Forest disturbance and ecology Flashcards
what are natural disturbance characteristics
- types
- frequency(cool ground fires are more frequent and small scale)
- severity
- intensity
- distribution pattern
- range
what are impacts of natural disasters
- wildfire
- mountain pine beetle infestation
- windstorm
what are effects of fire on local environments
- habitat availability
- dominant species and competitive interactions
- seed bank and regeneration
- litter cover and nutrient release
- microclimate
- refuge
- others
- increased soil erosion making sol water repellent
- water quality
- channel morphology
what are human disturbance impacts
- forest harvesting
- urbanization
- wildfire
- others
difference between natural and human disturbance
- severity: materials left and variability
- patterns: spatial variability
- processes: random or deterministic
what is a disturbance
relatively discrete event in time that disrupts ecosystems, communities, and changes resource, or the physical environment
disturbance as part of nature; important for ecosystem integrity
what is variability and resilience
reducing variability means decreasing resilience
range of natural variability and ecosystem management: nature is our best guide
what is the ecological role of natural disturbances
- disturbance, biodiversity, and wildlife habitat
o BC fire maintaining, disturbance, and biodiversity hypothesis
o Woody debris, path, and patterns - Natural flow regimes for stream health
- Resilience and resistance
what is resiliance
capacity to return to some given state (defined by structure and processes) following disturbance (succession a classic example
what is resistance
ability of a system to absorb small perturbations and prevent them from amplifying into large disturbances
how can we deal with wildlife disturbance
- let it burn
- Prescribed burning
- Harvesting
