Case studies Flashcards
Chernoybl
- nuclear reactor exploded
- radioactive fallout
- 336k evacuated
- cancer increase in surronding area
- reinforced negative perceptions around nuclear
- forests surrounding the nuclear plant died (Red Forest)
- Fauna inhabited abandoned cities and villages
- Mutations and malformations in the offsprings.
Minamata disease
- 1956
- chemcial factories released toxic mecurury into water
- fish gained through biomagnifcation,then cats, then humans
- caused paralysis
- raised awarness of risks from factories and enviormental regulations
Silent spring
- DDT used as pesticide to control malaria (1940s-1970s)
- banned due to env. & health impacts (Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants)
- DDT caused eagles to lay thin-shelled eggs (biomagnification) and lead to reproductive failure
- published into a book by Rachel carlson
- 1962
- concern of dangers from pesticides
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
- 2001 by the United Nations to assess ecosystem change for human well-being
- Over 1,300 experts from 95 countries
- The MA found that humans have degraded ecosystems more rapidly in the past 50 years than ever before
- While ecosystem degradation has contributed to economic development,
Tropical rainforest
Poison dart frog
Location: Near equator (tropics of Cancer (23.5°N) and Capricorn (23.5°S))
Temperature: Constant high (21-30°C)
Precipitation: High (2000-10000 mm annually)
Productivity: High
Species Diversity: High
Example: Amazon, South America
Human Impacts:
- 38% of the remaining Amazonian rainforest is suffering from degradation
- 20% of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed since the 1970s
- 36% of Earth’s tropical rainforests remain intact
Temperate Rainforest
- Location: 40° and 60° in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres
- Temperature: Low ( 0-20°C)
- Precipitation: Heavy (840-5590 mm)
Human Impacts:
- Logging
- Cut and burn trees to generate electricity
- Paper industry
- Pollution (industrial activities, agricultural runoff, & urbanization)
- Lead to the decline of s sensitive species and disrupt ecological interactions.
Boreal Forest
- Location: Between 50-60 N & S of the equator
- Precipitation: Low (300-900mm/yr)
Temperature: Low (-30 to 20°C) - Biodiversity: Low
Tundra
Location: Places with high latitudes and low insolation (60°-75° North and South)
Temperature: Extremely low (often snowing, -40 to 18°C)
Precipitation: Low (150 to 250 mL/yr)
Productivity: Low
Example: Iceland, Europe
Reindeer moss, thick shrub absorbs moisture
Human Impacts:
Climate change and global warming, which are causing the permafrost to thaw and the tundra to shrink
Desert
Location: 30 degrees North and South of the equator.
Temperature: Extremely high (45-49 degrees Celcius)
Precipitation: Low (under 250mm annually)
Productivity: Very low
Species Diversity: Low
Example: Sahara, Africa
Scorpion
Tropical Coral Reef
- Location: Tropics & subtropics (35°N to 35°S)
- Temperature: 23°to 29°C
- Productivity: Very high
Human Impacts:
- Climate change
- Declining water quality
- Overfishing
- Pollution
- Unsustainable coastal development
- By 2050, 70-90% of coral will die (coral bleaching)
- Corals lose their symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) which provide nutrients through photosynthesis. When they are released due to environmental stresses, corals lose their color and die.
Hydrothermal Vents
- Location: deep ocean along mid-ocean ridges (East Pacific and Mid-Atlantic Ridge)
- Temperature: Very hot (400+°C)
- Diversity: Very low (little to no sunlight)
Human Impacts:
- Deep-sea mining
- Climate change
- Pollution
- Affects organisms living around the vents (e.g. chemosynthetic bacteria which form the base of the food chain)
Savannah
- Location: 5-30° North and South of the equator (Central Africa)
- Precipitation: 800-900 mm/yr
- Temperature: 15°-35°C
Diversity: High
Temperate Grasslands
- Location: 40°-60° North and South of the equator
- Precipitation: 250-750 mm/yr
- Temperature: -40 to 40°C
Diversity: High
Tri-Cellular Atmospheric Wind Model
Made up of three air masses that influence atmospheric movement and heat energy redistribution
Hadley Cell
- Largest cell (0° to 40° N and S)
- Trade winds travel from the tropical region to the equator
- When trade winds meet, hot air rises, forming thunderstorms
- Air travels higher and becomes cooler (sinks to subtropical region)
- Dry, cloudless air is warmed by the sun (Hot Deserts)
Ferrel Cell
- Middle cell (edge of Hadley cell to 70° N and S)
- Moves in the opposite direction
- Air joins with Hadley and Polar Cell (unsettled weather)
Polar Cell
- smallest/weakest cell (edge of Ferrel cell to 90° N and S)
- Air is cold and sinks = high pressures
- Air is warmed and rises to return to the poles
Primary succession
Surtsey, Iceland
- Formed due to an undersea eruption in 1963
- 30 plant species had been established by 2008
- Forestation on the island may require 300-2000 years
Secondary Succession natrual
Mount St Helen, US
- Volcanic eruption in 1980 caused disturbance in meadows and forests. This destroyed the community
- Colonization
Pioneer species survived in burrows and ice-covered lakes colonize
Vine maple resprout in soil, logs held fungi and microbes - Competition
Diversity increase rapidly
In 20 years, plant growth grew 66%
Old climax species migrate back (Roosevelt Elk) - Stabilization
There is little additional increase in diversity
Secondary Succession Due to Human Impact
Heather Moorlands, Northern England
- Logging in the Middle Ages removed deciduous woodland
- Invasive species Heather reach the new equilibrium
Management strategies to burn and graze dominant heather in small patches
Promote the growth of birch, pine, oak trees
Zonation
- Spray zone (limpets)
- High tide (Barnacles & limpets)
- Mid tide (Hermit crabs & mussels)
- Low tide (kelp & benthic inverts)
- Faunal turf
Constructive/Divergent Plate Tectonics
Mid-Atlantic Ridge
1. Convection currents rise & spread outwards when they reach the top of the mantle
2. Plates are dragged apart
3. Magma from the mantle rises up through the opened cracks
4. Ocean ridges and volcanoes are formed
5. Magma cools, forming new ocean crust
Convergent Plate Tectonics
(Continental-Continental crust)
Himalayas
1. Mantle convection currents converge & sink
2. Plates are pushed together
3. Plates crumble up (forms mountains)
Conservative Plate Tectonics
San Andreas fault of California
- No crust is created or destroyed
- Plates move past each other
Convergent Plate Tectonics
(Oceanic-Continental crust)
Andes Mountains/Peru Trench
1. Plates move toward each other
2. Denser plate subducts (oceanic plate)
3. Causes earthquakes & volcanic eruptions
Convergent Plate Tectonics
(Oceanic-Oceanic crust)
Lemnos (Island of Hephaestus)
1. One plate sinks beneath the other
2. Subduction zone forms along the boundary where the denser plate sinks into the mantle
3. Plate is heated
4. Plumes of molten magma rise upward through the top plate
5. Volcanic island is formed
Hot Spot
Hawaiian Ridge
1. A random spot where magma rises from the core boundary
2. magma rises (thinks the plate above it)
3. Shield volcano is formed
Mass Extinction - The End Triassic extinction
- About 199-214 million years ago
- CO2 & GHGs levels quadrupled (global warming)
- Massive amounts of lava erupted from the mid Atlantic rift which led to the break up of Pangea
- It killed 80% of all species
Mass Extinction - Cretaceous
- 146-65 million years ago
- Meteor strike in Yucatan, Mexico
- Dust, debris & Sulphur dispersed in the atmosphere
- Frequency of wildfires & tsunamis increased
- Global warming
- Killed 76% of all species
Mass Extinction - Permian
- 299-251 million years ago
- Siberian traps eruption releases CO2 and other GHGs in the atmosphere
- Lead to global warming and acid rain
- Drastic decrease in water and oxygen levels
- Wiped out 90% of species
Mass Extinction - Carboniferous
- 359-299 million years ago
- crash in CO2 concentration in Earth’s atmosphere
- Then a succeeding period of global warming reversed the climatic trend
- Remaining rainforests, unable to survive the rapidly changing conditions, were wiped out
Mass Extinction - Devonian
- 416-359 million years ago
- Oxygen levels fell
- Increase in CO2 and other GHGs (potentially due to volcanism)
- Lead to acid rain
- 75% of species killed
The Ordovician-Silurian extinction
About 439 million years ago. Caused by a drop in sea levels as glaciers formed, then by rising sea levels as glaciers melted. 86% of all species died.
Mass Extinction - Cambrian
- 542-488 million years ago
- Decline in oxygen levels
- Formation of toxic Sulphur
Mass Extinction - Precambrian
- 4570-542 million years ago
- prolonged global ice age
American bald eagle’s (Improved by intervention)
American bald eagle. It only lived in North America and, therefore, became the USA’s symbol. These birds can live up to 40 years in the wild. They live near large bodies of water and nest in trees. They primarily feed on fish but also eat smaller animals like rabbits.
In the 1700s, there were 300,000 - 500,000 birds, and their population size declined to fewer than 500 pairs by the early 1960s. This was mainly due to shooting them, using pesticides on crops, destroying their habitats, etc. DDT caused their eggshells to become thinner.
The population size was restored by banning DDT and having laws protecting them. In 2007, there were 10,000 pairs of them, and they were removed from the list of endangered animals.
Tigers
- The bengal tiger, found in parts of india, sub and tropical rainforests
- indochinese, parts of thailand and neighbouring regions hilly and mountanious
- siberian found in eastern russia and northern china, temperate forests and sikhote alin mountain range
- Habitat loss due to deforestation as a result of ubranisation causing decrease in movment corridors
- poaching and illegal trade driven by medicine
- genetic isolation auses inbreeding causing reduced genetic diversity
Red squirrel
- effective seed dispersers help coniferous forest regeneration
- forgetting seeds they collect
- middens create micro habitats supporting higher abundance
- found in woodland habitats
- invasive grey squirrel is competiton
- habitat loss and fragmentation as a result of climate change causing drier and warmer climates
IUCN - Extinct - Golden Toad
Habitat:
- wet mountainous areas of the the forest of Northern Costa Rica (Cloud Forest Reserve
- Elevation: 2000-2100 m
Ecological Role:
- both predator & prey (will impact the balance of the food chain)
Reason for Extinction:
- Introduction of chytrid fungi (invasive species that brought disease)
- Very small/niche geographical rage of habitat
Consequences of Extinction:
- Loss of food source for predators
- Overpopulation of prey insects
IUCN - Critically Endangered - Orangutan
Habitat:
- rain forests of Southeast Asia (Borneo & Sumatra)
Ecological Role:
- world’s largest seed disperses
- help forest regeneration
Pressure on the Species:
- Illegal & unsustainable logging (habitat decrease)
- Collection of palm oil (plantations) which decrease biodiversity
- Destroying native rainforest for monoculture
Conservation Efforts:
- Preventing deforestation
- Orangutan population rehabilitation
- Reducing illegal activities
IUCN - Vulnerable - Giant Panda
Habitat:
- Temperate forests in the mountain ranges of south central China
Ecological Role:
- Dispersion of seeds
Pressure on the Species:
- Habitat loss due to urbanization & timber trade
Conservation Efforts:
- Reduce habitat degradation
- Captive breeding
- Raises awareness
The Aral Sea
- Borders Uzbekistan (S) and Kazakhstan (N)
- 4th largest sea in the 1900s
- Soviet engineers took 1/3 of the water form the Amu Darya & Syr Darya (tributaries) to irrigate rice & cotton fields
- Caused increase in water withdrawn - in 1980 only 10% of the original water flow reached the sea
- in 1989 the water body split in 2 (N & S Aral Sea)
- 2009 - sea lost 1/2 of its surface and 3/4 of its volume (collapse of fishing industry)
- Desertification & pollution of remaining water (pesticides & fertilizers)
- People had to turn to groundwater source for water
- Overabstraction & water scarcity
- Lake became salinized (loss of biodiversity)
- no lake = no climate regulation
- More extreme weather (dust storms) which carried toxic minerals & heavy metals from lake bed
- lead to increased respiratory disease and mortality
- Reached Kyrgyzstan mountain peaks, which melted (lead to loss of water source & agriculture)
Newfoundland vs Iceland
The fuck ass cod
*Management Approaches
NEWFOUNDLAND
Overreliance on Total Allowable Catch (TAC) system
Failed to account for bycatch and discards
No effective enforcement of fishing regulations
Continued issuing licenses despite declining stocks
Prioritized short-term economic gains over sustainability
Iceland:
Implemented Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) system
Strict enforcement of 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone
Real-time monitoring of fish populations
Seasonal closure of spawning grounds
Strict mesh size regulations to protect juvenile fish
Limited number of fishing licenses
Required use of selective fishing gear
The fuck ass cod impacts
Newfoundland:
Complete collapse of cod population (99% decline)
Trophic cascade affecting entire marine ecosystem
Increase in shellfish populations (prey release)
Shift in marine food web structure
Destruction of seafloor habitat from trawling
Loss of genetic diversity in cod populations
Changes in zooplankton and phytoplankton composition
Seabird population declines
Iceland:
Maintained cod biomass above critical levels
Protected spawning grounds preserved genetic diversity
Minimal impact on marine food web
Sustained ecosystem balance
Limited bottom trawling damage
Maintained predator-prey relationships
Protected marine mammal populations
Preserved marine biodiversity
Whaling - IWC Japan vs Inuit
Japanese Commercial Whaling:
Initially conducted under IWC “scientific whaling” loophole
Left IWC in 2019 to resume commercial whaling
Uses modern factory ships and technology
Sets self-determined quotas (typical 383 per year)
Targets multiple species (Minke, Bryde’s, Sei whales)
Government-subsidized industry
Focus on commercial markets and profit
Operates in exclusive economic zone and Pacific
Inuit Traditional Whaling:
Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling (ASW) permits under IWC
Community-based quotas based on cultural needs
Traditional hunting methods with modern safety gear
Strict sharing practices within communities
Limited to specific species (mainly Bowhead)
Regulated by co-management agreements
Focus on cultural preservation and food security
Operates in traditional territories
Whaling - IWC Japan vs Inuit
(Env impacts)
Japanese Whaling:
Industrial-scale removal of large marine predators
Disruption of marine food webs
Potential impact on whale population recovery
Bycatch issues with modern methods
Acoustic pollution from hunting vessels
Risk to endangered species
Broad geographical impact
Collection of non-target species
Inuit Whaling:
Limited ecological footprint
Sustainable harvest levels
Selective hunting of specific populations
Minimal impact on whale populations
Traditional ecological knowledge integration
Lower carbon footprint
Localized environmental impact
Maintains traditional ecological relationships
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Ethiopian Management:
Full state control and funding of the project
Unilateral decision-making on filling and operation
Focus on hydroelectric power generation (6,450 MW)
Rapid filling strategy for reservoir
Modern dam technology and monitoring systems
Self-determined operational guidelines
Emphasis on national development and energy export
Managed by Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation
Downstream Countries’ Perspective:
Advocating for binding international agreements
Push for trilateral management framework
Demand for guaranteed water flow quotas
Request for drought mitigation protocols
Collaborative monitoring proposals
Focus on water security
Regulated by historical Nile water treaties
Multilateral approach to operation
Them downstream countries are Sudan, Egypt
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance
(Env impacts)
Ethiopian Dam Operations:
Creation of massive reservoir (74 billion cubic meters)
Alteration of Blue Nile’s natural flow
Changes in sediment transport
Local ecosystem transformation
Potential climate effects (reservoir evaporation)
Modified downstream water temperature
Impact on river morphology
New artificial lake ecosystem
Downstream Effects:
Reduced water flow during reservoir filling
Changes in Nile flood patterns
Impact on agricultural practices
Potential soil salinity changes
Effect on Nile Delta ecosystem
Altered groundwater dynamics
Modified river nutrients distribution
Impact on wetland ecosystems
Borneo Rainforest - Danum Valley Conservation Area
Research-Based Management:
Designated as Class 1 Forest Reserve
Strict protection status with no logging history
Research-driven conservation strategies
Long-term ecological monitoring programs
Collaboration with scientific institutions
Comprehensive biodiversity surveys
Focus on pristine forest preservation
Joint management by Sabah Foundation and research bodies
Community Integration:
Limited access to protect ecosystem integrity
Controlled ecotourism activities
Education and awareness programs
Training local conservation scientists
Employment opportunities for local communities
Traditional knowledge integration
Sustainable tourism development
Capacity building initiatives
DVCA
(Env Impacts)
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS:
Conservation Outcomes:
Preservation of primary rainforest
Protection of endangered species habitat
Maintenance of natural ecosystem processes
Carbon storage and sequestration
Watershed protection
Genetic diversity conservation
Climate change resilience
Ecosystem connectivity maintenance
Scientific Benefits:
Long-term ecological data collection
Understanding tropical forest dynamics
Species discovery and documentation
Climate change impact studies
Wildlife population monitoring
Canopy research opportunities
Habitat restoration knowledge
Biodiversity baseline establishment
The Sahel
- Located south of the Sahara
- Semi-arid marginal land (very close to becoming a desert –> fragile)
- Extends across LICs (<$1135 per year)
- Gets irregular seasonal rains
- Sahara is spreading south due to climate change
The Sahel - Conflict in Sudan
- Civil war (13/04/2023 - present)
- Janjaweed invaded the Darfur area (people were forced to migrate West)
- Overpopulation in refugee camps & high natality rate = high demand for food & resources = deforestation
- Refugee farmers brought goats & camels = overgrazing
- carrying capacity is exceeded (too many animals per unit area) & trampling
The Sahel - The Great Green Wall
- Scheme trying tor reforest the Sahel
- Soil was too degraded to plant anywhere East of Senegal
Fundamental Niche
Chthamalus stellatus
Physiologically tolerant of entire intertidal zone
Can survive in both high and low tide areas
Wide temperature and desiccation tolerance
Broad salinity tolerance range
Capable of settling throughout intertidal zone
Flexible feeding requirements
Adaptable to various wave exposures
Wide substrate compatibility
Semibalanus balanoides
Can survive in mid to low intertidal zones
Requires regular water coverage
Lower desiccation tolerance
Specific temperature requirements
Needs consistent food availability
Prefers moderate wave action
Specific substrate requirements
Seasonal breeding patterns
Realized Niche
Chthamalus stellatus
Restricted to upper intertidal zone
Limited by competition with Semibalanus
Confined to more stressed environments
Occupies space above Semibalanus zone
Survives in high desiccation areas
Adapted to longer air exposure
Restricted settlement patterns
Limited by predation in lower zones
Semibalanus balanoides
Dominates mid-intertidal zone
Competitively excludes Chthamalus
Optimal growth in preferred zone
Better competitor for space and food
Higher growth rates in occupied zone
More efficient filter feeding
Stronger attachment capability
Effective predator resistance
GALAPAGOS TORTOISE & BLACK PEPPERED MOTH
(The shit that happened to it)
Turtle lived isolated on an island - Moth got raped by Industrial plants
Galapagos Tortoise
Different shell morphology per island
Neck length variations for feeding
Size adaptations to available resources
Shell dome shape varies with habitat
Distinct subspecies per island
Feeding strategy adaptations
Behavioral adaptations
Island-specific traits
Black Peppered Moth
Rapid color change evolution
Camouflage adaptation
Survival against predation
Gene frequency shifts
Population dynamics change
Phenotypic variation
Selection intensity
Genetic polymorphism
GEOGRAPHICAL ISOLATION
Emu (Australia):
Isolation Factors:
Continental drift
Geographical barriers
Climate adaptation
Habitat specialization
Australian ecosystem
Unique predator pressures
Resource availability
Breeding isolation
Rhea (South America):
Isolation Factors:
Separation from Africa
Habitat fragmentation
Grassland adaptation
Unique predator pressures
South American climate
Resource specialization
Breeding patterns
Ecological niche
Ostrich (Africa):
Isolation Factors:
Original continent presence
Savanna adaptation
Large predator presence
African climate
Resource availability
Breeding territories
Habitat preferences
Population distribution
Shared Adaptations:
Flightless nature
Large body size
Running ability
Similar feeding habits
Egg size/structure
Social behavior
Territorial nature
Breeding strategies
Torrey Canyon
Event:
- 100000 tonnes crude oil spill off the coast of Cornwall, England (1957)
- first oil spill in Europe
- 25000 marine birds killed
- prevented oxygen and sunlight from penetrating the ocean waters
Response:
1. 10,000 tonnes of dispersants were sprayed into the waters (more toxic than the oil itself)
2. using absorbent straw –> 4,000 tonnes of waste recovered on Guernsey and 4,200 tonnes recovered in France.
3. Bombing the oil tanker, spilling oil left into the ocean
4. Setting everything on fire
Paris Climate Agreement
- Climate change mitigation, adaptation & finance (2015)
- 180 parties (Nationally Determined Contributions)
- Cut emission of GHGs by 50% by 2030
- Prevent global temperatures from rising over 1.5C at preindustrial levels
Methods:
- Energy efficiency
- Renewable energy use
- Carbon capture storage (CCS)
- Foregoing fossil fuels
- Reduce consumption
- Reduce deforestation
- Infrastructure upgrade
Positive Feedback
- Spiral of decay
- Global temp. increases
- Melting of sea ice increases
- Albedo decreases
- Solar energy absorbed by Earth’s surface increase
Negative Feedback
- Zebra population increases
- Lion population increases (more prey)
- Zebra population decreases (more predation)
- Lion population decreases (less prey)
Symbiosis - Orchids and mycorrhizal fungi
- Fungi’s hyphae interact plant roots by increasing their surface area = increasing the amount of water and mineral ions that can be absorbed by the plant roots
- Orchid seeds may gain the nutrients needed for germination from mycorrhizae
- Fungi receive organic compounds, e.g. glucose,
Some orchids cannot photosynthesis (rely on mycorrhizal fungi to break down dead matter & provide them with nutrients)
- The orchid in this relationship is a heterotroph and not an autotroph
- The fungi doesn’t benefit from this relationship until the orchid dies, at which point it can access the biological molecules in the orchid’s tissues by decomposition
