Unit 2.7 Measuring changes in the system DP ESS12 Unit 2.7 Measuring changes in the system

2.7.1 Describe and evaluate methods for measuring changes in abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem along an environmental gradient.

Measuring changes Random sampling Estimating population size is important in understanding ecology Impossible to count every member of a population of each species Random sampling is used to estimate

Measuring changes Random sampling Quadrats are often used A square of a known size Used to take a count of populations within a random sample of an area

Measuring changes Random sampling Quadrats are often used A square of a known size Size depends on size of species studied 10 cm2 for mosses 1 m2 for pine trees or earthworms

Measuring changes Random sampling Quadrats are often used Used to take a count populations within a random sample of an area Suitable to uniformly distributed organisms The more quadrats counted, the better the data

Measuring changes Random sampling Quadrats are often used

Measuring changes Random sampling Randomly place quadrats in studied area Can “throw” square randomly Better to create a grid then use random- number generator to choose which squares Count the number of species/organisms Take an average and divide by total area

Measuring changes Transects Some organisms’ distributions show a trend in a particular direction Usually happens when two ecosystems meet Terrestrial to aquatic Grasses less common towards the ocean Edges of forests Towards or away from cities Up a mountain (changes in altitude)

Measuring changes Transects Can be studied using transects Sampling organisms along a line At right angle to unidirectional force Altitude, distance to water, etc.

Measuring changes Transects

Measuring changes Transects Lay down a straight line Along a representative part of the habitat or using a Random number generator Perpendicular to physical force Count the number of species/organisms Those touching the line, or… Using a quadrat at regular intervals Keep count of distance Repeat at least three times

Measuring changes Transects Line transect Lay down a line Count organisms touching it or at regular intervals

Measuring changes Transects Belt transect Lay down two lines a little distance from each other Count organisms in quadrats at regular intervals

Measuring changes Transects Continous Interupted Mark all organisms touching the transect Interupted Mark organisms at a specific interval

Measuring changes Transects

2.7.2 Describe and evaluate methods for measuring changes in abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem due to a specific human activity.

Measuring changes Tools Nuclear Contamination Dosimeters are used to measure radiation Measurements in microroentgens per hour at ground level

Measuring changes Tools Excavations and mining Size of landforms created or destroyed can be determined Measure lowering of the surface (mm/yr) Measure volume carried (tons/yr or m3/yr)

Measuring changes Tools Satellite imagery Very reliable, covers a large area, and allows us to see change over time.

Measuring changes Satellite resources Landsat (NASA) Copernicus (ESA) 32 years of continuous data (1972) Copernicus (ESA) previously GMES Google Maps Mount Mabu, Mozambique Amazonian Rainforest Streetview

Measuring changes Satellite resources Landform creation/ destruction mining energy production manufacturing Sheikh HAMAD

Measuring changes Major environmental disasters Major Environmental Disasters (Wikipedia) Seveso, Italy (1976) - dioxin Amoco Cadiz (France, 1978) - oil Ok Tedi river, Papua New Guinea (1984- 2013) - mining Bhopal, India (1984) - methyl isocyanate Chernobyl, Ukraine (1986) - nuclear event Level 7

Measuring changes Major environmental disasters Major Environmental Disasters (Wikipedia) Exxon Valdez, Alaska (1989) - oil Prestige, Portugal (2002) - oil Prudhoe Bay, Alaska (2006) - oil Kingston Fossil Plant, Tennessee (2008) - coal slurry Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico (2010) - oil

Measuring changes Major environmental disasters Major Environmental Disasters (Wikipedia) Fukushima Daiichi, Japan (2011) - nuclear event Level 7 Hanford, Washington (1986-?) - most contaminated nuclear site in US

Measuring changes Examples Chernobyl 1986, Russia: Design drawback Nuclear reactor blew up Design drawback Human errors due to poor supervision Result Increase in thermal power which lead to more explosions Contaminated soil, plants and animals.

Measuring changes Examples Response: Fire fighters tried to turn it off, it took 5000 tonnes of sand, lead and clay. UN gave £75 million to make it safe and it was fixed by an international team ten years later. People had to evacuate 30km away 15cm of soil depth was removed Wall built around it Food was contaminated https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJSpDA wEtjA

Measuring changes Examples Development Urbanization Agriculture Shibam, Yemen Urbanization Masdar Agriculture Amazonian rainforest Housing Sydney development Table of Contents Transportation and Building Samphire Hoe

2.7.3 Describe and evaluate the use of environmental impact assessments (EIAs).

Measuring changes

Measuring changes EIAs Environmental Impact Assessment Establish the impact of a project on the environment Provide a simple summary so that normal people can understand the implications

Measuring changes EIAs Inform and guide the decisions made regarding a project Quantify (measure) what the environment is like now and how it would be affected by the project

Measuring changes EIAs Typical projects requiring EIA’s: dams roads ports airports power plants subdivisions (large-scale suburban housing developments)

Measuring changes EIAs EIA's include several different components: Baseline study - Determines the current state of the site’s environment Scoping - Identifies and assesses the possible impacts Mitigation - limiting the impacts to acceptable levels Non-technical summary – Inform the public of the results

Measuring changes 1. Baseline study Measure the biotic and abiotic factors before the site is disturbed: microclimate water, soil, &/or air quality diversity species richness and evenness endangered species impacts on human populations health economics

Measuring changes 2. Scoping What will definitely change? How will it change? How much will it change? How will that change affect: diversity of flora and fauna people living in or near the area physical (abiotic) components of the nearby ecosystem

Measuring changes 3. Mitigation What constitutes “acceptable” levels? Who determines those levels? What must be done to limit those impacts? Who is responsible for those actions? Who is responsible for monitoring the changes? What are the consequences for exceeding the acceptable levels of change?

Measuring changes 3. Non-technical summary Theoretically designed to explain the science in everyday language so that an average citizen can understand the issues around the project.

Measuring changes EIAs Difficult for it to be complete Lack of data Quality of the baseline study. So, often speculative Few concrete answers. Potentially changes a project Avoiding negative environmental impact