week 5: disturbance ecology

Question 1

define ecological disturbance

Answer 1

something that happens that kills organisms and changes occur

Question 2

what are some examples of ecological disturbances?

Answer 2

• fire, wind, blowdown, climate change

- small or large scale

Question 3

give an example of small scale disturbances

Answer 3

-flooding, windthrow, tree death, frost, compaction, roads ect.

Question 4

what type of disturbance is Lake Kaindy and example of?

Answer 4

small; submerge forest , water so cold–> no decomposition of trees

Question 5

what happens after a disturbance event? what plants arrive first?

Answer 5

succession ; ???

Question 6

how do plants arrive during the succession?

Answer 6

• seedbank
• seeds germinated by fire
• seed dispersal by wind and animals
• seeds moved by disturbance

Question 7

t or f: disturbance is a temporary change in an average env’tal conditions

Answer 7

false; disturbance is the average

-if species don’t adapt, won’t survive ie disturbance can influence community- level diversity

Question 8

how does diversity and disturbance interact?

Answer 8

-increase in diversity - decrease in disturbance
-disturbance creates diversity which reduces disturbance
“chicken and egg”

Question 9

name one species that benefits/ needs a fire disturbance to survive

Answer 9

• jack and pitch pine; seeds dont open until 400 c
• lack of fire in boreal forest IS disturbance
• pitch pine decreasing in ON

Question 10

name the small scale issues that come with people clear cutting ( disturbance via people)

Answer 10

-aesthetics, $$m weathering, erosion, microclimate

Question 11

describe the large scale issues with disturbance via people?

Answer 11

economies, societal benefits, climate change

Question 12

give an example of societal impacts from disturbance

Answer 12

-border of haiti and Dominical republic; deforestation of haiti show differences in policies and social programs reflect on landform

Question 13

describe a big ecological disturbance

Answer 13

Ice Age

ex Osage Orange –> originally from north, got pushed to Texas, no animal eats it, can’t disperse

Question 14

describe the four big biological disturbances

Answer 14

1. european settlement
2. Chestnut Blight
3. Dutch Elm disease
4. Emerald Ash Borer

Question 15

describe the overall impact of invasive species

Answer 15

• reduce diversity of plant and animal species –> put natives at risk by ‘crowding out’
• costs Can $34.5 billion annually

Question 16

how can we prevent future catasprophe of our ecosystems?

Answer 16

-increase biodiversity–> allows life t oadapt to changing env’tal conditions including large changes

Question 17

define biodiversity?

Answer 17

variety of genes, organisms, species and ecosystems in which organisms exist and interact

Question 18

what effect foes biodiversity have on the ecosystem?

Answer 18

1. increase stability in an ecosystem
2. increases productivity
3. decreases susceptibility to biotic invasions

Question 19

what are the consequences of a shrinking habitat?

Answer 19

lose niche space;

• only tiny populations can exist in tiny habitats
• tiny populations are vulnerable to exinctino

Question 20

t or f non-native plants support more insects than native

Answer 20

false; insects wont eat ‘alien’ plants

-most insects can only develop and reproduce on plants they share evolutionary history

Question 21

–% of all phytophagous insect species eat plants in _ or fewer species

Answer 21

90%, 3

Question 22

what should we designers consider when making a planting plan?

Answer 22

-plant species that support the most insect biodiversity

Question 23

what 3 things must we do to share suburbia with wildlife?

Answer 23

1. create corridors connecting natural areas
2. reduce the area now in lawn
3. begin the transition from alien ornamentals to native ornamentals