managing ecosystems

8/6/2019 Managing Ecosystems

1/44

Managing Ecosystems


2/44

-Wolves were killed &

livestock replaced them

- keystone predator:controlled bison, elk, & deerpopulations

-hunters, ranchers & minersprotested reintroducingwolves to Yellowstone

- both positive & negativeeffects from wolves in thepark


3/44

Biodiversity

Increase Factors

Middle stages ofsuccession

Moderate environmentaldisturbance

Small changes inenvironmental conditions

Physically diverse habitat

Evolution

Decrease Factors

Extreme environ-mental conditions

Large environmentaldisturbance

Intense environ-mental stress

Severe shortages ofkey resources

Nonnative speciesintroduction

Geographic isolation

Destroyed inUSA:95% forests

98% tallgrassprairie

99% CAgrassland85% redwoods

Currentextinction rateis 100 10,000

times greaterthan beforehumans


4/44

Importance of Biodiversity

Intrinsic (Existence) Value

They are important because they

exist (regardless of use to humans) Instrumental Value

Use values

Nonuse values:

Existence value knowing it exists

Aesthetic its pretty

Bequest protect for the future


5/44

Projected Status ofBiodiversity19982018

Critical and endangered Threatened Stable or intact

ANTARCTICA

NORTH

AMERICA

EUROPE

AFRICA

ASIA

SOUTH

AMERICA AUSTRALIA

PacificOcean

Antarctic Circle

PacificOcean

Tropic of Cancer

Tropic of Capricorn

Indian

Ocean

AtlanticOcean

1509060E030W901201500

60

30N

30S

60

Arctic CircleArctic Circle


6/44

The Species Approach The Ecosystem Approach

Goal

Protect species from

premature extinction

Strategies Identify

endangered

species

Protect their critical

habitats

Tactics

Legally protect

endangered species

Manage habitat

Propagate

endangered species

in captivity

Reintroduce species

into suitable habitats

Goal

Protect populations of

species in their natural

habitats

Strategy

Preserve sufficient areas

of habitats in different

biomes and aquatic

systems

Tactics Protect habitat areas

through private purchase

or government action

Eliminate or reducepopulations of alienspecies from protectedareas

Manage protected areasto sustain native species

Restore degradedecosystems

Ways topreserve or

restoreecosystems


7/44

Conservation biology

Emergency response to slowdown the damage Identify hot spots:

Species-rich

Endangered animals

Based on Aldo Leopolds

principles: Something is right when it tends to

maintain the earths life supportsystems for us & other species.


8/44

Public Lands

US government manages 35% ofthe land in the USA (it belongs to

the people)


9/44

Public Lands

National Forest Service (US Forest Service)

Allows logging, mining, grazing,hunting, fishing

Conservation of soil, watershed &wildlife

National Resource Lands (BLM) Mostly mining, oil & gas extraction &

grazing


10/44

Public Lands

National Wildlife Refuges

(USFWS)

Protect habitats & breeding areas to

regulate hunted species

Open to many activities

National Park System

(National Park Service) Parks out west, battlefields, memorials,

historic sights & more

Only camping, hiking, fishing & boating inthe parks


11/44

Public Lands

National WildernessPreservation System

660 areas Most protected lands (no roads)

Inside of other types of publiclands


12/44

National parks and preserves National forests (and Xs) National wildlife refuges


13/44

National parks and preserves National forests (and Xs) National wildlife refuges


14/44

Public Lands

Who gets access to mineral &ecological wealth on protected

lands? Paying subsidies to developers

Should miners pay royalties?

Should they pay to restore land?


15/44

Forest Management

Old-growth, second-growth & treeplantations

Which type of management is typicalin tree farms? Even-aged fast growing, single species

What are advantages of uneven-agedmanagement? Diversity, long-term sustainability,

multiple use forest


16/44

Years of growth30

2515

10

5

Clearcut

Weak treesremoved

Seedlingsplanted

Rotation in a tree plantation


17/44

Forest Management

How does the building of a roadaffect a forest?

Erosion, soil loss, habitatfragmentation, exposure tononnative pests,

access for people, no longer qualify

as wilderness in USA


18/44

Forest Management

What are pros & cons of

Selective cutting Diversity, regeneration, erosion resistant,

multiple use

Affects surrounding trees, lesscanopy=warmer To, drier, more erosion

Shelterwood cutting

Removes mature trees in stages

Seed-tree cutting

Few trees are left = regeneration Clear-cutting

All trees removed

Strip cutting

Regenerates from nearby trees, multiple use


19/44

HighwayCleared plotsfor grazing

Cleared plotsfor agriculture

Building a road


20/44

Selective Cutting

Shelterwood Cutting


21/44

Seed-Tree Cutting

Clear-Cutting


22/44

Strip Cutting

UncutCut

Cut CutUncut

610 years ago35 years ago

1 year ago


23/44

Trade-Offs

Clear-Cutting Forests

Advantages Disadvantages

Higher timber yields

Maximum economic returnin shortest time

Can reforest with genetically

improved fast-growing trees

Short time to establish newstand of trees

Needs less skill and planning

Best way to harvest treeplantations

Good for tree species needingfull or moderate sunlight

for growth

Reduces biodiversity

Disrupts ecosystem processes

Destroys and fragments somewildlife habitats

Leaves moderate to largeopenings

Increases soil erosion

Increases sediment waterpollution and flooding when doneon steep slopes

Eliminates most recreationalvalue for several decades


24/44

Deforestation

Where are of the remainingold growth forests? Russia, Canada, Brazil, Indonesia,

Papua New Guinea

Many of these forests are at riskfor logging, what protectsforests the most? Inaccessibility


25/44

What is the economic value of incomefrom the earths ecological services?

$36 trillion not including nonrenewable

resources or natural capital

If the environment is so valuable,why is it being damaged?

Short-term profit

Subsidies for development Should wood prices include ecological

costs?


26/44

Natural Capital Degradation

Deforestation

Decreased soil fertility from erosion

Runoff of eroded soil into aquatic systems

Premature extinction of species withspecialized niches

Loss of habitat for migratory species such asbirds and butterflies

Regional climate change from extensive clearing

Releases CO2 into atmosphere from burningand tree decay

Accelerates flooding


27/44

What needs to be done to createsustainable forestry?

Include economic value of forests Balance rate of forest renewal with

destruction

Identify hot spots

Evaluate timber grown sustainably


28/44

Solutions

Sustainable Forestry

Grow more timber on long rotations

Rely more on selective cutting and strip cutting

No clear-cutting, seed-tree, or shelterwood cuttingon steeply sloped land

No fragmentation of remaining large blocks of forest

Sharply reduce road building into uncut forest areas

Leave most standing dead trees and fallen timber forwildlife habitat and nutrient recycling

Certify timber grown by sustainable methods

Include ecological services of trees and forests inestimating economic value


29/44

Forest fires are part of a natural cycleSurface fire


30/44

Crown fire

Selective cutting increases the chance of bigger fires


31/44

Trade-Offs

Advantages Disadvantages

Logging in U.S. National Forests

Helps meetcountrys timberneeds

Cut areas growback

Keeps lumberand paper pricesdown

Provides jobs in

nearbycommunities

Promoteseconomic growthin nearbycommunities

Provides only 4% oftimber needs

Ample privateforest land to meettimber needs

Has little effect ontimber and paperprices

Damages nearbyrivers and fisheries

Recreation in

national forestsprovides more localjobs and incomefor localcommunities thanlogging

Decreases

recreationalopportunities


32/44

Foxglove

Digitalis purpurea,EuropeDigitalis for heart failure


33/44

Pacific yew

Taxus brevifolia,

Pacific NorthwestOvarian cancer


34/44

Cinchona

Cinchona ledogeriana,

South AmericaQuinine for malaria treatment


35/44

Neem tree

Azadirachta indica,

IndiaTreatment of manydiseases, insecticide,Spermicide

Matures in 5-7 yearsGrows in poor soil insemi-arid climates

Provides fuelwood,lumber & lamp oil

What are othersources for making

paper besides trees?


36/44

Figure 11-19

Page 213Protect most diverse andendangered areas

Educate settlers about sustainableagriculture and forestry

Phase out subsidies thatencourageunsustainable forest use

Add subsidies that encouragesustainable forest use

Protect forests with debt-for-natureswaps, conservation easements,and conservation concessions

Certify sustainably grown timber

Reduce illegal cutting

Reduce poverty

Slow population growth

Reforestation

Rehabilitation of degradedareas

Concentrate farming andranching on already-clearedareas

RestorationPrevention

Solutions

Sustaining Tropical Forests


37/44

Nicaragua

CostaRica

Pacific Ocean

Panama

Caribbean Sea

Peninsula Osa

Pacifico Central

CordilleraVolcanica Central

BajoTempisque

Arenal

uanacastleLlanuras deTortuguero

La Amistad

Costa Ricas

Megareserves-protect 80% ofbiodiversity

500,000 species$1 billion/year intourism

Fear ofdevelopers dueto increasedtourism


38/44

Protecting Land

Nature Conservancy Uses donations to buy key lands

Gives tax benefits for placing use restrictions onland

Gives tax deductions for land donations

Smaller, connected reserves aresometimes better than large reserves

Bioreserves MAB Man and the Biosphere Program

(UNESCO)

Protected core

2 less-protected buffer zones

Bi h R


39/44

Biosphere Reserve

Core areaCore areaCore area

Buffer zoneBuffer zoneBuffer zone 111

Buffer zone 2Buffer zone 2Buffer zone 2

Humansettlements

Tourism andeducation center

Researchstation


40/44

Figure 11-24

Page 219

Biodiversity Hot Spots

-these 25 spots contain 2/3 of worlds biodiversity

-in danger of disruption


41/44

USA

4.8% of land in USA is protected

Only 1.8% is in lower 48

Only 4 of413 wilderness areas aremore than 4,000 km2 (recommendedsize by US Wilderness Society)

400,000 km2 of national forestswaiting for wilderness protection

no longer protected while waiting


42/44

Solutions

National Parks

Integrate plans for managing parks and nearby federallands

Add new parkland near threatened parks

Buy private land inside parks

Locate visitor parking outside parks and use shuttlebuses for entering and touring heavily used parks

Increase funds for park maintenance and repairs

Survey wildlife in parks

Raise entry fees for visitors and use funds for parkmanagement and maintenance

Limit number of visitors to crowded park rangers

Increase number and pay of park rangers

Encourage volunteers to give visitor lectures and tours

Seek private donations for park maitenance and repairs


43/44

Restoration

Restoration to original condition

Rehabilitation create functional

ecosystem Remediation chemical cleanup

(brownfields abandoned industrial plants)

Replacement new type of

ecosystem (tree farm) Create Artificial Ecosystems

artificial wetlands


44/44

What Can You Do?

Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity

Plant trees and take care of them.

Recycle paper and buy recycled paper products.

Buy wood and wood products made from trees thathave been grown sustainably.

Help rehabilitate or restore a degraded area offorest or grassland near your home.

When building a home, save all the trees and as muchnatural vegetation and soil as possible.

Landscape your yard with a diversity of plants naturalto the area instead of having a monoculture lawn.

managing ecosystems

Documents