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Ecology and Ecosystems > 7-11: Temperate Forests, Forest Floor, Forests in the Future > Flashcards

7-11: Temperate Forests, Forest Floor, Forests in the Future Flashcards

1
Q

What is the temperate zone?

A

Seasons of spring, summer, autumn, winter
Moderate climate
Long growing season
40 and 60/70 degrees North and South of the equator

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2
Q

What is the average temperature in temperate zones?

A

5-20 degrees C

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3
Q

What is the temperate zone mean annual rainfall?

A

25-200cm

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4
Q

What is a biome?

A

A region defined by vegetation type and climate

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5
Q

Development of the biome concept

A 
Merriam 'life zones':
Focused on animals
Temperature varied with altitude
Loldridge 'life zones':
- Focused on plants
- Introduced water availability and evapotranspiration (tendency of water leave surface)
Whittaker:
- Plotted temperature vs. precipitation
- Simplification of Holdridge
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6
Q

Debate about whether Europe is really a temperate forest

A 
2000
Frans Vera
An open savannah with woodland glades?
But lots of trees that are wind pollinated
In savannah, grasses- don't flower often
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7
Q

2 types of forest

A

Evergreen

Deciduous

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8
Q

Temperate rainforest requirements

A

Precipitation over 1400mm
Mean annual temp 4-12 degrees C
Mostly evergreen

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9
Q

Advantages of having deciduous leaves

A

Reduced area for water loss
Buds are cheaper to produce
Can get rid of disease/damaged tissue

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10
Q

Disadvantages of having deciduous leaves

A

Nutrients are lot in autumn

Slow start in spring

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11
Q

Advantages of having evergreen leaves

A

Quick start in spring
Can photosynthesise over winter
No lost nutrients
Keeps the understory in the shade

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12
Q

Disadvantages of having evergreen leaves

A

Generally lower capacity for photosynthesis
Lower N-use efficiency
Poorly optimised photosynthesis

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13
Q

What is Gause’s Law of Competitive Exclusion?

A

No 2 spcies can occupy the same ecological niche and co-exist
One will always out-compete the other

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14
Q

How do trees in the same forest all grow together?

A

All use same resources- do they occupy same niche?

No- have a mixture of tree species

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15
Q

What is succession?

A

Where the structure of a biological community evolves over time

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16
Q

Example of primary succession

A

Sand dunes

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17
Q

Example of secondary succssion

A

Recovery after a forest fire

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18
Q

What is cyclical succession?

A

A small number of species tend to replace each other over time in the absence of large-scale disturbance
Disturbances include wind, fire, grazing, and human, fire, felling, management

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19
Q

What is primary succession?

A

A rapid transition from bare rock to broad-leafed forest
Previous plants create soil for new, bigger plants
Does not stop!

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20
Q

Primary succession of birch

A

Birch seeds are very light, disperse by wind well

Grow quickly, are very tolerant

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21
Q

What is secondary succession?

A

Development of an ecosystem on previously vegetated land

Typically scrub -> birch -> oak in the UK

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22
Q

Filling the forest gaps

A

If a big tree falls, everything in the space will grow
Beech falls = large gap, replaced by ash, birch, sycamore
Fallen ash = little gap, replaced by tolerant beech that doesn’t require much sun

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23
Q

The replacement plant will depend on…

A 
The year (mast years, where only seeds every 2 years)
The weather- rainfall, temperature
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24
Q

Strategy theory

A

r_____________K

r: reproduction, like disturbed habitats eg. birch
K: carrying capacity, like stability eg. oak

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25
What was the 'Great Storm' of 1987?
134mph winds 22 people killed 15 million trees felled On Toys Hill, Kent, new growth was dominated by birch
26
What is Dutch Elm Disease?
Killed most elm trees in the UK in the 70s Fungus carried by elm bark beetle Elm is clonal, so little genetic variation
27
What is Sudden Oak Death?
Not serious in British oaks | Oomycete (fungus-like)
28
What is 'Acute Oak Decine'?
Bacterial disease | Kill British Oak
29
What is Ash dieback?
Caused by airborne fungus Took 20 years to reach the UK from central Europe Expected to kill most UK ash trees
30
Disturbance by insects
Leaf eaters eg. Ash sawfly | Sap feeders eg. Aphids
31
Disturbance by small mammals and birds
Seed eaters- prevent dispersal | Some eat bark/buds
32
Disturbance by large herbivores
May eat seedlings/leaves Stop forest regeneration Eg. Fallow deer in UK browse seedlings, fraying (rub antlers against bark), pull up recently planted trees
33
Human disturbance
Eg. coppicing- where trees are cut close to the base
34
How to stop large herbivores
Culling | Re-introduction of predators eg. wolves
35
What is the Manchester museum Alderley Edge project?
1997-2003 Tree planting happened 1745-1755 Over 1000 plant species identified 19 tree species identified
36
What trees were mainly found at Alderley Edge?
Oak Birch Beech Scots Pine
37
What was the most common tree at Alderley Edge?
Oak (followed by beech)
38
Where does beech grow?
Moist climates | Well drained soil
39
What plants were found at Alderley Edge?
Brambles (blackberries) found in clearings, hedgerows | Important food for lepidoptera
40
Examples of indicator species
Rowan Holly Wood sorrel
41
What is Grime's triangle?
Theories of surviving on the forest floor Three strategies: Competitor Stress tolerator Ruderal These strategies each thrive best in a unique combination of either high or low intensities of stress and disturbance
42
What light is shade light enriched in?
Green | Far red
43
What is partial shade rich in?
Green Far red Blue
44
How do sun plants grow?
Sense far red light Try to outgrow the shade This is a shade avoidance response
45
What photoreceptor senses red/far red light?
Phytochrome
46
Do shade plants respond to phytochrome signals telling them to get taller?
No
47
What is different about shade plant chlorophyll?
Shade plants have a lower Chl a : b ratio So have more Chl b per Chl a Chl b absorbs different wavelengths, so can absorb light 'missed' by sun plants
48
Shade plant leaves
Shade plants have thinner leaves Leaves are arranged in a single layer Leaves don't overlap Fewer roots in relation to shoots (higher shoot : root ratio)
49
Stinging nettle features
High N requirement High protein content High photosynthetic rates Good competitor- fast growing, dense but dies down in winter
50
Types of light foraging
Vertical foraging | Horizontal foraging
51
What is vertical foraging
Growing up trees | Eg. ivy
52
What is horizontal foraging?
Stolons (runners)- take roots at points along length to form new plants Eg. blackberries
53
Plants that do seasonal shade avoidance
Deciduous understory plants They leaf/flower in spring or autumn before trees leaf Have underground storage tissues eg bulbs, so ready for a quick start in spring Eg. bluebells
54
Examples of human activities that affect distribution and nature of forests
Coppicing Plantations Forest clearance- eg for livestock Urbanisation
55
What does elevated CO2 lead to
Changing climates
56
What does an increasing human population do
Increase food and fuel demand
57
3 ways of measuring the effects of elevated CO2 on forests
Expose a leaf to high CO2 Expose a whole plant to high CO2 Expose a whole ecosystem to high CO2
58
Expose leaf to CO2 theory
Ci = conc of CO2 in leaf In the day, Ci decreases due to use by photosynthesis Replaced by CO2 from stomata Conc gradient as lower CO2 inside leaf Elevating CO2 levels = increase in photosynthesis Increased Ci = increased Rubisco activity
59
3 ways to expose a whole plant to high CO2
Growth chamber studies Greenhouse studies Open top chambers
60
What are growth chamber studies?
Limited space Stable environment Can change CO2 conc and light But can't grow tall or provide natural light Light only to the top of plant- doesn't reflect nature
61
What are greenhouse studies?
More space More natural light Temperature is buffered Can grow taller plants
62
What are open top chambers?
``` Near a natural environment Still buffered from the wind Basically a big tent with a fan CO2 is added Can use for small trees The best ```
63
What effect does elevated CO2 have on Ponderosa Pine saplings?
More photosynthesis in natural environment when there is an increased CO2 Actual phot. is elevated, but capacity is reduced Change investment in different processes Invest less in carbon capture This is called acclimation
64
What happens when there is acclimation of photosynthesis?
Less Rubisco | So lower protein content
65
How do you expose a whole ecosystem to high CO2?
'FACE'- free air CO2 enrichment | Pipes pump out CO2 to trees based on wind direction
66
What is POP-FACE?
Exposing a poplar coppice to high CO2 | Looked at 3 species over 3 months
67
Why use poplar for POP-FACE?
Grows 10m every 10 years- fast growing
68
What did POP-FACE find?
Trees with increased CO2 were doing more photosynthesis | But increased photosynthesis does not necessarily mean increased growth (more wood)
69
Effects of elevated CO2 on leaf litter
Accumulation of leaf litter Trees producing more and so dropping more leaves? Or because fallen leaves are decaying slower?
70
FACE conclusions
Fast growing trees maintained enhanced growth Leaves were greener longer Increased P in soil 40-45% increase in net Carbon sequestration 3-5 years after CO2 increase
71
7 year study on temp increase
Up to 2010 5 degree rise in soil temp 2 plots, one heated, one not Only soil warmed- no direct effects on canopy Found that warming will reduce C in soil, but increase C in trees But effects on photo. not considered

Ecology and Ecosystems (4 decks)

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