1 William P. Cunningham University of Minnesota Mary Ann Cunningham Vassar College Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for.

Slides:



Advertisements
Similar presentations
Chapter 12: Interactions Within Ecosystems
Advertisements

Human Impact Land Resources Forest Resources Ocean Resources
Chapter 13: Restoration Ecology Helping Nature Heal Rule #1: Stop the Abuse Many Systems Heal on their Own.
Chapter 14, Section 3: Land Management & Conservation
AP Review Terrestrial & Aquatic Ecosystems and Biodiversity.
Land Section #3: Land Management & Conservation. Farmlands land used to grow crops or fruit 100 million hectares in the U.S. threatened by development.
In the early 1900’s man began to change this delicate system. It started with a series of canals and levees that were built to provide flood control and.
3.2 How Humans Influence Ecosystems
Rain Gardens for Clean Streams. Did you know? Up to 70% of pollution in streams, rivers and lakes comes from storm water runoff. rivers and lakes comes.
1 Helping Nature Heal Ecological restoration - to reverse degradation and reestablish some aspects of an ecosystem that previously existed.
Ecosystems and Change Chapter 6
1 In the early years....  Wildlife provided the bulk of food available  Supplies seemed exhaustible  Humans destroyed wildlife habitat.
1 William P. Cunningham University of Minnesota Mary Ann Cunningham Vassar College Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for.
Restoration Ecology. Key terms Intervention Mitigation Reallocation Reclamation Re-creation Rehabilitation Remediation Restoration.
Wetland Restoration and Mitigation By Josie Lami and Cate Ankersen.
Wetlands: Nature’s natural filter You will understand the importance and value of wetlands for environmental ecosystems.
Section 2: Biodiversity at Risk
World Forests Forests cover 30% of the world’s land surface.
Land Chapter 14.
Aquatic Ecosystems Chapter 7.
Humans Impacts on Land Objective 2.07
 All organisms use resources to maintain their existence and the use of these resources has an impact on the environment  Currently, the Earth is experiencing.
What is the Ecosystem Approach to Sustaining Biodiversity?
Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources
CHAPTER 6 HUMANS IN THE BIOSPHERE
Land and Soil Conservation By: Alexandra Hulvalchick
6 th Grade Earth Science Ms. Mudd  Explain why soil is a valuable resource.  List ways that soil can lose its value.  Identify ways that soil can.
Chapter 12: Farming and the Environment. How Agriculture Changes the Environment Agriculture one of our greatest triumphs and sources of environmental.
Wetlands A wetland is a habitat where plants (and associated animals) that thrive under periodic or continuous flooding reside  Wetlands may not be “wet”
Chapter 5: Biological Diversity and Conservation
Earth’s Surface: Chapter 4 Section 3 Human Activities Affect Soil
IMPACTS OF LAND DEVELOPMENT ON OREGON’S WATERS 2001 This slide show was borrowed from the internet but we added our own research when we presented it.
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS Determined by the salinity of water 2 types: Freshwater & Marine.
Section 3: Mining Regulations and Mine Reclamation
Guided Notes on the Human Impact on Land Resources
LandSection 3 Rural Land Management The main categories of rural land – farmland –rangeland –forest land –national and state parks, and wilderness Condition.
Resources. What are Resources? Humans are most consistently impacting their environment through their quest for resources. – The types of resources are.
Restoration Ecology. Key terms Intervention Mitigation Reallocation Reclamation Re-creation Rehabilitation Remediation Restoration.
Chapter 11 Section 3 Water Pollution Environmental Science Spring 2011.
Lesson 1.5 Pg
Humans in the Biosphere Chapter 6 Mrs. Yanac. Limited Resources All organisms on Earth must share the planet’s resources and they are LIMITED. Humans.
Impacts of Mining, Mining Regulations & Mine Reclamation.
1. Map global ecosystems and create an inventory of the species contained in each of them and the ecosystem services they provide. 2. Locate and protect.
1 Restoration Ecology. 2 Helping Nature Heal Ecological restoration - to reverse degradation and restore native ecosystem Restoration to an original pristine.
1 Chapter 13: Restoration Ecology. 2 Outline Helping Nature Heal  Ecological restoration Nature is Resilient Restoring Forests Restoring Prairies Restoring.
SUCCESSION. Communities respond to disturbances Communities experience many types of disturbance Removal of keystone species, spread of invasive species,
Water Sources & Pollutants FS Unit 5 FCS-FS-5: Students will discuss why water and pH are important factors in food preparation and preservation. C. List.
(c) McGraw Hill Ryerson How Humans Influence Ecosystems Wetlands are special ecosystems that contain completely waterlogged soil for long periods.
Introduction to Biodiversity Friday, January 22 nd, 2016.
16.3. Bellringer The Environmental Impacts of Mining Because of the potential environmental impact of mining on a large scale, mining is one of the most.
ENVL CHAP 1 SEC 1 OBJECTIVES Define environmental science and compare environmental science with ecology. List the five major fields of study that contribute.
Students type their answers here
Section 1 Science and the Environment DAY 1 Chapter 1 Science and the Environment Section 1: Understanding Our Environment.
Hydrosphere Notes Part 9-Land Use. What is land use? The way people use land.
Section 3: Mining Regulations and Mine Reclamation
Hydrosphere Notes Part 9-Land Use.
Chapter 12 Lecture Outline*
Rain Gardens for Clean Streams
WETLANDS.
Watersheds and Polluted Runoff
Biodiversity.
Section 3: Mining Regulations and Mine Reclamation
Chapter 13 Lecture Outline*
Section 3: Mining Regulations and Mine Reclamation
Section 3: Mining Regulations and Mine Reclamation
Objectives Describe seven important potential environmental consequences of mining. Name four federal laws that relate to mining and reclaiming mined land.
Section 3: Mining Regulations and Mine Reclamation
Watersheds and Polluted Runoff
Ecological Restoration
Regional Environmental Concerns
Presentation transcript:

1 William P. Cunningham University of Minnesota Mary Ann Cunningham Vassar College Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. *See PowerPoint Image Slides for all figures and tables pre-inserted into PowerPoint without notes. Chapter 13 Lecture Outline *

2 Restoration Ecology

3 Outline Helping Nature Heal  Ecological restoration Nature is Resilient Restoring Forests Restoring Prairies Restoring Wetlands and Streams  Everglades  Chesapeake Bay

4 Helping Nature Heal Ecological restoration - to reverse degradation and reestablish some aspects of an ecosystem that previously existed Restoration to an original pristine condition is rarely possible.  Often the best option is to choose an alternative condition with desirable characteristics.  Sometimes an entirely new use for the site is the best alternative.

5

6 Terms Commonly Used in Restoration Rehabilitation - repairing ecosystem function but not to original condition  May be similar to the original community or an entirely different community Reintroduction - transplanting organisms from an external source to a site where they have been previously reduced/eliminated Remediation - using chemical, physical, or biological methods to remove pollution while causing as little disruption as possible

7 Terms Commonly Used in Restoration Reclamation - employs stronger, more extreme techniques to clean up severe pollution or create a newly functioning ecosystem on a seriously degraded or barren site Mitigation - compensation for destroying a site by purchasing or creating one of more or less equal ecological value somewhere else

8 Deciding on Recovery Goals Recovery is linked to succession, but the first stages of succession are random and ecosystems do not behave as tightly coordinated entities. Aims of restoration are often driven by human values of beauty or utility rather than science. There may be more than one historic state to which the area could be restored. Should we attempt to restore what used to be or create a community compatible with future conditions?

9 Restoration Projects have Common Elements Removing physical stressors - removing the cause of degradation Controlling invasive species Replanting Captive breeding and reestablishing fauna  Example: Wolves returned to Yellowstone Monitoring

10 Early Conservationists Gifford Pinchot - First head of the U.S. Forest Service. Pioneer in resource management. Aldo Leopold - pioneer in restoration ecology

11

12 Nature is Resilient Sometimes stopping the damage is all that is necessary and Nature can rebuild. Example: Forests in Vermont  By 1840, early settlers had cleared the land and sheep farming dominated. Only 20% of forest remained.  Today 80% of the land is forested. Much of the forest resembles old growth forest and moose, bear and bobcats have become reestablished.  Vermont law requires consulting a professional forester and developing a plan before cutting forested areas.

13 Native Species May Need Help to Reestablish An example is re-establishing Bermuda’s national bird, the Bermuda cahow. Bird was thought to be extinct due to human hunting and predation by hogs, cats, rats. In 1951, 18 nesting pairs were discovered. Protection program begun on Nonsuch Island, which involved removing invasive species, reintroducing native vegetation, creating nesting burrows, and protecting against predators. By 2002, there were 200 birds.

14 The Bermuda Cahow The Bermuda cahow Nonsuch Island

15

16 Restoring Forests has Benefits Logging companies reforest cut areas.  Creates a monoculture that does not have the complexity of natural forest  But does provide ground cover, habitat for some species, and lumber Largest reforestation ever undertaken is now taking place in China.  A billion people have planted 50 billion trees over past 30 years to hold back encroaching desert and reduce dust. Success is uncertain.

17 Trees Improve Quality of Life Trees improve air quality and provide shade. United Nations billion tree initiative Everyone can participate. Have you planted a tree?

18

19 Fire is Essential for Savanna Oak savanna once covered area between Great Plains and the deciduous forest of the eastern U.S.  Wisconsin had 2 million ha; less than 0.01% is left.  Difficult to restore because it is maintained by fire - Somme Prairie Grove in Cook County, Illinois is being restored.

20 Oak Savanna An oak savanna is a forest with scattered open grown trees where the canopy covers 10% to 50% of the area and the ground has grasses and flowering plants. Most common tree is the fire-adapted bur oak.

21

22 Somme Prairie Grove Restoration Graph shows the results of the monitoring of the restoration. Native species are increasing. NARI stands for Natural Area Rating Index and it measures the frequency of native species associated with a high quality community.

23

24 Recognizing the Role of Fire Land managers now recognize the role of fire in maintaining/restoring many forest types.  Example: Superior National Forest in Minnesota has started a program of prescribed fires.  Can also allow natural fires to burn

25 Restoring Prairies Before European settlement, the eastern edge of the Great Plains was covered by tallgrass prairie, with grasses reaching a height of 2 m (6 ft).  Less than 2% remains The middle of the Great Plains contained a mixed prairie of bunch and sod-forming grasses. The western edge of the Great Plains, with less rainfall, was covered with shortgrass prairie containing bunch grasses 30 cm (1 ft) in height. These prairies were maintained by grazing and by fires.

26

27 Fire is also Crucial to Prairie Restoration In 1934, Aldo Leopold began to re-create tallgrass prairie on an abandoned farm in Madison, Wisconsin (now the Curtis Prairie).  Discovered that fire was essential. Kills weeds and removes soil nitrogen, which gives low- nitrogen native species an advantage. Nature Conservancy has tallgrass prairie northwest of Tulsa, Oklahoma  1/3 of each pasture burned per year  Bison re-introduced

28 The Curtis Prairie in Wisconsin

29 Shortgrass Prairie Preserved The middle of the Great Plains has been fertile cropland due to irrigation by water from the Ogallala aquifer. This water is being depleted and it may be impossible to continue our current mode of farming there. Population is leaving these areas. Some believe the best use of the land is to return it to buffalo commons, allowing buffalo to graze freely.

30 Shortgrass Prairie Preserved Saving shortgrass prairie in Montana  Nature Conservancy bought the Matador ranch, but permits ranchers to use the land in exchange for agreements to protect prairie dogs, control weeds, and allow fire.  American Prairie Foundation is buying land, pulling out fences, eliminating buildings and returning the land to wilderness. Plans to restore elk, bison, wolves and grizzly bears. - Locals are concerned about this change.

31 Restoring Shortgrass Prairie Area in Montana where restoration is occurring

32 Bison on shortgrass prairie

33 Bison Help Maintain Prairie Move in dense herds eating everything including weeds Trampling and intense eating provide an opening for pioneer species. Buffalo chips fertilize the soil. Dig out wallows in which they take dust baths and this disturbs surface, allowing primary succession After grazing, they move on and do not return for several years. They are adapted to prairie conditions and their meat can be marketed.

34 Restoring Wetlands and Streams Wetlands and streams provide ecological services.  Hydrologic cycle  Food and habitat for a variety of species  Coastal wetlands absorb storm surge Wetlands occupy less than 5% of land, but 1/3 of endangered species spend at least part of their life cycle there. Up until the 1970s, government gave incentives to drain and destroy wetlands.

35 Wetlands

36 Restoring Wetlands and Streams Clean Water Act (1972) began protecting streams and wetlands from pollution discharge. Farm Bill (1985) blocked agricultural subsidies to farmers who damaged wetlands. Many states now have a “no net loss” policy and wetlands are coming back. However, there is an imbalance as swamps are drained and replaced by small ponds. No net loss, but not the same ecosystems.

37 Restoring Wetlands and Streams Restore water supplies that have been diverted elsewhere  Marshes in Iraq  Everglades - Ditching, draining and diverting water started a century ago in order to get cropland and prevent flooding of coastal cities. Rivers were straightened to shunt water to the sea.

38 Everglades Restoration Draining the Everglades resulted in water shortages in the dry season. Everglades National Park has lost 90% of its wading birds. Its ecosystem may be collapsing. Plans to remove levees, restore natural course of rivers, and save water in underground aquifers for later use (while still controlling flooding) Plans were announced in 2000, but little has been accomplished to date.

39 Plans for the Everglades

40 Chesapeake Bay Restoration The map shows Chesapeake Bay, America’s largest and richest estuary. Some 2,700 species spend all or part of their lives in or near the bay. It suffers from pollution and degraded water quality.

41 Chesapeake Bay Restoration Important species of fish and shellfish have declined dramatically. The oyster harvest is 1% of what it once was.  Damage is due to - overfishing - sewage discharge - silt from erosion - heavy metals and toxic chemicals - heat from industry - pesticides and herbicides - oil spills

42 Chesapeake Bay Seafood is contaminated with pathogens. Fertilizer from agricultural runoff causes growth of phytoplankton in the bay. As these organisms die and decompose, they use up all the oxygen in the bottom layers of the bay.  This creates dead zones where very few organisms can survive. Eelgrass, a keystone species, was smothered by sediment. It served as a nursery for marine animals.

43 Chesapeake Bay Fifteen million people live in the watershed. 66 major industrial facilities discharge into the bay along with 420,000 septic systems. Thousands of farms, yards, etc. discharge nutrients and sediment. The Chesapeake Bay Commission has been working for 25 years to restore the bay.  There has been some progress, but it is minimal and the bay is still threatened.

44 Restoring Dune Grass at Chesapeake Bay

45 Wetlands Prairie potholes in Great Plains re-created Passage of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (Duck Stamp Act) in Money from hunting used to acquire wetland habitat. Wetland mitigation is required when development destroys a natural wetland, but it often does not replace native species and ecological functions. Artificial wetlands can be used to treat sewage and collect storm runoff.

46 Wetland Mitigation In building a housing project in Minnesota, the developer destroyed a complex native wetland containing rare orchids. The mitigation, shown here, is just a hole filled with rainwater. It quickly became revegetated with invasive species.

47

48 Streams Need Rebuilding Streams threatened by pollution, toxins, invasive organisms, erosion and other insults 44% of streams suffer degradation, mostly due to sedimentation and excess nutrients. Streams have been turned into cement channels and buried underground in urban areas. Little resemblance to natural state.  Rebuilding involves returning to a natural stream bed.

49 Streams Need Rebuilding Can reduce sediment entering streams by providing ground cover Can redirect water with  earth-moving equipment  barriers to deflect current Can provide fish habitat with logs, roots, artificial “lunkers” Can stabilize banks by having slope of no more than 45 degrees

50 Polluted Sites Can Be Remediated Some plants can selectively eliminate toxins from soil. If the area is small, contaminated dirt can be hauled away and clean soil brought in. Bacteria can remove toxins from water if they are provided with oxygen and nutrients. Decontaminated urban fields (“brown fields”) can become valuable real estate.

51 Reclamation of Severely Degraded Sites Example: Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act requires mine operators to restore the shape of the land to its original contour and revegetate it. The Berkely mine pit in Butte, Montana will never be fully reclaimed.

52