Conservation Biology - Biogeochemical Cycles

Conservation Biology Biogeochemical cycles The two main cycles that drive the rest of the cycles in the environment are the water cycle and the rock cycle and both help move nutrients through the environment Water Cycle: This cycle happens on a shorter basis mostly a yearly basis       Evaporation: Water becoming a gas form from a liquid one usually through the heat from the sun Condensation: Water reforming liquid water droplets from water vapor as it cools Precipitation: Rain, snow, etc. Runoff: When water flow from a high place to a lower place and sometimes even the ocean Infiltration: When water penetrates the soils and flows underground creating ground water Transpiration/ respiration: The loss of water from plants and animals through stoma or breathing Rock Cycle: This cycle happens over longer periods of time and is driven by mostly geological processes to cycle   Mostly involves changing minerals and type of rock (igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary rock) to another type These transformations can occur through processes like: Melting, heat and pressure, weathering and erosion, heat, and pressure, and more These two cycles drive the other cycles such as: the carbon , nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur cycles. Biogeochemical cycles cycle matter through abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem which can include both biological and geological processes. Human activity can disrupt these cycles This requires asking the question on how do nutrients cycle through an ecosystem. Carbon cycle:       Storages of carbon released by human activity Transpiration/Respiration Photosynthesis and photosynthesis absorption Consumption Decomposition Sequestration: storage of carbon in places like fossil fuels Nitrogen Cycle:  Nitrogen fixation: Happens through bacteria by converting N 2 into NH3. Lightning can also do this too.    Decomposition Denitrification: Happens as a waste product of some cellular processes of some bacteria and turns nitrogen compounds back into N 2 Human Activity: Burning of fossil fuels and fertilizers Nitrogen is a key component of amino acids and nucleic acids 2 slower cycles: Phosphorus and Sulfur Phosphorus Cycle:    Generally, stays in rock and requires processes such as erosion or mining to release more into the environment It also is in organisms as it is key for things such as: DNA, RNA, ATP/ADP Also is a limiting nutrient on plant growth Sulfur Cycle:    Mostly released into the air via volcanic eruptions or emissions Can be added to soils through fertilizers Sulfur is a key component of some amino acids Changes in Biogeochemical Cycles Dead Zones: Areas of water with very little O2 because of Eutrophication leaded to algal blooms that are broken down by O2 using bacteria   Caused by changes in the Nitrogen and Phosphorus cycles because of fertilizer runoff that adds nutrients to places that have a very delicate balance of nutrients This can affect the Carbon Cycle Acid Rain/ Acid Deposition: When rain is acidic and can cause damage to environments   Caused by changes in the Nitrogen and Sulfur cycles which is mostly changes by human emissions This can affect both the Carbon Cycle and Water Cycle Ocean Acidification: Making the ocean more acidic leading to the ocean buffer to change to account for the changes in PH   Caused by changes in the Carbon, Nitrogen, and Sulfur Cycles. This affects the Carbon in the Carbon Cycle Climate change   Natural feedback loops keep the planet’s climate relatively stable and does that through rain and carbonates At one point in the Earth’s history, O 2 levels were so high that they caused the earth to freeze and create a positive feedback loop that happened due to the evolution of photosynthetic bacteria  Potential impacts of current climate change include sea levels rise, increased plant growth, less nutrient in plants, melting of permafrost, and release of methane. Energy Levels through the Ecosystem Producers (aka Autotrophs): They can make their own food. Examples: Plants, Algae, and some bacteria Consumers(aka Heterotrophs): Organisms that cannot make their own food and require nutrients from other organisms. Types: Primary consumer, Secondary consumer, Tertiary consumer, Quaternary consumer (rare) and decomposer. Examples: Animals, Fungi, and some microorganisms Trophic Structures: The feeding relationships between organisms in community and is a show of how energy and matter move through an ecosystem Trophic levels: Each rank in the hierarchy of a trophic structure. These are often represented as a pyramid Trophic Level 1 2 3 4 Consumer Level Vocabulary NA First Order Second Order Third Order Producer Primary Consumer Secondary Consumer Tertiary Consumer *Some ecosystems have a 5th level or Quaternary consumer, but this is rare because of the amount of energy required to make that happen Food Chains: A description of one part of a tropic structure. Arrows show the movement of energy from one organism to another. Grass GrasshopperFrogSnake Hawk *Decomposers do not really fit cleanly into food webs because they can eat everything in this chain Food Webs: These show multiple food chains and show more complex and multiple feeding relationships at one time. These can be used to gauge the dynamics of an ecosystem Biological Magnification: Many toxins that don’t break down in an ecosystem can become more concentrated in organisms as one proceeds up the food chain. At lower levels, the toxins are generally at concentrations that do not cause an issue for the organism. At higher levels, the concentration of toxins in the organism is high enough to cause issues and harm the organism. EX: When DDT was used to kill mosquitos, it eventually led to high concentrations of it in eagles and osprey that it affects the eggs. These eggs would lack a hard shell that would then be crushed when the parents would try and sit on the eggs. EX: Microplastics are another example of this that affects us. Microplastic are accumulating in the stomachs and tissues of many animals, and it is increasing in the food we eat. This is the new problem in need of solving and is caused by the weakening of all types of plastic. Energy Levels Energy is lost as it moves through the trophic levels. Each level has 10% of the energy from the previous level. About 90% of energy is lost as heat (Entropy). On top of that, 1% of sunlight energy is transferred to living things and 10% on average is transferred up the trophic pyramid. Primary Production: Measures the rate at which sunlight is converted to biomass and that depends on environmental factors or the area. Ecological pyramids:    Energy: Measure the energy in a system at each trophic level Biomass: Mass (usually a measure of carbon) o This can usually look like a normal pyramid but can look like a reverse pyramid because some producer, like Algae, are small and reproduce at a fast rate to keep up with the demands of all levels above them Population size: Measures population at each level o This one can also look like a proper pyramid or a reverse pyramid depending on the producer at the bottom of the pyramid Conservation Biology Ecological footprint: A measure of the impact a person or population has on the environment in terms of resources they use Earth Overshoot Day: The day we used as much resources as nature can reproduce in a year Some human impacts on the environment:    Forest Destruction which results in a loss of habitat and loss of species Changes in species composition caused by extinction or introduction of invasive species Freshwater depletion Conservation Biology: An integrated science focused on protecting ecosystems from an increased rate of extinction. Have adopted 4 main focuses over the years: Nature for itself. Nature despite people, Nature for people, and Nature and people Minimum viable population: smallest population size that allows a species to maintain itself. Effective Population size: This can be lower than the actual population size if not all individuals bred or if individuals are closely related. These statistics help focus conservation efforts on high need species. Extinction Vortex: The term used to describe the process by which a declining population will undergo when a natural reinforcement occurs among biotic and abiotic factors that draws a population size downward to extinction The Concept of umbrella species: By protecting the area requires to maintain the minimum viable population of the umbrella species (typically the species requiring the most land area) manager expect to be able to conserve the minimum viable population of other target species. With these they need to be marketable to people such as pandas. The role of Zoos:   Extinct in the wild: Organisms exist in captivity or are cultivated but no wild populations exist Species Survival Plan: Usually involves little human intervention with the goal of maintaining a viable breeding population that can be used to reintroduce populations back to the wild. Ecological Services: Anything that the environment produces for us that we don’t pay for. Supporting, Provisioning, Cultural, and Regulatory and we get all of it from nature These ecological services are not considered in the cost of doing business. It is hard to determine an economic value for most services because of the complexity of the systems and how the ecosystem and business interact EX: Soil is a good example because many services provided by soil are indirectly measured and still not paid for. Soil provides cultural significance due to artifacts, foundations for infrastructure, source of pharmaceuticals which is the only thing directly paid for and measured. EX: Redwood serves as another because they act as an irrigation system for forests. Ecosystem Breakdown:    Ocean ≈ 70% Freshwater ≈ 1.8% Terrestrial ≈18% Resistant vs Resilient environment:    Equilibrium: A steady state of an ecosystem where everything is in balance. This is not really a thing in nature because disruptions happen often Resistant: Environments are generally not affected by small disturbances but can be affected by large disturbances. EX: Kelp Forests Resilient: Environments are affected by disturbances but can bounce back quickly. EX: Grasslands after a fire Things that affect Biodiversity: Disturbances: Environmental Changes that can potentially result in alterations to an ecosystem and can affect biodiversity. These changes can be natural or result from human activity.       Overharvesting: Taking of supplies at rates faster than they can be reproduced or replaced and if unchanged, this can result in environmental collapse and overuse Habitat fragmentation: Breaking of habitats into smaller and smaller areas and can result in inbreeding and species loss. Deforestation: The conversion of forests into non-forested areas can be natural or human caused. EX: Storms, Fires, Glaciers, Drought, Livestock grazing, Manufacturing, or Urban development Invasive Species Succession Restoration Restoration Ecology Habitat Restoration: Science that deals with the repair of damaged or disrupted ecosystems. This effort can include activities such as invasive plant removal, natural plant rehabilitation, and landscape restoration. Types of habitat restoration:   Mitigation: Protects or programs intended to offset known impacts to an existing historical or natural resource Stewardship: Responsible use and protection of the environment All efforts go towards restoring biodiversity. Reforestation Ecology: Science focused on restoring forest habitats. With Reforestation, it increases carbon sequestration, and water infiltration and decreases water runoff and deep drainage. Invasive Species Characteristics:      Introduced to an environment (non-native, exotic, alien) Spread quickly. o Lack of predators o Lack of disease o Lack of parasites Can cause ecological damage. Can also displace native species. Examples: Lionfishes, Burmese Pythons, Zebra mussels, Kudzu, and ICE plant