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BIOL10010 Introductory Biology: Life's Complexity > 06. ECOSYSTEMS IN THE ANTHROPOCENE > Flashcards

06. ECOSYSTEMS IN THE ANTHROPOCENE Flashcards

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1
Q

What was the significance of the Victorian government’s? 1988 Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act?

A

legal recog of imp biodiv for human + planet survival

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2
Q

What were the outcomes of the of the 1992 Earth summit?

A
  • UN Convention to combat desertif
  • UNFCCC
  • Conv on Biological Div 1992
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3
Q

What were the outcomes of the Convention on Biological Diversity?

A
  • signed by 173st
  • req all sigs to devt nat biodiv strats + action plans - report updates every 5yrs
  • nagoya protocol (fair access to genetic resources)
  • cartegena protocol (GMOs)
  • strat plan for biodiv 2010 = Aichi targets (2011-20)
  • SDGs (2015-)
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4
Q

What did Aichi Target 12 promise?

A
  • prev extinct of known threatened spp
  • improve/sus of spp most in decl by 2020
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5
Q

Define ecosystem services

A

benefits humans derive from the environment + its resources

e.g.
- 2bn ppl rely on wood as primary E source
- nat pollinators contrib $560bn/yr to gl econ

(IPBES Global Assessment - Lecture 31, BIOL10010)

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6
Q

What are the 4 categories of ecosystem services?

A
  • cultural e.g. recreational
  • provisioning e.g. food
  • regulating e.g. pollination, erosion regulation
  • supporting e.g. nutrient cycling, PT
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7
Q

Key implications of IPBES Global Assessment

A

overall 50 yr global downward trend for regularory ecost services (a/t varying levels of sci certainty)

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8
Q

Evidence of rapid species extinction in the Anthropocene

A
  • 20-25% assessed spp = at sig risk of extinct (IUCN Red List)
    • =1mil spp
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9
Q

Animal groups in order of extinction risk

A
  1. amphibians
  2. mammals
  3. birds
  4. reptiles
  5. fishes
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10
Q

Global drivers of species extinction

A

v

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11
Q

Efficacy of current conservation action

A

NOT EFFECTIVE

  • 25-25% assessed spp = at sig risk of extinct (IUCN Red List)
    • =1mil spp
      NEED TRANFORMATIVE CHANGE
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12
Q

What threat does biodiversity loss pose to the global economy?

A

biodiv loss = #3 in list of Top 10 Global Risks by Severity (World Econ Forum 2022)

5/top10 = environmental

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13
Q

Define the anthropocene

A

Refers to the geological epoch in which human activities are the primary influence on the environment.

preceded by holocene = prime environ for humans to thrive + expand

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14
Q

What are the biological indicators of the Anthropocene?

A
  • inc soil N + P content bc fertilisers
  • rapid inc in atm CO2 + CH4 conc
  • dram inc in spp extinct
  • deforest for ag, logging + urban devt
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15
Q

Identify the key biological and earth system processes that maintain stable climactic, atmospheric and environmental conditions on Earth

A

must remain w/in hard planetary boundaries for
- CC (C conc of atm)
- biosphere integ (biodiv)
- land-system change (defor)

⇒ Planetary Boundary Assessment 2015 = 4/9 processes already exceeded safe limit (Steffen et al. 2015)

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16
Q

Describe the carbon cycle and explain its link to anthropogenic climate change

A

land:

  1. plants absorb CO2 from atm during PT
  2. prod of PT = stored as plant biomass = C sink
  3. animals/bact/microbes eat plants + release C into atm thru resp
  4. plant biomass → soil biomass as plants drop leaves/die → embedded in sediment over time = becomes rock/ff

ocean:

  1. phytoplankton PT → create sugars from CO2 in air
  2. marine orgs respire/decompose → release C02 into water (some stored in ocean sediment)
  3. carbon transferred bw ocean surface, deep ocean + reactive sediments (C sinks) → released into atm via air-sea gas exchange
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17
Q

Outline how much carbon is in each major carbon reservoir and how much moves between them

A

per yr - Gt

flux:

  • PT 120Gt/yr
  • resp 60 Gt/yr
  • microbial resp/decomp 60Gt/yr
  • air-sea gas exchange 90Gt/yr each way

reservoirs:

  • biomass 600Gt
  • soils 1500Gt
  • rock 100mil Gt
  • FF 5-10K Gt
  • ocean surface 1000Gt
  • reactive sediments 6K Gt
  • deep ocean 37K Gt
  • sediments 150Gt
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18
Q

When do fossil fuels accumulate?

A

when dead plant matter accumulates faster than it can decay → layers of orgo C = FF

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19
Q

What are two ways human are changing the carbon cycle

A

added deforestion + burning FF → losing C sinks + inc amt C02 released into atm

= contrib 9 extra Gt C per yr into atm → 1/2 removed by fast C cycle but rest remains in atm

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20
Q

Explain how the anthropogenic alterations to the carbon cycle is causing global warming

A

inc inbalance bw carbon emissions + capacity of natural fast C cycle to remove C from atm → atm C02 conc x2 since pre-ind era (Met Office, 2021) → human enhanced GHG effect → gl warming

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21
Q

Outline the major impacts of anthropogenic climate change on ecosystems

A

atm:

  • inc gl temps
  • inc freq of extreme weather events

ocean:

  • acidification
  • inc H20 temp
  • sea lvl rise

land:

  • some inc plant growth (a/t lim)
  • inc fire freq
  • melting permafrost
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22
Q

Does the overall amount of carbon in the plant system change?

A

no but it does flow from diff reservoirs w/in system

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23
Q

Why is the formation of rock and fossil fuels not considered to be part of the ‘fast’ carbon cycle?

A

occurs over geological time scales

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24
Q

Explain the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

A

Roles:

  • assess + summarise research into drivers of CC
  • assess threats posed by CC + how to reduce

Importance:

  • prov transparent + reliable info
  • central auth on CC action
  • 195 members - diverse perspectives on CC
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25
Q

Outline the different climate scenarios presented by the IPCC’s AR6

A

Low emissions:

  • SSP1-1.9 + SSP1-2.6
  • emissions peak now
  • 1.5-C warming

Intermediate emissions

  • follows current trend
  • SSP2-4.5
  • emissions peak 2050
  • 2.7 warming by 2100

High emissions

  • SSP5-8.5 + SSP3-7.0 (’biz as usual’)
  • emissions cont grow
  • 4-5C warming by 2100
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26
Q

What are the key differences between implications of 1.5 and 2 degrees of warming?

A
  • coral reefs - cover decl 70-90% @ 1.5C → non-existent @ 2C
  • forest - inc severe forest biomass decl + inc defor/wildfires
  • biodiv/ecosystems - 6% insects, 8% plants + 4% verts habitat range dec 50% @ 1.5C → 18/16/8% @ 2C
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27
Q

What proportion of animals in Australia are endemic?

A
  • 87% mammals
  • 93% reptiles
  • 94% frogs

(Lecture 33, BIOL10010)

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28
Q

Australia is one of 17 _ nations

A

megadiverse (Lecture 33, BIOL10010)

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29
Q

Outline scope of species extinction in Australia

A
  • 110 extinct since Eur col
  • 1800sp = high risk
  • 35% global mammal extinctinction
  • 50% decl in avg bird abundance since 1985
  • Aus = 2nd highest rate of biodiv loss (Waldron et al. 2013)

(Lecture 33, BIOL10010)

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30
Q

Australia is the ‘extinction capital’ for what taxonomic group?

A

mammals

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31
Q

‘Evil quartet/sextet’

A

=proximal (cf fundamental) drivers of extinct

  • invasive intro spp e.g. cats kill 1.7bn native animals in Aus/yr (Lecture 33, BIOL10010)
  • habitat loss/frag
  • over exploitation e.g. TAS tiger
  • co-extinctions

coined by Diamond (1989)

two novel factors:

  • CC e.g. Gilbert’s poteroo = sml pop + range → 1 fire could cause extinct.
  • disease
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32
Q

Ecosystems are fundamentally comprised of…

A

interactions bw living + non-living components

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33
Q

List some characteristic interactions in Australian ecosystems

A
  • ice/snow x snow gums
  • fire x euc forests
  • sitting water x wetland spp
  • high rain x RF spp
  • low rain x desert spp
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34
Q

Explain why the preservation of mountain ash ecosystems is important

A
  • CC prevention
    • world’s lgest C store - stores 1900 t C02/ha (vs avg trop forest = 200-500t/ha) (Lecture 33, BIOL10010)
  • clean drinking water
    • single catchment prov 150bn L/yr (Lecture 33, BIOL10010)
  • spp survival
    • greater glider possum range is shrinking (Lindenmayer & Sato 2018) likely bc defor of mt ash
  • econ
    • fiscal value of water prov services = higher than C sequestering, timber prov, + recreational service combo (Nat Environ Sci Prog, 2017)
35
Q

Describe how nature’s ability to provide benefits to people have changed

A

inc threat of CC → most econ/soc/environ responsible choice = conservation of C sinks that prov max ecosystym servioces e.g. mt ash forest

36
Q

What does it mean for an ecosystem to collapse?

A

comp of ecological comm = transformed due to:

  • loss of native biota
  • environ degrad
  • decl geog distrib

e.g. alaskan sea kelp in 1980s - overexploitation of sea otters → explosion of sea urchin pop → overgrazing → degred of sea kelp forest → ecosyst collapse (but event saved :))

37
Q

Describe impacts of ecosystem change

A

scientists suspects mt ash ecosystem potentially undergoing ‘hidden collapse’

38
Q

How is ecosystem collapse assessed?

A

IUCN created red list

criteria:

  • decl distrib spp
  • restricted distrib spp
  • degred of abiotic environ
  • altered biotic processes/interactions

importance:

  • can be applied to any ecosystem
  • transparent info
39
Q

Rank five types of conservation interventions by how effective they are at supporting high levels of biodiversity.

A
  1. dec consumption
  2. sus prod
  3. cut pollution
  4. CC action
  5. conservation/restoration
40
Q

Example of ‘transformative change’

A

Finance for Biodiv pledge → worlds leading financial instit (worth >14.7trEUR) pledge to ensure investments = biodiv pos

41
Q

Name a major obstacle to preserving biodiversity in Australia

A

lack of funding - need $1.7bn/yr protect threatened spp from extinct - Fed + st govts only spent $120mil last yr

42
Q

Outline five actionable interventions to prevent biodiversity loss in Australia

A
  • priv protected areas/conservation orgs
    • e.g. aus wildlife conservancy
  • nat-friendly agri
  • indig land mgmt
  • comm action
  • science/innov
43
Q

Describe the Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s work

A
  • manages 6.5mil ha habitat for threatened spp/ecosyst
  • roles:
    • feral cat/fxoc control (e.g. pred-proof fences prov vital conserv for 45 spp)
    • fire mgmt
    • feral herb control
    • weed control
44
Q

Describe Bush Heritage Australia’s work

A
  • maintains reserves across Aus
  • e.g. Nardoo Hills - restored grassy woodlands veg → successfully recovered multi spp e.g. fat-tail dunnarts + swift parrots
45
Q

List the threats faced by Nardoo Hills ecosystem

A

plants

  • dec water availability bc dec RF + inc temps
  • invasive weed spp e.g. prickly pear cactus
  • feral herbs e.g. deers, pigs, goats, rabbits

animals

  • pred feral cats + foxes
  • habitat loss - esp. trees prov shelter + breeding ground + food e.g. swift parrots
46
Q

How are scientists working to increase ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change?

A

e.g. Nardoo hills

scientists introduced seedlings from drier/northern provenances → tested to see if grow better than local veg

solution = plant genetically pre-adapted seedlings now to ensure veg survives inc temp

47
Q

Evidence of the severity of land clearance for agricultural use

A
  • 395K ha cleared 2015-16 in QLD
  • 60% aus land mass used for agri in some way
48
Q

Examples of transformative change in agriculture

A
  • Aus govt Biodiv Stewardship Fund = financial reward scheme to encourage farmers to reduce GHG emissions + improve biodiv on land
  • Tiverton farm - pred proof fence w bandicoots inside → helps improve soil quality → LT beneficial for agri + conservation
49
Q

Why is Indigenous land management crucial for threatened species conservation?

A
  • nearly 60% Aus threatened spp have part/all distrib on Indig mgmt land (BIOL10010 L34)
  • 44% total protected area governed by indig grps vs 42% by govt (Aus Govt DCCEEW)
50
Q

Example of Indigenous land management supporting biodiversity

A
  • martu country in WA
  • home to multi rare + threatened spp e.g. black-flanked wallaby
  • ranger program
    • 300 ppl
    • controlled burning dec severity + freq of late dry-szn fires (North Aus Fire Info)
    • use knowledge of spp distrib + habitat prefs → tailor conserv interventions e.g. esp successful for billbies
51
Q

Example of successful community action for conservation

A

merri creek - averted becoming highway → instead cherished reserve

52
Q

Example of successful science in partnership for conservation

A
  • low genetic div in Bulla MPP pop
  • translocated 6 males 2011
  • by 2015 87% pop had Hotham genes - hybrids = more survival + reprod success
53
Q

What does the phrase Caring for country mean? How have Aboriginal people cared for the country over the last 65,000 years?

A

‘caring for country’

  • way of managing environ holistically to support health of land + ppl + animals
  • hinges on worldview where culture co-exists w nature
  • focuses on stewardship values
54
Q

What impact has European settlement had on Australia’s ecology? Why are so many species now in decline or threatened with extinction?

A
  • disrupted cultural burning = Indig ppl’s opp to enhance health of land + ppl bc a) improve soil health + b) opp for plant reprod + c) dec fire severity
  • t/f ecology + spp in decline bc a) low qual soil b) lost opp for reprod c) devastating fires
55
Q

Why are Australia’s Tropical Savannas at such high risk of wild bush fire?

A
  • prolonged dry szn (6-7mo)
  • high biomass prod
  • late dry-season 1mo ‘build up’ before wet szn → storms → lightning → ignites devo fire

⇒ inc opp + fuel to burn

56
Q

Features of cultural burning practices

A
  • targets sml areas
  • tightly controlled acc to kinship + cosmo laws
57
Q

What are the benefits of cultural burning in Australia’s tropical savannahs?

A

ecological:

  • canopy intact
  • low C release bc early szn
  • encourages landscape heterogeneity → supports biodiv → ecosystem health
  • dec freq + severity of late-szn fires

social (co-benefits):

  • return to country - pos physical + psych benefits for FN ppl
58
Q

Why is proper fire management importance for climate change mitigation?

A

wildfires contrib 3% Aus C emissions (BIOL10010 L35)

59
Q

How does cultural burning help to protect/maintain the ecosystem?

A
  • nutrient cycling → improve soil health
  • ensures long-living spp X dominate - averts comp exclusion
  • stimulates plant reprod
  • dec freq + severity of late szn wildfires = contrib to CC + sig biodiv loss
60
Q

After European settlement how did the fuel load of the landscape change? Did the environement become more or less prone to fire?

A

Eur invasion → disrupted fire regimes → biomass buildup → more prone

61
Q

Current climate scenarios project…

A

earth cont warm regardless of actions BUT can mitigate + adapt

62
Q

Example of Australian rodent that went extinct due to CC

A

Bramble key melomys

63
Q

List CC adaptation strategies

A
  • improved disaster response systems
  • enhanced comm networks + resilience
  • flood protections
64
Q

What are some strategies that seek to both mitigate AND adapt to CC?

A
  • responsible water + E mgmt
  • edu
  • innov new E systems
  • restoration/protection of native ecosystems
65
Q

How do different types of ecosystems help us adapt to and mitigate CC?

A
  • forests - veg = C sinks
  • grasslands - soil = C sinks
  • mangroves - coastal buffer i.e. storm surge attenuation
  • wetlands - flood water retention
66
Q

Explain the difference between climate change mitigation and adaptation

A

mitig aims to minim extent of CC itself by curbing GHG emissions vs adaptation focuses on harm reduction

67
Q

Define nature based solutions

A

using nat systems to prov sol to crises in way that benefits ppl + nat

i.e. recog that healthy ecosystems = healthy planet = healthy ppl

68
Q

Describe how ecosystems can help reduce the severity of and impacts of CC through nature-based solutions
e.g. mangroves

A

mangroves:

  • acts as C sink - mitig
  • cushions impact of storm surge on coastal settlements/ecosystems - adapt
  • oxygen water → create healthy habitat for fish/birds/multi marine spp - biodiv
69
Q

Describe three examples of nature-based solutions

A
  • reforestation
    • C sink
    • dec impact desert + improves soil quality → inc food sec
    • enhances biodiv
    • prov sus source of firewood/timber prod
  • sea walls
    • cushions storm surge impact → protect coastal settlements/ecosystems
    • enhances marine div bc creates eco niches/microhabitats
  • genetics
    -Bush Heritage Aus intro genetically pre-adapted veg into VIC forests
    • improves ecosystem resilience
70
Q

Identify key liveability and biodiversity challenges in cities and describe some nature based solutions being used to address them.

A

challenges:

  • urban heating
    • absorb lots of heat in day + cool v slowly
    • hot nights = cause of heatwave mort
  • flooding
  • poor health/wellbeing - disconn from nat
  • biodiv loss

solutions:

  • inc tree cover
    • dec urban heating
    • e.g. Melb Urban Forest Strat
  • water gardens
    • absorb excess rainwater → minimise flooding + prov habitat
  • e.g. highline NYC; creek uncovered from 8lane freeway in Seoul
71
Q

Describe the goal and outcomes of Melbourne’s Urban Forest Strategy

A
  • goal = inc tree canopy cover 22% 2012 → 40% 2040
  • intended outcomes: dec pm temp, inc tree div, improve soil qual, inc biodiv
72
Q

Contrary to population belief, cities are actually…

A

hotspots for biodiv + home to more threatened spp that rural areas on avg

73
Q

Non-flowering plants are limited in their ability to support biodiversity because…

A

pollen + nectar = opp for interspecific interactions → invites variety of spp in area

t/f melb testing infecting non-flowering trees w native mistletoe (parasitic + angiosperms) → enhance biodiv

74
Q

Explain the Extinction of Experience and why it’s important.

A

EE = quality time ppl spend in nat trending down

time in nat = imp for humans bc:

  • stress reduction
  • dec crime + aggro behaviour
  • improve cog function in kids
  • promo sense of comm + place
  • contrib to ID
  • mitig heart disease/diabetes/cancer mort

time in nat = imp for planet bc:

  • less time in nat → less interest → less support for conservation
75
Q

Describe some approaches to enhancing nature experiences in cities

A
  • improve walkability
  • preserve remnant veg
  • green walls + roofs
  • citizen sci projs
  • mid-rise arch
  • reforestation of nativ spp
76
Q

Explain the importance of semi-private green spaces

A

promotes stewardship values

77
Q

List two EPBC-listed species from the temperate grassland of Victoria’s Volcanic Plain and describe the conservation action being taken for them.

A
  • striped legless lizard
  • growling grass frog

2009 Melb Strategic Assessment aimed to offset habitat loss by creating grassland reserves BUT unsuccessful bc difficulties acquiring land

78
Q

Threats facing species in the temperate grassland of Victoria’s Volcanic Plain

A
  • urban devt - eco deserts
  • invasive spp (weeds)
  • changed dist regimes
79
Q

Reasons why First Nations burning practices are better than conventional government burning practices

A
  • dec A burnt
  • dec intensity
  • dec C emissions over time
80
Q

Factors to consider in an urban forest

A
  • tree spp
  • habitat needs
  • human health
  • CC
  • C sequestering capacity
81
Q

List processes part of the fast carbon cycle

A
  • PT (120Gt/yr)
  • resp (60Gt/yr)
  • microbial resp + decomp (60Gt/yr)
  • air-sea gas exchange (90Gt/yr each way)
82
Q

List community responses to obstacles re conservation

A
  • X know what to do → devt strat plan
  • X know how to do it → collab w local govt + attend planning tribunals
  • X have $ → media advocacy + apply for grants
83
Q

What introduced species threatened the greatest number of Australian endangered species?

A

rabbits

BIOL10010 Introductory Biology: Life's Complexity (8 decks)

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