Quiz 3 Flashcards
What are two threats to Biodiversity?
Habitat Loss and Invasive Species
Habitat Loss
Deconstruction of habitat due to land conservation from agriculture, development, and deforestation
NUMBER ONE THREAT TO BIODIVERSITY
*Iowa Prairies lost 97% to corn and soy beans
Percentages of habitat loss
32% loss- Temperature Deciduous Dorest
44% loss- Tropical Rain Forest
66% loss- Marine Environments
97% loss- Tallgrass Praire
Invasive Species
Outcompete native species because no predators, diseases, or parasites to keep population under control
*Garlic Mustard and European Buckthorn
Types of ecosystem services
Provisioning, Regulating, Supporting, and Cultural services
pleaseriseslowlycourt
What are ecosystem services?
positive benefits provided by biodiversity that supports humans and other life!
-FREE FOR US
*Food
ex:
-Epibetadine- strong pain killer from poison frog
-Caddisfly silk- superglue for wet tissues in surgery
Provisioning Services
Biodiversity providing materials needed for survival and development of human societies
Regulating Services
Functioning ecosystems needed to support life
-providing clean water, purifying air, forming soils
*contains Resistance and Resilience
Resistance
ability of ecosystems to RESIST change
-increased species richness increases the resistance of the habitat
Resilience
the ability of ecosystems to RECOVER from change
-increase in species richness increases resilience
Supporting Services
support other categories
-1/3 bites of food you eat require POLLINATION
-need BEES, moths, butterflies, beetles
Cultural Services
How we integrate nature into our lives
-ecotourism
Ecotourism
travel for educational purposes
-aesthetics
-recreation
-education
Values of Biodiversity
1) ecosystem services
Stand
informal term used when describing an area of forest
Plot
the sampling unit used in estimating abundance (usually a circle or rectangle of 100-200 m2 for sampling trees)
Density
number of individuals/ area (units used are # trees/ ha)
dbh
diameter at breast height, a standard measure of tree size (measured in cm)
Relative Density
density for a species/ total density for all species (no units; this is a proportion)
Basal Area
cross sectional area of stump at dbh (units are m2)
Dominance
basal area of all trees in a given area (units are m2/ ha)
Relative Dominance
dominance of a species/ dominance of all species (no units)
Praires
grasslands without trees, where fire would frequently burn
-rare now in NE IOWA
savannas
grasslands with scattered fire-tolerant bur oaks, quite common in this area
*dissapeared from NE IOWA
Woodlands
open forests, look up and there are gaps in canopy to allow sunlight to reach the forest floor
*have noe become filled to be forests in NE IOWA
Forests
have highest density of trees, few gaps as you look up from forest floor
*changed in species that grow there now in NE IOWA
Species composition, density, and age structure of deciduous forests in NE IOWA vary because….
different tree species respond to differences in
-temperature
-moisture
-light availability
-fire history
Steep North facing slopes have…
sure
mama
bake
raisin
orcas
-sugar maple, basswood, red oak
-mesic forests with high diversity of shrubs and rich display of wildflowers
-plant species have adapted to cool, moist, shady conditions and don’t tolerate fire
ex: Twin Springs. Phelps Park
South or West facing slopes have…
-oak and hickory
-Drier and warmer climate on flatter parts of the landscape
-fire has played more of a role
example: Parts of Hickory Ridge Woods (HRW)
What is under the canopy of mature trees at HRW?
a sub canopy of saplings (young trees) and ironwood, a species that never gets tall enough to reach the canopy
What is the shrub layer?
spare, characterized by pickle species (gooseberry and prickly ash) and several invasive species (European buckthorn and Japanese barberry)
What is the herbaceous layer?
most interesting in spring when dozens of plant species are in bloom, including woodland phlox, wood anemone, and showy orchis
Environmental factors that affect woody species
-amount of sunlight (imp)
-nutrient and moisture availability in soil
-disturbance (type and frequency)
-herbivory
-disease
*plant species differ on how well they grow under different environmental conditions, resulting in interesting patterns in species disturbances
Common tree species in HRW can be ranked by their….
shade tolerance and (fire tolerance) is important to note to when a tree is first growing or at the establishment stage
two natural disturbance agents in the region are…
wind and fire
fire breaks
in hilly areas, steep slopes and river valleys stop spread of fire
What is the most fire resistant tree?
bur oak (older than 15 years with thick bark)
What do severe windstorms create?
knock down trees and create gaps in the canopy