Land and Water Use and a bit of a recap Community Ecology Land and Water Use and a bit of a recap

Terrestrial Communities Michigan contains areas of this 100 30 20 50 10 ft m Tropical rain forest Coniferous forest Deciduous forest Thorn forest Thorn scrub Tall-grass prairie Short-grass prairie Desert scrub Terrestrial Communities

Community descriptors Physical appearance: distribution (random, clumped, pattern), location, physical structures Species diversity: richness (number of types of species), evenness( abundance of individuals. Remember Shannon index? Affected by: Latitude pollution Niche structure: number of niches, overlap, interactions.

Latitude Effects on Richness 1,000 200 Species Diversity Species Diversity 100 100 10 90ºN 60 30 30ºS 60 80ºN 60 40 20 Latitude Latitude (a) Ants (b) Breeding birds

Pollution Effects on Richness, Evenness Unpolluted stream Number of diatom species Polluted stream Number of individuals per diatom species

MacArthur and Wilson Study done comparing small and large island biodiversity. Conclusions: Small islands have less animals coming to it because it is a small target to immigrate to. Smaller islands have higher extinction rates because of fewer resources and habitats Islands closer to mainlands will have higher immigration of animals.

Species Native: species that normally live in an area. In Iowa: whitetail deer, squirrel, bass, etc. Non-native: AKA invasive or alien. Brought into an area intentionally or accidentally. Can often overtake native species. Asian beetle, water milfoil, zebra mussel, etc. Indicator: species that will be affected first by environmental change. Trout (temperature), frogs, birds. Keystone: species that have an effect on a large number of other species. (pollination, predation, etc)

Why we love Kermit the Frog Amphibians are excellent indicator species. Why? Lifecycle puts it in contact with land and water Vulnerable to a wide variety of chemicals, radiation, pollutants Frog species loss Habitat loss Pollution Hunting (frog legs) UV radiation

Resource Partitioning © 2004 Brooks/Cole – Thomson Learning Resource Partitioning Hawks and Owls = same prey. Number of individuals Species 1 Species 2 Region of niche overlap Resource use Hawks – hunt by day Owls – hunt by night Number of individuals Species 1 Species 2 Resource use

Resource Partitioning

Prey Defense Mechanisms Avoidance: Hedgehogs (rollup/spines), lizards tails that break off, turtle (shell), Camouflage: coloring, patterns, etc to help blend in. Deer, frogs, etc. Poison: Oleander plants, some frogs Foul smell/taste: Monarchs, skunks, etc. Warning color: bright color to show poisonous nature. Mimicry: Look like a poisonous animal, act like another (bull snake “rattling”)

Prey Defense Mechanisms Camouflage Camouflage Foul smell Foul taste Span worm Wandering leaf insect Bombardier beetle monarch butterfly Mimicry Mimicry Mimicry Poison/Warning Color Poison dart frog Viceroy butterfly snake caterpillar io moth Prey Defense Mechanisms

Relationships Predator-Prey: “eat or be eaten” Parasitism: one organism lives off of another. Host is often weakened, but not killed. Examples: tapeworms, wood ticks, cowbird eggs. Mutualism: both species in relationship will benefit. Example: clown fish/sea anemone. Commensalism: one organism benefits, the other is not affected. Some doubt this exists as “some effect” must occur. Example: seeds traveling on animals Review clip for visual

Changes in Ecosystems: Ecological Succession

Definition: Natural, gradual changes in the types of species that live in an area; can be primary or secondary The gradual replacement of one plant community by another through natural processes over time

Primary Succession Begins in a place without any soil Sides of volcanoes Landslides Flooding Starts with the arrival of living things such as lichens that do not need soil to survive Called PIONEER SPECIES

http://botit.botany.wisc.edu http://www.saguaro-juniper.com/

Primary Succession Soil starts to form as lichens and the forces of weather and erosion help break down rocks into smaller pieces When lichens die, they decompose, adding small amounts of organic matter to the rock to make soil

http://www.life.uiuc.edu

Primary Succession Simple plants like mosses and ferns can grow in the new soil http://www.uncw.edu http://uisstc.georgetown.edu

Primary Succession The simple plants die, adding more organic material The soil layer thickens, and grasses, wildflowers, and other plants begin to take over http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu

Primary Succession These plants die, and they add more nutrients to the soil Shrubs and trees can survive now http://www.rowan.edu

Primary Succession Insects, small birds, and mammals have begun to move in What was once bare rock now supports a variety of life http://p2-raw.greenpeace.org

Secondary Succession Begins in a place that already has soil and was once the home of living organisms Occurs faster and has different pioneer species than primary succession Example: after forest fires

http://www.geo.arizona.edu

http://www.ux1.eiu.edu

http://www.agen.ufl.edu

Climax Community A stable group of plants and animals that is the end result of the succession process Does not always mean big trees Grasses in prairies Cacti in deserts

http://www.wiley.com/college/strahler/0471480533/animations/ch23_animations/animation1.html

Primary Succession Starts with: barren rock (land) or rock bottom of lake, river, stream. Examples: area after volcanic eruption, glacier retreat. Pioneer species: usually lichen and moss. Begins to break down rock to make soil. Early successional plants: annuals, low growing, short lives. Midsuccessional plants: herbs, taller grasses, shrubs. Late successional plants: mostly trees. Climax community (succession completed) View clip

Primary Succession Review soil formation Balsam fir, paper birch, and Exposed rocks Lichens and mosses Balsam fir, paper birch, and white spruce climax community Jack pine, black spruce, and aspen Heath mat Small herbs and shrubs Time Review soil formation

Secondary Succession Starts with: disaster or human activity that destroys environment, but soil remains. Follows same process as Primary succession, but lengthy soil making process gets to be “skipped” First to re-grow: small grasses, plants then leads to larger shrubs and trees.

Mature oak-hickory forest Young pine forest Perennial weeds and grasses Shrubs Annual weeds Time Secondary succession

Aquatic Succession Starts with: newly formed pond/lake Typically from glacial retreat Bottom is rocky. Sediment is brought in by runoff, erosion. Plants able to grow on edges only. Plant growth, death, decay leads to more nutrients. Normal eutrophication can lead to wetland, then meadow. Succession would end with grassland or meadow

Aquatic Succession