biomass).
• Energy is stored in chemical bonds.

Process of Respiration

• Chemical Equation:
  • ext{CHO} + ext{O}2 ightarrow ext{CO}2 + ext{H}_2 ext{O} + ext{energy}
• Energy Release:
  • Energy is released when chemical bonds are broken down.
• Importance:
  • Photosynthesis is the source of stored chemical energy (biomass).
  • Chemical energy is a higher quality of energy than heat from the sun.

Producers and Consumers

Energy Flow Through Trophic Levels

• Producers: Solar energy converted to biomass.
• Consumers:

Trophic Levels Overview

• Energy flow is approximately 10% efficient moving up each trophic level, represented by a pyramid of energy flow.

Primary Productivity

• Definition: Rate of biomass production in ecosystems.
• Importance: Indicates the rate of solar energy conversion to higher quality stored chemical potential energy.

Varying Levels of Primary Productivity

• Examples of Ecosystems:
  • Estuaries
  • Swamps and marshes
  • Tropical rain forest
  • Temperate forest
  • Northern coniferous forest (taiga)
  • Savanna
  • Agricultural land
  • Woodland and shrubland
  • Temperate grassland
  • Lakes and streams
  • Continental shelf
  • Tundra (arctic and alpine)
  • Open ocean
  • Desert scrub
  • Extreme desert
• Estimates of Annual Average Net Productivity:
  • Reported in kilocalories of energy produced per square meter per year.

Influencing Factors on Primary Productivity

• Main Influences:
  • Temperature
  • Precipitation
  • Illustrated relationship shown through graphs measuring dry-matter productivity against precipitation and temperature.

Energy Source Examples

• Overall Energy Input: 1,254,000 kcal/m2/year
  • 11% enters consumer food web.
  • 34% enters decomposer food web as dead material.
  • 0.8% energy captured by photosynthesis, of which:
  • 45% supports growth (Net Primary Production).
  • 55% lost to respiration.

Community Energy Use

• As communities mature, a greater portion of energy is allocated toward respiration over time, resulting in no net gain in biomass (i.e., Net Primary Productivity).

Human Impact on Net Primary Productivity

Influence of Human Activities

• Research by Vitousek et al. (1986) indicates that human activities affect approximately 27% of the Earth's total net primary productivity and about 40% of terrestrial ecosystems.
  • Breakdown of human impact:
  • 73% Not used by humans.
  • 8% Land lost or degraded.
  • 16% Altered by human activity.
  • 3% Used directly.

Thought Question

• Consideration: If humans weren't present, what alternative uses would there be for the energy produced during primary productivity?