California Floristic Province CHAPTER 1 0 | SUSTA INING THE BIODIVERSITY: THE ECOSYSTEM APPROACH REIEW QUES TIONS

Core C a s e Stud y | Reintrodu cing Gray Wolves to Yellowstone

1. What was the outcome when gray wolves popu lation in the Yellowstone National Park declined?
Herds of plant-browsing elk, moose, and mule deer expanded and devasted vegetation such as willow and aspen trees often found growing near streams and rivers. This increased soil erosion and threatened habitats of other wildlife species such as beavers.

2. What was the purpose of reintrodu cing Gray Wolves to Yellowstone National Park?
Help restore and sustain its biodiversity

3.

Why were some conservation groups against the removal of gray wolves from the list of Because only wolves in the park are protected and 6/11 of wolf packs travel outside of park boundaries every year, removing wolves from list will make it legal to kill any of these packs individuals found outside the park.

end angered species under the End angered Species Act?

Section 10-1 | What Are the Major Threats to For est Ecosystems

1. Describe an old-growth forest. Why are old-growth forests considered as reservoirs o f biodiversity?
An uncut or regenerated primary forest that has not been seriously disturbed by human activities or natural disasters for 200+ years. They provide ecological niches for a multitude of wildlife species.

2. Describe a second -growth forest.

A stand of trees resulting from secondary ecological succession, develop after trees in area have been removed by human activities.

3.

Why is a tree plantation not un sustainable even it substitutes the use of natural wood? Provide Tree plantations with only one/two tree species are less biologically diverse and less sustainable than old-growth and second-growth forests because they violate natures biodiversity principle of sustainability. Also, cycles of cutting and replanting deplete the soil.

the negative effects on the ecosystem by the tree plantations in your answer.

4. According t o conservation biologists, where should tree plantations be placed?

Only on land that has already been cleared or degraded instead of putting them in place of existing oldgrowth or secondary forests.

5. How do forests remove carbon dioxide in the atmosph ere?

Through photosynthesis, store it in organic compounds (biomass).

6. What are the negative impacts of clearing and degrading the old-growth forests?
Eliminate important ecological and economic services; such as traditional medicines (used by 80% of humans) mostly derived from natural plants, and these forests are also habitat for about 2/3 of earths terrestrial species and people depend on forests for their livelihoods.

7. What are the negative outcomes related to logging?

Increased erosion and sediment runoff into waterways, habitat fragmentation (from roads), loss of biodiversity, invasive species, flooding, recreational value

8.

Why would clear-cut be the most efficient way for a logging operation and is the worst logging method Remove all the trees from an era, easy and efficient to do. Removing all tree cover increases runoff, los of soil nutrients, increases soil erosion, causes barren ground, pollution, habitat destruction and biodiversity loss.

when compared with selective cutt ing and strip cutt ing?

9. What are the ecological benefits of occasional s u r f a c e fires?

Burn away flammable ground material and help prevent more destructive fires. Free valuable mineral nutrients tied up in decomposing litter and undergrowth, release seeds, stimulate germination, and help control tree diseases and habitats.

10. Is natural forest fire a major t h r e a t to forest ecosystem? Why?

As part of natural cycle, not a major threat. However, there are serious threats in parts of the world where people intentionally burn forests to clear land, mostly to make way for crop plantations, increasing habitat loss, air pollution, and atmospheric CO2.

11. How does global warming affect the future of forests?

Harm many forests. Rising temperatures could kill many trees such as sugar maples, and make forest areas more suitable for insect pests. Drier forests and more dead trees could increase forest fires and Co2, increasing more global warming, positive feedback loop. 12. Define deforestation. 13. Why are scientists concerned about the increased clearing of the northern boreal forests of Alaska, Canada, Scand inavia, and Russia? Make up of worlds forested area, worlds greatest terrestrial storehouse of organic carbon and play major role in carbon cycle, climate regulation, home to more than 70000 plants and animal species. 14. What are the consequences of tropical deforestation? Half of worlds species live here, habitat destruction, vulnerable to extinction, etc. 15. What is the cause of rapid d e f o r e s t a t i o n in Brazil? People cutting forests mostly to make way for cattle ranching and large plantation of crops such as soybeans. 16. What are the causes, other than using the wood or timber for commercial p r o d u c t s , which lead to the deforestation of tropical rain forests ? Population growth, government policies, poverty 17. What are the consequences on the bu rning of tropical forests? Erosion, nutrient poor soil, degradation of habitats, fragmentation. Forest fires Section 10-2 | How Should We M a n a g e and Sustain Forests?

1.

Refer to Figure 10-17, use your own words to explain w h i c h solution is most likely to achieve

and which solution is mostly to encoun ter major o b s t a c l e to enforce. Relying more on selective and strip cutting easiest, plant tree plantations primarily on deforested and degraded land hardest- resistance.

2. How can we reduce our depend ence on trees in paper-making process?

Paper can be made out of fiber that does not come from trees, such as rice straw and other agricultural residues. Woody plant called kenaf and other nontree fibers yield more paper pulp per hectare than tree farms.

3.

How does the combination of deforestation and fuel wood hamper the growth of Haitian economy Ecological disaster, only about 2% forested land, soil erosion, difficult to grow crops, leading to degradation of natural capital.

and environment?

4. How does cutt ing of canopy vines help reduce the shrinking of tropical forests?
Cutting vines before felling a tree sharply reduces damage to neighboring trees. 5. Refer to p. 228 Science Focus. In your own words, how does the Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) help with the reforestation progress? The SCS developed a list of environmentally sound practices for using timber, maintain sustainability, judges company to be good employer or not, upholds certification standards.

CHAPTER 10 | SUSTA INING THE BIODIVERSITY: THE ECOSYSTE M APPROACH REIEW QUES TIONS
Section 10-3 | How Should We Manage and Sustain Grass land s?

1. What is the difference between rangeland , pastures, and grassland s?

Rangeland- unfenced grasslands in temperate and tropical climates that supply vegetation for grazing and browsing animals Pastures- managed grasslands or enclosed meadows usually planted with domesticated grasses or other forage

2. What is overgrazing and how does overgrazing negatively impact the grassland s?
Overgrazing- too many animals graze for too long and exceed carrying capacity of rangeland area, reducing grassland cover, soil erosion, and invasive species

3. What kind of impact do wildfires have on the natural grass land s?

Fires burned away mesquite and other invasive shrubs, keeping land open for grasses,

4. What should be in control to manage the rangeland in a more sustainable mann er?
Control the number of grazing animals and duration of grazing in a given area so carrying capacity is not exceeded, rotational grazing, etc.

5. What is a riparian zone? How does it relate to rangeland in this section?

Riparian zones- thin strips of lush vegetation along streams or rivers. Livestock tend to aggregate here, provides water. Overgrazing can destroy vegetation, however, of the land because livestock like to aggregate here. Section 10-4 | How Should We Manage and Sustain Parks and Nature Reserves?

1. What is the major obstacle for developing coun tries to manage and protect their national parks?
People illegally search wood, cropland, game animals, natural products for survival, loggers, miners, and poachers. Mainly, park services in most countries have too little money and too few personnel to fight invasions by force or education.

2.

In your own words, describe FOUR (4) factors that are currently degrading or deteriorating the Popularity- visitors tripled to national parks in last 50 years. Noisy dirt bikes, snowmobiles, off-road vehicles , destroy or damage fragile vegetation, disturb wildlife. Etc. Native species are killed or removed illegally in almost of parks. Commercial development- mining, logging, oil drilling, coal, etc.

quality and biodiversity of the national parks in the United States?

3. What role does the Nature Conservancy play in protecting natural reserves?
Private natural areas and wildlife sanctuaries, protected land, waterways, wetlands.

4. Why is it advantageous to establish buffer zones around the core area of natural reserves?
Protects inner core of reserve and others can extract resources sustainably in the two buffer zones without harming the inner cores. Partners in protecting a reserve.

5. How does the development of habitat corridors enhance biodiversity between isolated reserves?
Helps support species and allows migration by vertebrates that need large ranges, permit migration when environmental conditions deteriorate

6. How does Costa Rica app roach to its goal of zero carbon emission by 2021?
In 2007 &2008, played 14 million trees to preserve biodiversity and remove carbon dioxide from air, emission to zero. Section 10-5 | What Is the Ecosystem App ro ach to Su staining Biodiversity?

1. Why is it a top priority to protect the biodiversity hotspots and ecosystem services?
Best way to prevent extinction of species is to protect threatened habitats and ecosystem services, focused on biodiversity and ecosystems. Rich in plant species found nowhere else, and suffer serious ecological disruption.

2. Why is it important to protect the life raft ecosystems?

People live in severe poverty here and a large part of the economy depends on various ecosystem services that are being degraded severely enough to threaten the well-being of people and other forms of life. Protect both biodiversity and human lives.

3. What is ecological restoration? What are the ways to achieve it?

Ecological restoration- the process of repairing damage caused by humans to the biodiversity and dynamics of natural ecosystems. Examples include replanting forests, restoring grasslands, restoring wetlands, removing invasive species, freeing river flows.

4. According to Rosenzweig, why would species protection strategies fail eventually?

Fully protected reserves are devoted to saving only about 5% of worlds terrestrial area, excluding polars. Challenge to sustain wild species in 95% of the plants terrestrial area of nature. Also, setting aside funds and regulations and passing laws to protect endangered and threatened species are essentially desperate attempts to save species in trouble, but we need to keep species away from extinction. Take a preemptive (prevention) approach.

5. How does reconciliation (or applied e co logy ) help conserve species?

This science focuses on inventing, establishing, and maintaining new habitats to conserve species diversity in place where people live, work, or play. Share space with species. Rely on community based conservation. Working towards sustainability.