Transcript 4C - andrill

This material is based on work supported by an Environmental Literacy Grant from the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Education
(NA0909SEC4690009) and prior work supported by the National Science Foundation
under Grants ANT-0342484 and ESI-0632175. Any opinions, findings, and
conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials are those of the
authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NOAA or the NSF.
Biodiversity/Habitat Loss
ELF Activity: Biosphere 4C
http://andrill.org/education/elf/activities/4C
As part of NOAA Environmental Literacy Grant
#NA09SEC490009 to the University of Nebraska–
Lincoln's, ANDRILL Science Management Office.
Biodiversity is
 the number of different organisms within the given
biomes throughout the planet,
 a measure of the health of an ecosystem,
 generally a function of climatic factors, mainly
temperature and rainfall, and
 in general, typically rich in tropical regions whereas
polar regions support less variation and therefore
have lower biodiversity.
Biomes are the world's major natural communities, generally defined according to the
dominant vegetation. Organisms in a specific biome tend to have similar adaptive
characteristics; for example, they might be able to tolerate drought, low temperatures, short
growing seasons or high winds.
Throughout the history of the Earth, biomes have
shifted as regional climates have changed. Now,
human activities are beginning to alter the factors
that influence biomes. As the Earth’s climate
changes, biomes are shifting and organisms must
adapt or move; otherwise, they will die out.
What are Hotspots?
Hotspots refer to regions of high biodiversity which are currently experiencing
loss of habitat.
For example: California
This state has hot dry summers and cool moist winters and contains several
ecosystems. Of the 3500 native plants, 2100 (60%) are found nowhere else on the
planet. 50% of the amphibians and 11% of the mammals are also endemic.
Only 37% of the land is protected. Human development (both urban and
agriculture) threatens many of these species.
There are only 25 biodiversity hot spots throughout the world.
The number and description of the world’s biomes
vary by source. As defined, biomes vary with latitude
and region. For instance, tree line is the elevation at
which trees stop growing due to harsh climate
factors. Around the world this occurs at different
elevations depending on latitude. Observe the
following table and note the general trend of
lowering tree line elevation with increasing latitude.
Location
Latitude
Tree line m/ft
Costa Rica
90N
3400/11,200
Hawaii
200N
2800/9200
Sierra Nevada, CA
380N
3200/10,500
Maine
460N
1150/3770
Alaska
610N
700/2300
With some exceptions the worldwide trend is, “The higher
the latitude, the lower the tree line.”
This activity will explore the shifting of the biomes on a mountain in
Arizona. Mountains in different regions have different biomes and the
biomes are at different elevations.
Remember--elevation makes a difference as well as other factors.
Here are the biomes on our mountain and the species that occur there.
Alpine Tundra
http://www.blm.gov
Above tree line, rocky shallow soil
Plants
Lichens, mosses, dwarf shrubs
Animals
Very few mammals, seasonal birds & insects
Climate
Short growing season, long cold winters, heavy winds
Arctic Alpine
http://www.blm.gov
10,000-11,000 feet, shallow and
rocky soils, above tree line
Plants
low-growing shrubs and few trees, mosses, lichens,
some grasses, flowering plants
Animals
snow hares, picas, marmots, mountain goats,
seasonal birds, some insects
Climate
30-35 inches of rain with lingering snow in the
summer
Spruce Forest
http://www.blm.gov
8000 feet to tree line, cold
winters, moist warm summers
Plants
shrubs, dense tree coverage, coniferous trees,
flowering plants, some quaking aspens
Animals
white-tailed deer, pine martens, nutcrackers,
woodpeckers, squirrels, boreal owls
Climate
30-35 inches of rain with lingering snow in the
summer, 6-month growing season
Fir Forest
Plants
shrubs, dense tree coverage, coniferous trees,
some oak trees
Animals
white-tailed deer, pine martens, nutcrackers,
woodpeckers, squirrels, boreal owls, mice,
raccoons
Climate
precipitation around 18 inches/year; dry in summer
http://www.blm.gov
http://www.nhdfl.org
6000-8000 feet with variations at different
latitudes and mountain slope aspects (the
direction the mountainside faces)
Pine Forest
http://www.blm.gov
3500-5000 feet
Plants
shrubs, coverage less dense, white pines and
ponderosa pines, many oaks, spring flowering
plants
Animals
deer, coyotes, burrowing and tree rodents,
squirrels, chipmunks, Steller’s Jays, nuthatches,
flickers, tanagers, weasels, badgers, turkeys hawks,
woodpeckers
Climate
warm climate, low precipitation
Pinyon – Juniper Woodlands
http://www.blm.gov
2000-3000 feet with variations at
different latitudes and mountain
slope aspects (the direction the
mountainside faces)
Plants
sagebrush, juniper pines, evergreen shrubs with
deep roots and thick leaves, deciduous trees
Animals
burrowing rodents, coyotes, deer, song birds,
hawks, brush owls, mice, squirrels
Climate
warm climate, low precipitation, cold winters, and
warm to hot summers
Grasslands
http://www.blm.gov
dominated by grass, some shrubs
and very few trees
Plants
low species diversity, perennial grasses
Animals
bison, gophers, prairie dogs, coyotes,
songbirds, mice
Climate
warm hot summer climate, low precipitation,
semi arid
Desert
http://www.blm.gov
small plants and sparsely covered
Plants
low shrubs, cacti, sparse cover, adapted to dry
climates; shrubs with thick small leaves or spines
Animals
burrowing animals, reptiles, nocturnal mammals,
coyotes, tortoises, snakes, lizards
Climate
warm hot summer; arid with variable temperatures
70°-100°F; less than 10 inches of rain per year
On the following slides we explore some examples of species
around the world that have had to shift their traditional habitat
range due to climate changes in their region.
Edith’s Checkerspot Butterfly
http://www.blm.gov
A study at the University of California,
Santa Barbara, show these butterflies
have been disappearing from lower
elevations where the climate is
becoming warmer and dryer.
In Europe, 22 of 35 butterflies studied
showed their ranges to have shifted
northward to cooler climates over the
past century.
http://www.sierraclub.org
Mountain goats are running out of room at the higher elevations as their
grazing areas also move up in elevation. These resilient and sturdy animals
follow their food source which is losing ground at lower elevations as the
mountain climates warm.
Pica, a relative of the rabbit, is quickly
disappearing from elevations below 7000
feet. As climate warms, they are retreating
to cooler and higher elevations, becoming
more and more isolated and vulnerable. In
some areas their populations have
completely disappeared.
http://www.dfg.ca.gov
‘l’iwi, a common Hawaiian
bird once widespread
throughout the Hawaiian
islands, is now restricted to
higher elevations. With
warming climates, mosquitoes
carrying avian pox and malaria
are moving uphill infecting the
‘l’iwi populations.
www.photo.net
www.pandaw.com
A 42-year study at the University of York shows tropical insects moved almost 67
meters up in elevation on the mountains of Borneo. Many of these species are
found nowhere else in the world and will face extinction as room runs out.
Not all species move. To avoid severe
winters, Pacific Brant migrate 3000
miles south to Mexico from their
breeding grounds in the subarctic
region. As warming trends increase,
the food supply and the weather are
more favorable, about 30% are
staying put in the northern areas.
Jeff Wasley, courtesy U.S. Geological Survey
In this activity students create a diagram of a fictional mountain in
Arizona and describe the change in biomes as the elevation increases.
Starting with the current concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in our
atmosphere, students use the model to show how the biomes will
shift up the mountains as the climate changes with increased
atmospheric CO2.
This material is based on work supported by an Environmental Literacy Grant from
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Education
(NA09SEC4690009) and prior work supported by the National Science Foundation
under Grants ANT-0342484 and ESI-0632175. Any opinions, findings, and
conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials are those of the
authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration or the National Science Foundation.
http://andrill.org/education/elf/activities