Dudley Hurricane Ecology Flashcards
how do hurricanes differ from fires
plants affect fire characteristics but not hurricanes
how are hurricanes and fires similar
both can be large infrequent disturbances; rain and wind affect both forests
most common tree damage from hurricanes
defoliation, bark damage, stem breakage, uprooting
what traits are associated with survival
losing leaves; hard wood is less likely to snap but more likely to blow down; soft wood is more likely to bend and not blow down; roots and crown structure matter; soil and tree cluster characteristics matter
regeneration after a hurricane
during; loss of braces and leaves, uprooting, snapping, crushed by debris and landslides
days after; large open areas, debris on forest floor
0-20yrs; early succession, resprouting, short canopy ferns and palms, canopy moves upwards, litter decomposes, trees compete for light
20-45 years return to mature forest, density is reduced, trees are larger
does global warming increase fires
yes, warmer temperatures, early snowmelt, more drought
do fires increase global warming
answer in global carbon cycle, but they directly influence the local carbon cycle
carbon storage in detritus
varied over geological time
land use changes cause
net loss in carbon storage
short term carbon cycle
carbon in living organisms
mid term carbon cycle
carbon in soils
long term carbon cycle
carbon in coal, oil, natural gas
mangroves
very high carbon storage
wet tropical forests can store more carbon because
more productive, slow decomposition, wetlands store more in general due to storage in water, oxygen is less available so decomposition is slower
carboniferous period
coal formation period; Pangaea was shallow tropical swamps, high carbon storage, wood was hard to break down by existing species due to lignin, periodic fires caused charred wood which did not break down easily
