Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chapters 8 and 10
Transitional Communities
Estuaries Wetlands- bogs/fens, swamps, marshes
Marine Ecosystems
Shorelines Barrier Islands Coral Reefs Open Ocean
Freshwater Ecosystems
Usually 0.005% salt
Some exceptions:
Great Salt Lakes-
5-27% salt
Dead Sea- 30% salt
Moving water- high elevations; cold; high O2; trout; streamlined plants Standing water- lower elevations; warmer; less O2; bass, amphibians; cattails, rushes
Transitional Communities
ESTUARIES Where freshwater dumps into ocean Brackish (less salty than seawater) Has rich sediments that often form deltas Productive & biodiverse Organisms adapted to varying levels of salinity as tide ebbs & flows Nursery for larval forms of many aquatic species of commercial fish & shellfish
Transitional Communities
WETLANDS Land saturated at least part of the year Swamps- have trees like bald cypress; high productivity Marshes- no trees; tall grasses; high productivity Bogs/Fens- may or may not have trees; waterlogged soil with lots of peat; low productivity
Fens- fed by groundwater & surface runoff Bogs- fed by precipitation Bog Fen Swamp
Marsh
Importance of Wetlands
Highly productive- get lots of sunlight, plants = animals Nesting, breeding ground for migratory birds Slows flooding by absorbing runoff Silt settles, making water clearer & nutrient rich Trap & filter water Natural chemical rxns neutralize and detoxify pollutants Gives H2O time to percolate thru soil & replenish underground aquifers. Threats- artificial eutrophication (see slide 13), draining, sedimentation via construction Natures Septic Tank
Marine Ecosystems
SHORELINES Rocky coasts- great density & diversity attached to solid rock surface Sandy beaches- burrowing animals Threats- due to hotels, restaurants, homes on beach, more plant life destroyed, destabilizing soil, susceptible to wind & water erosion Insurance high; danger of hurricanes, erosion Build sea walls to protect people but changes & endangers shoreline habitat
Marine Ecosystems
BARRIER ISLANDS Low, narrow offshore islands Protect inland shores from storms Beauty attracts developers = developers destroy land New coastal zoning laws protect future development
MARINE ECOSYSTEMS
CORAL REEFS Clear, warm shallow seas Made up of accumulated calcareous (made of calcium) skeletons of coral animals Formation depends on light penetration. Have a symbiotic relationship with algae Very diverse, abundant (rainforests of sea) Threats- destructive fishing (cyanide & dynamite to stun fish), pet trade; about 3/4ths have been destroyed
Biomes
Which biome has the largest total area? The smallest total area? Which biome has the highest % of undisturbed habitat? Which biome has the lowest % of undisturbed habitat? Which biome has the highest % human dominated habitat? Which biome has the lowest % human dominated habitat?
LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
Landscape- geographic unit with a history that shapes the features of the land and organisms in it. Landscape ecology- the study of how landscape structure affects the abundance and distribution of organisms. Does not just focus on untouched nature
LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
Uses geographical information systems (GIS) to map patch size, type and configuration to create 3-D maps These maps assist land planners in analyzing land use patterns
LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
Focus on how neighboring communities of a landscape interact
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
Chapter 10
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
Repair or reconstruct ecosystems damaged by humans or natural forces Growing field of science People are now being held responsible for their actions- restoring wetlands & habitat for endangered species
Before
After
After
These people in Africa are trying to use rocks to create a sort of wind break to prevent wind erosion of their soil. The soil will never be like it was but it will hopefully be usable.
This is like an artificial wetlandwastewater comes in, settles, roots cleanse the water
Tools of Restoration
Prairies- collect native prairie grasses from graveyards and plant in abandoned farm fields to reestablish native grasslands Remove alien specieslike privet @ nature center; hunting goats on Galapagos Walk away from ecosystem & let recover naturally- N. & S. Korea after the Korean War
Restoration Ethics
If habitat was filled with diseased, ugly organisms, should you return it to that state? Should you reintroduce mosquitoes, black flies, leeches, ticks, poisonous snakes? Should you improve on nature? Where do you find plants for restoration? Do you take from small population nearby or find larger population farther away? Is there more than one natural state? What is the history of the area? Since humans are part of nature, whatever changes we make to landscape also are natural. Is that true? Can we use nature to solve human problems? Read story on page 121 about Arcata, Californias artificial wetland project.
Canal in China Before
Ecosystem Management
How can we have progress and still maintain the environment? Aldo Leopold was one of the pioneers on his Sand County farm US Forest Services, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service all adopted versions of ecosystem management Previously, these agencies used their lands for commercial or recreational uses & did not focus on wildlife habitats, endangered species, etc.