ECEC - 11

Question 1

how can we predict future climate change impacts?

Answer 1

stimulation through manipulation experiments and gradient studies

Question 2

how can we study past and current climate change impacts?

Answer 2

by monitoring populations or ecosystems over time

Question 3

what have studies shown to be the impact of recent change on UK priority species?

Answer 3

massive loss of abundance of UK priority species since 1970

Question 4

what are the main causes of the loss of abundance of UK priority species?

Answer 4

• Land-use change

- climate change and management

Question 5

A study was conducted over the past 20-40 years on an area occupied by native plants, birds and butterflies to see the impacts of recent change, what was the effect seen on native plant species?

Answer 5

• 28% of native plant species have decreased although UK plant species to have good ability to survive change (median change +7%)

Question 6

A study was conducted over the past 20-40 years on an area occupied by native plants, birds and butterflies to see the impacts of recent change, what was the effect seen on native breeding birds?

Answer 6

• 54% of native bird species have declined – a few species have thrived off the change but less than plants (median change - 2%)

Question 7

A study was conducted over the past 20-40 years on an area occupied by native plants, birds and butterflies to see the impacts of recent change, what was the effect seen on native butterflies?

Answer 7

• 71% of native butterflies have declined – very large impact (median change -13%)

Question 8

when combining the worst butterfly, bird and plant declines what did the data show about distributions?

Answer 8

• Local population extinctions recorded in all main ecosystems in Britain
• Extinctions distributed remarkably evenly across UK
• No evidence for “worse” areas –
  though some contrasts expected

Question 9

why was their a greater loss in butterflies compared to plants and birds?

Answer 9

because insect populations are more responsive to adverse environmental change than:
– longer lived organisms
– those with dormant propagules e.g. seeds

Question 10

why has there be a problem in researching extinction risk regarding invertebrates?

Answer 10

– low sampling of invertebrates
– high tendency for higher trophic level vertebrate extinctions to be recorded (generally)
– have falsely suggested larger organisms more sensitive than invertebrates

Question 11

why might the recent butterfly change be less serious in the future?

Answer 11

– Major clearances of primary vegetation occurred in an earlier age
– Climate warming has enhanced carrying capacity of British ecosystems to support
butterflies
– Targeted conservation measures (including regulation of collection and hunting) are
working

Question 12

how might species range change with warming?

Answer 12

• species could maintain their abundance if they move north or to higher altitude
• highly mobile species are more likely to track climate change than sedentary species
• sometimes northern range limits are more sensitive than southern

Question 13

when studying British butterfly ranges at a 0.6 degree increase what were the 2 changes observed?

Answer 13

1) No overall change in range margins

2) Species moved to higher elevations

Question 14

what was the overall studied effect of temperature changes on the majority of the British taxonomic groups?

Answer 14

Shift in northern range margin - move north

+41m for northern species, +22m for southern species

Question 15

what are 2 classic studies of stimulation experiments?

Answer 15

UK limestone grasslands ( most species rich plant communities) Buxton and wytham

Question 16

what is the difference in fertility between the 2 limestone grasslands studied?

Answer 16

Buxton = ancient pasture with low fertility 
Wytham = more fertiles, early successional

Question 17

what is the difference in fertility between the 2 limestone grasslands studied?

Answer 17

Buxton = ancient pasture with low fertility 
Wytham = more fertile, early successional

Question 18

what is the definition of resistance?

Answer 18

ability of the plant community to maintain composition and

biomass

Question 19

what is the definition of resilience?

Answer 19

rate of recovery

Question 20

which of the 2 limestone grassland studied is more resistant to global change and why?

Answer 20

buxton - Infertile system – slow growing, long lived perennials with persistent shoot and root systems
- Opportunities for establishment of
new individuals rare & low influx of
propagules from outside

Question 21

what is a PCA?

Answer 21

• principle component analysis
• Summarises plant community composition
• Plots close together have similar composition

Question 22

what did PCAs show about the plant community composition of wytham compared to buxton?

Answer 22

• Buxton – little change
• Wytham – large divergence of
  communities

Question 23

how do early successional and mature communities respond differently to climate change?

Answer 23

• Early successional, fertile communities of fast growing, short-lived species
will respond rapidly to climate change
• More mature, less fertile communities will respond more slowly

Question 24

what effect is land use change having on plant communities?

Answer 24

• Land-use change is replacing unproductive systems with more fertile
  systems
  – making plant communities more responsive to climate change

Question 25

what did studies on European heathlands show about succession and global change?

Answer 25

- the more “in succession” the
ecosystem, the more responsive to
global change
- Ancient stable ecosystems more
resistant to global change

Question 26

what is a tensioned landscape and an example?

Answer 26

- Ecosystem under pressure from climate
change
– No current change despite pressure (i.e. an
ecosystem under tension)
– Disturbance my trigger sudden shift 
- e.g. heathlands and upland grasslands

Question 27

describe the change in spring leaf phenology unfolding and start of season?

Answer 27

• Unfolding advanced 0.42 d y-1
• SOS advanced 0.67 d yr-1
  Less advance more recently (2000-2011)
  – Cooling trend in late winter delaying early
  spring species
  – Late spring species still responsive to warming
  springs