Week 9 - Ecology & Biodiversity Overview

Question 1

Explain the principles of landscape ecology

Answer 1

Intermediate disturbance hypothesis - A species and entire ecosystems have an ideal rate of disturbance. Species struggle trying to occupy the same niche, is what makes ecosystems dynamic. Too much disturbance destroys, not enough destroys itself

Island Biogeography -Islands of different sizes have the ability to support different number of species
Biodiversity - is an inherent part of landscapes, with many species making up many ecosystems in a landscape

The study of how the landscape determines where different species do live, or can live.

Question 2

Describe how landscape patterns relate to species structure, function and change

Answer 2

landscape ecology?
- The study of interactions between the temporal and spatial aspects of a landscape and the animals within it
What are the fundamentals of Landscape ecology
- Structure: pattern of landcover, what lives where
- Function – interaction between spatial elements, energy and matter flows
- Change – how structure and function change over time, ecosystems aren’t static

Question 3

Apply the concepts of landscape matrix, patches, edges, corridors and barriers with reference to examples

Answer 3

A disturbance event generates patchiness in ecological systems in a hierarchical fashion.

Matrix – any area of the landscape that you want to spatially define (ecologists, agronomists)

Patches – different kinds of ecosystems within the matrix
Change how patches are distributed within landscape, Abiotic, Autotrophic & Heterotrophic

Edges - Operate at the overlapping boundaries between two adjacent ecosystems

Corridor: a physically connected path between patches E.g. Roads, bridges, fences, rivers, canals, etc. Create Barriers that hinder movement/dispersion of plants and animals (different for different flora/fauna)

Barrier - physical objects in the landscape, but it is also important to consider “behavioural barriers” that might alter or inhibit an organisms movement through a landscape

Question 4

Define ‘ecosystem services’ and their components

Answer 4

1. Provisioning Services
   - A provisioning service is any type of benefit to people that can be extracted from nature.
   E.g. food, drinking water, timber, wood fuel, natural gas, soils, plants for clothes and other materials, and medicinal benefits.
2. Regulating Services
   - A regulating service is the benefit provided by ecosystem processes that moderate natural phenomena.
   E.g. pollination, decomposition, water purification, erosion and flood control, carbon storage and climate regulation.
3. Cultural Services
   - a non-material benefit that contributes to the development and cultural advancement of people, including:
   • how ecosystems play a role in local, national, and global cultures
   • the building of knowledge and the spreading of ideas
   • creativity born from interactions with nature (music, art, architecture)
   • and recreation.
4. Supporting Services
   - Ecosystems themselves couldn’t be sustained without the consistency of underlying natural processes, such as: photosynthesis, nutrient cycling, the creation of soils, and the water cycle.

Question 5

Explain how biodiversity is a key driver of ecosystem services

Answer 5

What is Biodiversity?

• Ecosystem services is driven by biodiversity
• Taxonomic (discover, describe), Functional (ecological), Genetic - Many ways to define and view biodiversity
• Ecosystem & Species diversity - the variety of ecosystems and processes in a landscape, species diversity and abundance of species in ecosystems, different species doing similar jobs (optimal redundancy).
• Genetic diversity – variety of genetic information in all species.
• It is a part of all landscapes.

Question 6

Describe how biodiversity contributes to agro-ecosystem resilience

Answer 6

Combine areas for agricultural production with biodiversity conservation

• Neutral to positive effects on agricultural production and livelihoods if a ecosystem friendly approach is taken
• Landscape resilience is improved making eco-agricultural systems able to endure disturbance, and changing environmental systems

Question 7

Describe patches/edges, corridors/barriers and affect species viability

Question 8

Explain how endemism often results from geographic isolation

Answer 8

What is endemism?

• the degree to which the plants and animals of a particular area are both native and restricted to it.
• Species unique to a specific landscape/region

Question 9

define biodiversity and global hotspots

Answer 9

What is biodiversity hotspot?

• Regions that have a very high level of endemism
• Many hotspots for plant biodiversity have been described
• You can have Biodiversity hotspots for particular groups of organisms.
• Some landscapes create pressure for many species to occupy niches.

Question 10

Utility of Ecosystem services as a management planning concept

Answer 10

Why conserve biodiversity?
• Aesthetic and recreational
• Scientific and educational
• Intrinsic spiritual and ethical
• Future or option values
• Ecosystem services:
- Direct utilitarian values – consumed by humans
- Indirect utilitarian values – Ecosystems doing “work for free”
Governments put different economic value for different ecosystems services