tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8136467975535199272024-03-12T17:04:58.840-07:00Ecosystem EcologyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969199106769519044noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813646797553519927.post-10632799794133493042013-05-10T11:10:00.001-07:002013-05-10T11:10:47.752-07:00The effects of the butternut canker on the population of butternuts in North America
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For
my ecology and management of invasive species class, we were required to give a
presentation on an invasive species in North America. For my presentation, I chose the butternut canker. The canker, <i>Ophiognomonia clavigigenti-juglandacearum</i>, is actually a fungus
that infects trees through any sort of scar or wound and quickly kills the
branches it infects before eventually killing the tree. The butternut canker is a prime example
of just how devastating and unstoppable an invasive species can be if given the
right environmental conditions. The fungus uses multiple vectors to travel from
individual to individual; these vectors included rain and wind dispersal,
insect dispersal, and seed dispersal.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
butternut canker uses rain dispersal to move from their initial cankers on the
lower branches of the crown to infect the stem of the tree; once an
individual’s trunk has been infected, it usually dies within a matter of
years. Rain dispersal can also
lead to infectection between trees when coupled with wind. Butternut canker spores can be
transmitted via aerosols, or tiny droplets of rain, which can travel up to 40
meters away from the tree. Winds
can also disperse spores a similar distance on their own. What is truly terrifying is the
fungus’s capability to disperse under prime conditions. When temperatures are cool and there is
a high relative humidity, spores have been found to travel over 100 meters away
from the parent tree.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another
common pathway that the canker uses to disperse its spores is via insects. Beetle species such as the butternut
circulio have bee found to carry as many as 8 million spores on one individual.
In addition to this, the circulio creates both feeding and ovipositor wounds in
butternut trees, providing the fungus with a direct route to infection of the host
tree.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
last method that the butternut canker uses for dispersal is through infected
seeds. The canker can survive in
seeds at low temperatures for up to 18 months. This is dangerous for 2 distinct reasons: first, it kills
the young butternut while still a seedling and secondly, creates a new platform
for the fungus to further transmit the disease. The fungus can live on dead
trees for up to 20 months, meaning that it was plenty of time to disperse from
a dead host tree to a new butternut nearby.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Combating
such invasive species is an incredibly difficult, uphill battle; no matter how
much effort is put in to stop its spread, the fungus is already established in
the United States and has been found across almost the entirety of the
butternut’s range. At this point,
conservation of healthy butternuts is the only chance we have in preserving
pure butternut trees in the wild; there have been hybrids of butternut and
Japanese walnuts that are much more well adapted to resist the canker, but very
few butternut trees have similar resistance.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969199106769519044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813646797553519927.post-91157657348455208642013-05-10T07:18:00.001-07:002013-05-10T07:18:17.504-07:00Ecological Meltdown in Predator-Free Forest Fragmentations
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For my community ecology class, we read a paper regarding
the ecological meltdown of multiple predator-free islands created via a
hydroelectric plant in Venezuela. No top predators reside here, as the islands
are separated from the rest of the tropical forest surrounding them. This has left only predators of
invertebrates, seed predators, and herbivores. The effects have been extremely noticeable and have begun to
create completely different communities from the ones found on mainland close
by.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
lack of vertebrate predators has caused for the density of herbivores to
skyrocket to 10-100 times greater than can be found in the mainland
forests. Due to this high number,
it is believed that top predators are key in limiting herbivore populations on
the mainland. These herbivores
have done extensive damage to the local populations of seedlings and saplings
from the canopy trees.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While
these species are usually maintained via top-down regulation, the lack of
species above them on the food chain has enabled their populations to grow at
exponential rates. This will most
likely occur until they become restricted again, this time via bottom-up
regulation. Eventually, the populations
will be so large that the amount of vegetation currently on the island won’t be
enough to maintain them. Depending
on how rapid this transition is, it is possible that some of these species will
undergo the bottleneck effect.
This can be devastating to a species, as it is usually accompanied by a
large loss of genetic diversity.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These
island communities are completely circumstantial and don’t provide much
information in terms of successional processes in the tropical rainforest. That being said, they do provide an
extremely interesting look at how the removal of any given species can cause
widespread changes to an ecosystem.
It will also be interesting to see how the transition into bottom-up regulation
takes place and whether it is as drastic as it has the potential to be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
paper:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
http://www.uvm.edu/~ngotelli/Bio%20264/Terborgh.pdf</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969199106769519044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813646797553519927.post-67810877514386226662013-05-10T07:17:00.002-07:002013-05-10T07:17:17.065-07:00Spring Phenology
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We recently completed a lab in my forest ecology class about
the timing of tree budburst in Jericho Research Forest. The idea of the study was to look into
how different trees respond to the onset of additional light in the
spring. When walking through the
forest in early spring, it is very clear that different species are on their
own schedules in terms of blooming; the first week we were out in the forest,
approximately 75% of the trees showing signs of bud development were red
maples.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Such
differences in tree phenology show how each species has a niche within the
plant community. Trees that bloom
early in the season are able to absorb some extra light energy without the
competition of the other canopy trees later in the season. This is especially important for
species that aren’t dominant trees in the overstory. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are also species
that hang on to their leaves late into fall as to soak up the final rays of
light before winter. Species such as American beech often won’t even release
all of their leaves, and some stay on the bud for the duration of winter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We
found higher amounts of saplings and seedlings budding than canopy trees. While this is just speculation, I think
that this could be related to the higher levels of light energy that they can
receive earlier in the season, as the canopy trees aren’t shading them from the
sun yet. By budding early, they
can take advantage of as much solar radiation as possible before they are stuck
in the under the canopy once again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An
interesting wrinkle to this experiment is the effect that climate change has
already begun to have on spring phenology. Studies of other New England forests over the course of 10+
years have shown that budburst is becoming slightly earlier every year. With longer growing seasons, trees will
be able to keep their leaves for a lengthier period of time. This additional growing season will
likely have an effect on the habitat range of different tree species. </div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969199106769519044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813646797553519927.post-75274349132605849532013-05-10T06:25:00.001-07:002013-05-10T06:25:29.040-07:00Invasional Meltdown on an Oceanic Island
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Invasive species can be one of the most disruptive
disturbances possible for an ecosystem to encounter. Once such a species has established itself within a
community, the likelihood of effective management against it becomes
minimal. For my community ecology
class, we were required to read a paper about the invasion of alien crazy ants
(<i>Anoplolepis gracilipes</i>) on Christmas
Island. The ants have caused a
catastrophic shift in the island’s ecosystem, and displaced the native keystone
species.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before
alien crazy ants invaded Christmas Island, the red land crab was a keystone
species of sorts. It fed on the ground vegetation and seedlings in the
understory of the local tropical rainforest, and did so extremely
effectively. This changed
drastically with the introduction of the crazy ant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
crazy ant has been so impactful on the ecological community for many reasons.
First, the ecosystem in place was a very simple one, making its susceptibility
to potential invasions much higher and more devastating. This was compounded by
the fact that the crazy ants routinely swarm and kill land crabs they come in
contact with. With the thinning of
the crab population came the regrowth of the forest’s understory; species
diversity has risen on Christmas Island since the introduction of the alien
crazy ants. Additionally, litter
breakdown on the forest floor has decreased drastically.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
crazy ants have also had an extremely negative impact on the canopy trees within
the forest. The introduction of
crazy ants coincided with the introduction of a species that they have commonly
had a mutualistic relationship with: the scale insect. Scale insects congregate in canopy
trees in high densities and generally lead to the introduction of sooty moulds.
The mould leads to canopy dieback, and in some cases, the death of the tree
itself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since
the introduction of the alien crazy ant on Christmas Island, the entire
ecosystem that was in place has completely collapsed. The red land crabs that
were once the keystone species keeping the forest floor clear of saplings are
much less common than they were in the past, and the forest canopy that was
once full has become fragmented due to the infestations of scale insects. While it is extremely difficult to stop
such invasions from happening, more effort needs to be placed into the
development of effective management strategies for stopping the spread of
invasive species.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
paper:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
http://www.uvm.edu/~ngotelli/Bio%20264/ODowd.pdf</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969199106769519044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813646797553519927.post-17967167268344703602013-05-10T06:21:00.001-07:002013-05-10T06:21:10.066-07:00The effects of nitrogen deposition on the carnivorous pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea
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I recently had a lecture on the effects of Nitrogen
deposition on the northern pitcher plant, <i>Sarracenia
purpurea</i>. Through the burning
of fossil fuels and the use of synthetic fertilizers, nitrogen oxides, nitrate
and ammonium levels have risen over the past 100 years. This has had an adverse effect on many
different plant species, carnivorous species in particular. Changing nitrogen deposition has led to
changes in northern pitcher plants on both individual and population levels.</div>
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Northern
pitcher plants are perennials found in low-nitrogen peat bogs. With a lifespan of 30-50 years, they
live for an extremely long time in terms of most herbaceous plants. Because of their low-nitrogen
environment, pitcher plants rely on capturing arthropods in their water-filled
pitchers as a source of nitrogen.
In fact, they aren’t the only species that rely on these arthropods;
there is an entire community of insects and spiders that live inside of the
pitcher plant’s pitcher. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To
determine the effects that increased nitrogen levels had on the pitcher plant,
my professor designed two separate experiments to compare the effects of
anthropogenic nitrogen and nitrogen derived from prey species. Through these experiments, he found that
anthropogenic nitrogen led to changes in growth and morphology.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first experiment was centered on adding nitrogen and
phosphorus to the plants anthropogenically. It was found that instead of focusing energy on building
their pitchers, pitcher plants exposed to larger amounts of nitrogen and
phosphorus had larger phyllodia, which are their photosynthetically active
leaves, and less shapely pitchers. The change in pitcher shape also led to
lower levels of prey intake.
Additionally, they showed an increase in flowering probability.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
second experiment that was executed was to test the effects of increasing
nitrogen via prey intake. For this experiment, it was found that increasing
nitrogen had no effects on the morphology of the pitcher plant. These 2 experiments along with other
studies have led people to believe that pitcher plants are now being limited
nutritionally by phosphorus instead of nitrogen.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
levels of nitrogen and phosphorus that pitcher plants are exposed to from a
young age has also led to a decrease in juvenile survivorship, as well as lower
population growth rates. This has made the population increasingly unstable;
recent estimates have suggested that with not change to current nitrogen and
phosphorus levels, the pitcher plant will likely be extinct within 650 years.
If nitrogen levels continue to rise, that date could decrease to less than 100
years. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What
must be considered is that pitcher plants aren’t the only plant species
effected by rising nitrogen levels, and it is important that we realize the
danger that many ecosystems as a whole face in the coming years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
lecture powerpoint:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
http://www.uvm.edu/~ngotelli/Bio%20264/Pitcher%20Plant%20Lecture.pdf</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969199106769519044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813646797553519927.post-13440628975540823052013-05-10T06:17:00.002-07:002013-05-10T06:17:19.466-07:00Wind Power Proposal
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There has been much debate recently
regarding Vermont’s wind power suitability and the potential expansion of our
wind power program. Currently,
there are 3 operating wind farms in the state with 3 more scheduled for future
construction. While public support
is high for these projects, opposition groups have been very vocal against
building any such turbines along Vermont ridgelines. Even with such resistance to new wind power programs,
Vermont’s overall interest in alternative energy sources is pushing this
process forward, meaning that finding potential locations to place such
turbines is imperative.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
plan for creating a model for potential turbine sites is very similar to the
locating a new town lesson found in the Dinamica instruction manual. By narrowing possible sites via current
land use cover, we can ensure that any locations won’t pose a direct threat to
any important natural habitats. Additionally, sites will be restricted based on
feasibility of construction, meaning that any areas that contain slopes too
steep for truck access won’t be considered. Lastly, wind power potential will be considered so that
areas with high energy outputs will be preferential to those that would yield
smaller figures.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
functors that would be used to accomplish this map are a combination of <i>Calculate Map</i> and <i>Calculate Categorical Map</i> functors. The <i>calculate map</i>
functors will be used first to select data from the slope and wind energy maps
and eventually to combine these inputs into a single map. The <i>categorical map</i> will be used to choose
specific land use types that will be preferential to future wind power use.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As
society continues its search for viable energy alternatives to fossil fuels, renewable
sources such as wind and solar power will continue to gain momentum due to
their minimal toll on the environment.
This being said, one aspect that remains difficult to measure is the
effect that any wind turbine would have on migrating bird populations that stop
in Vermont on their paths north and south. Turbines have been documented as
potential risks to local raptor populations, so it would have to be ensured
that responsible planning occur to minimize any negative effects the turbines
might cause.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969199106769519044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813646797553519927.post-51037159568644742762013-03-19T09:03:00.001-07:002013-03-19T09:03:48.634-07:00The effects of changing polar climates on the world's ecosystems
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For
the past 10-20 years, the shrinking of the polar ice caps has been an important
ecological issue. These sheets of ice provide important services to many arctic
and Antarctic animals. The
shrinking caps have endangered the livelihoods of many mammals such as polar
bears, which rely on the ice sheets to be able to hunt in the Arctic
Ocean. New studies have estimated
the total amount of ice that has been lost over the past 20 years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
According
to studies that have taken place from 1991 to present, both the Arctic and
Greenland ice sheets have lost humungous amounts of ice. To be exact, the Antarctic ice cap has
lost 1,320 billion metric tons while the Greenland ice sheet has lost 2,940
billion metric tons. This has
caused the oceans to rise 11.1 millimeters, which constitutes 1/5<sup>th</sup>
of the total sea level change over that time period. This doesn’t even factor
in the losses taken on by ice sheets in Alaska, Canada, and Patagonia. In
addition to the sheer amount of ice being lost, this shrinking process has
accelerated to five times what it was in the 1990’s. These changes made me think about the effects they might
have on both arctic and aquatic ecosystems.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
first effect that these changes will likely have is to decrease the
temperatures of the oceans, albeit ever so slightly. The higher volume of water
will heat at a slower rate than before. Additionally, there will be even less
energy that makes it all the way to the benthic zones of the oceans, as the
distances from ocean surface to bottom increases. This eventual cooling of the oceans should have an impact on
terrestrial climates as well; many climatic functions are affected by oceanic
temperatures and cells that are created by air rising off of the ocean. This decrease in temperature could
potentially lead to colder temperatures at night in coastal regions, as well as
cooler breezes during the day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While
it is still too early to know the exact effects of the melting ice sheets at
the poles, there is no doubt that there will be noticeable changes to numerous
ecosystems across the globe. As these changes begin to take place, it will be extremely important both ecologically and economically to try and find solutions to any of the negative effects that these changes bring.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/346733/description/Shrinking_polar_ice_caused_one-fifth_of_sea_level_rise</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969199106769519044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813646797553519927.post-79129899908291131852013-02-22T15:43:00.002-08:002013-02-22T15:43:40.119-08:00Exam Questions
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<br />
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->11)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>What are
the 3 types of rocks and how do each morph into the other classes (drawing a
diagram works as well)?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Igneous – They become sedimentary through
weathering and erosion into sediment before burial and lithification in the
oceans. They become metamorphic rocks through heat and pressure.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Sedimentary – They become metamorphic
through heat and pressure. They can become igneous after shifting into
metamorphic rocks by melting into magma before cooling upon reaching the
surface.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Metamorphic – They become sedimentary
through uplift, then weathering and erosion before burial and lithification in
the oceans. They become igneous by melting into magma and cooling upon contact
with the Earth’s surface</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->22)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>What is
the chemical equation for photosynthesis?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
6CO<sub>2</sub> + 6H<sub>2</sub>O + Light
Energy -> C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>12</sub>O<sub>6</sub> + 6O<sub>2<o:p></o:p></sub></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->33)<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>What is
gross primary product (GPP) and how can it be calculated via satellite indexes?</b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Gross primary product is the rate at which
ecosystems capture and store energy in biomass in a given period of time. One formula for calculating GPP is:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: center;">
GPP =
LUE (light use efficiency) x PAR (photosynthetically active radiation x NDVI
(normalized difference vegetation index)</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969199106769519044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813646797553519927.post-50254773874331449602013-02-01T08:52:00.002-08:002013-02-01T08:52:40.131-08:00The effects of a shifting climate on invasion biology
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In
my Ecology and Management of Invasives class, we read a paper talking and the
effects of climate change on invasive species. The point of the paper was to discuss the different effects
of climate change and how each of them would impact invasive species. Of the temperature increases, increased
CO<sub>2</sub> concentration, increased Nitrogen deposition, habitat
fragmentation and disruption, only CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations had any sort
of negative correlation with the growth of invasive species ranges.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An
interesting point that was brought up, however, was that as climates begin to
shift, it will be difficult to differentiate species that are simply following
their preferred ecological habitats versus invasive species that are expanding
without any natural enemies. As temperatures
and other important ecological factors continue to change, it will be necessary
to consider each case individually.
While some species may be harmful to their new habitats, they may not be
non-native if they are simply shifting their home range to new areas that are
more conducive to their needs than some of the areas that they currently
inhabit.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As
we try to manage and inhibit the growth of invasive species, it is important
that we don’t interrupt the natural movement of populations that are reacting
to changing climates. While our
goal in most ecosystem management is to promote biodiversity, there is a thin
line between allowing new species to establish themselves and letting invasive
species get footholds in new habitats. I personally don't know where that line should be drawn, but it is something that deserves some consideration.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
paper ended with suggestions as to where we should focus our studies next;
questions about the impact of climate change on specific nonnative species as
well as generic invasion biology would be the next area to focus studies. If we are able to predict where the
ranges of specific ecosystems are going to shift to, it will be much easier to
predict where invading populations will move as well. This seems like something that could even be looked into
with the Dinamica software we have been working with.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969199106769519044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813646797553519927.post-229435903235268602013-01-29T04:32:00.001-08:002013-01-29T04:32:43.235-08:00The Effects of Climate Change on Temperate Rain Forests in Southeastern Alaska
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
article I chose to outline the effects of climate change can be found here: <a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/sciencef/scifi149.pdf">http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/sciencef/scifi149.pdf</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Research
conducted by the US Forest Service at their station in Southern Alaska over the
past 13 years has highlighted a number of trends that will most likely continue
as our climate continues to change.
These changes will have numerous implications on the way these forests
are viewed and managed, as species ranges begin to shift.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One
trend that could have potentially positive effects on the temperate rain forest
ecosystems as well as globally is an overall increase in biomass within the
unmanaged forests found in Alaska.
In higher elevation areas within the range, there have been up to 8
percent increases in total biomass.
This is no small change; the amount of additional biomass in the Chugach
National Forest from the past 13 years annually stores an equivalent amount of
carbon to the emissions of 500,000 passenger cars over the same period of time. While there are most likely multiple
causes at play for such a large shift, the most notable is the temperature
change that has occurred in these ecosystems over the duration of the study. The average annual temperatures of
Alaska’s temperate rain forests have risen 2.7° over the past 50 years. Even though a shift of two degrees may
not look particularly noteworthy, such a change would extend the growing season
in these areas while simultaneously allowing trees to grow for more of the year
at higher elevations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another
interesting effect that the climate change has brought to the temperate rain
forests is a slight shift in biomass between tree species. Some species have been much more
capable than others in terms of adapting to the change in growing seasons, as
well as adapting to competition from new species. The species that has made the most notable living-tree
biomass gains during this period is the Western redcedar, as it gained
approximately 4.2% additional biomass over the period of study.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Another tree that was expected to
thrive with the changing climate conditions was the western hemlock. One of the most abundant trees in
Pacific Northwest temperate rain forests, the stands in Southern Alaska are
quickly becoming threatened by the expanding range of dwarf mistletoe. This species of mistletoe is a parasite
that affects many conifer species across North American forests by taking water
and nutrients from their hosts.
Using climate envelope analysis, the Forest Service has predicted a
growth in dwarf mistletoe habitat over the next 100 by a staggering 375-750%,
which would offset any potential western hemlock habitat increases by a large
margin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
With change on the horizon, the
management of these forests will be important for numerous reasons. As the climate slowly gets warmer,
these temperate rain forests will become more productive in terms of live
biomass, making such areas incredibly useful in terms of carbon sequestration. It will also be important to consider
how to slow the spread of dwarf mistletoe, as it has the ability to decrease
the abilities of numerous tree species in these forests in terms of growth and
vitality. As our climate warms, it
can be expected that temperate rain forests such as these will be counted on to
adapt and continue to grow to allow for the additional carbon sequestration
that might be lost in tropical zones.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969199106769519044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-813646797553519927.post-48640959067349804302013-01-16T11:57:00.003-08:002013-01-16T11:57:39.772-08:00Why Ecosystem Ecology?
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As an overall discipline, ecology is something that has
always interested me. The manner
in which we, and all organisms for that matter, interact with our environment
is something that will always control the human race’s ability to grow and
survive as a species. In the past,
we have been able to use the land to create tools and transition from
hunter-gatherer societies to those based on agriculture. It will be equally as fascinating to
see how we attempt to transition our current food systems into something that
can be sustained into the future while still providing for our burgeoning
population.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ecosystem
ecology is refreshing in the sense that there are systems in the world that
don’t entirely revolve around people.
While we do impact them significantly, humans are just one of millions
of species that play a role in all-encompassing food and energy cycles. Additionally, there are aspects of
ecosystems that humans have no control over; weather plays an extremely
important role in the livelihood of billions of people worldwide. The idea that humans as a whole are
part of something way bigger than our daily lives is something that I find
really intriguing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This
being said, humans are in an unfortunate position of power, as we did not take
the limited nature of our most heavily utilized resources and their effects on the
global carbon cycles into account when forming our societies. Many people get too wrapped up in their
own societal communities and lose touch with nature and all of the wonders that
it has to offer. The proverbial
crossroads are inching closer and closer, and it seems safe to say that
millions of people wouldn’t even notice if we had passed them years ago.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
hope to gain numerous things from this class. First, some hope for the future would be nice; as someone
who has taken numerous natural resource classes, I have listened to many doom
and gloom lectures and read tons of articles that paint a terrifying picture of
our current path as a society and our general unwillingness to change. Second, I would love to see how natural
ecosystems affect humans, as opposed to vice versa. At this point, I can safely say that we haven’t been the
greatest influence on other organisms on the planet, but it would be
interesting to see how they have affected us. Lastly, I want to have a greater understanding of the
processes that affect the abiotic features of global ecosystems and how we
influence them.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11969199106769519044noreply@blogger.com1