Transcript ESCI PRES#1 REVISED FINAL1 [Repaired]

Final Team Assessment
ESCI 1 Final
Group #4
Emilio Palacios,
Leeor Carasso-Lev,
Kelly Gomez,
Hien Ha,
Soojung Shin
Winter Quarter
- March 20, 2012 -
Ecosystems
An interactive complex of communities and the
abiotic environment (non-living physical factors
of an environment) affecting them within a
particular area.
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Ex: deserts, grasslands, deciduous forests,
tropical rain forests, oceans
The Functioning of an Ecosystem
Can function under a
limited tolerance range:
- temperature, salinity,
and oxygen level.
The existence,
distribution, and
abundance of a species is
determined by the levels
of these factors.
Components of an Ecosystem
Abiotic - nonliving, physical and chemical
factors
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Divided between land ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems
Biotic - living; factors that are derived from
living things.
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(1) Producers,
(2) Consumers
(3) Decomposers
(4) Detrivores
Land and Aquatic Ecosystems
Aquatic-
Land
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Sunlight
Temperature
Fire
Altitude
Latitude
Soil
Nutrients
precipitation
Wind
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Water currents
dissolved oxygen
salinity
suspended solid material
concentration of dissolved
nutrients
Producers
Organisms that absorb energy from the sun
or through chemical reactions to form
organic matter.
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Ex: plants, photosynthetic and
chemosynthetic bacteria, single-celled
algae, grass, cacti, phytoplankton and many
protists
Consumers
Organisms feed on organic matter to gain
energy (include both primary and secondary
consumers) -> herbivores, carnivores
and omnivores.
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Ex: homosapiens, lions, tigers, bears, and
chipmunks
Decomposers
Organisms feed on dead organic material to
break down waste in the environment, using it
as their own source of energy.
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Ex: Fungi, some bacteria, earthworms.
The Diablo Range tourist information
 Located: Northern California (Contra Costa County), and west of
Oakland. Parallels the Pacific Ocean, forming part of the western wall
of the Central Valley.
 Extends southeastward (180 miles) from the solitary 3,849-foot
Mount Diablo within Mount Diablo State Park to Kern County.
 Range average: between 3,000 to 4,000 feet while the highest point
(Elevation of 5,241 feet) is at the San Benito Mountain
The Diablo Range Ecosystem History
Economic activities include:
(1) agriculture, (2) Cattle grazing and (3) petroleum mining
Animal Life varies, broken into…
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“rarely seen animals”
such as Bobcats,
 Feral Dogs
 Mountain lions
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more common animals:
Hoof-tailed Deer
 Jackrabbits
 Grey Foxes
 Badgers
 Feral cats
Midpennisula Open Space: classifies it as a Wildlife Corridor, which allows for
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habitat connectivity for the surrounding ecosystems
The Diablo Mountain Range Location and Geography
A segment of the Pacific Coastal Ranges in west-central
California
Latitude – N 36.369679, longitude – W -120.644336
Borders Northeastern border - San Joaquin River
 Southeastern border - San Joaquin Valley
 Southwestern border - Salinas River
 Northwest - Santa Clara Valley
Passes through Contra Costa, Alameda, San Joaquin,
Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Merced, San Benito, Fresno,
Monterey and Kings counties and ends in Kern
county.
The Diablo Mountain Range
Climate
Temperatures
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July - hottest month
(70F average)
January - coolest
month (45F average)
Highest temp. ever –
111F – 1972.
Lowest temp. ever – 14F
– 1989, 1990.
The Diablo Mountain Range
Climate
Climate (Cont.)
Precipitation
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Annual precipitation
averages 24 inches
January and February are the
months with the most
precipitation
Snowfall
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Annual snowfall averages 1.2
inches
Greatest snow depth, 3 inches,
in 1972
More common on upper
reaches of the mountains
The Diablo Mountain Range Topography
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Mostly smooth and rolling grassland, with some steep and
rocky areasPeak elevation (5233ft)
Plateaus (2000ft-3000ft)
 Hills rising out of the valleys (1000ft)
 Hills rolling around inland plateaus (1500ft-2500ft)
 Foothills (400ft-1000ft)
 Canyons (300ft-400ft deep)
Creeks in the eastern slopes of the range Alameda creek, Coyote creek, Hospital creek and Ingram
Creek.
Major peaks - San Benito Mountain (5241ft), San Carlos peak
(4845ft) and Center Peak (4536ft).
Mammals
Mammals on the Diablo range include:
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Gray Fox
Blacked- tailed Deer
Coyote
Mountain Lion
Bobcat
Striped Skunk
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
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Cottontail Rabbit
Opossum
Raccoon
California Ground
Squirrel
Fox Squirrel
Little brown bat
Mt. Hamilton
• Mt. Hamilton is an example of an intact ecosystem.
• Intact Ecosystem: A community or ecosystem that is
maintaining proper function and has not lost
significant species (for communities) or significant
communities (for ecosystems). Typically there will
also not be a significant amount of invasive weeds.
Mt. Hamilton’s Ecology
Maintains Proper environmental
functions:
-- Mt. Hamilton maintains proper
functions through its annual rain
and snowfall, and regular
summer temperatures. (climate
slides)
•Has not lost significant ecosystem:
--The types of ecosystems prevalent in Mt.
Hamilton are deciduous forests and
grasslands. Common plants found in Mt.
Hamilton include: miniature lupine red
beardtongue ground iris Mediterranean
mustard.
Wildlife Corridors
• Definition
– Linear features that connect at least two habitat areas
• Purpose
oA means to reduce or moderate adverse ecological effects of habitat fragmentation
oAllow long-term genetic interchange
oAllow individuals to re-colonize habitat patches from which populations have been
locally removed
• Reasons for designing corridor
oOvercome damaging ecological processes:
• Changes in abiotic regimes
• Shifts in habitat use
• Altered population dynamics
Wildlife Corridor
Diablo Range and Santa Cruz
Mountains
• Mountain Ranges
o Santa Cruz Mountain Range = The outer range
o The Diablo Range = Inner coastal Range
• In between
o Coyote Valley = A critical wildlife corridor and a habitat for many species
• Northern section = the closet geographical point between the two mountain
ranges
• Coyote Creek Country Park = Core area of the corridor
Coyote Valley Wildlife
Significant
Wildlife lives
in the east hills
- the Coyote
Ridge and
Mount
Hamilton of the
Diablo Range
Wildlife accesses
the Coyote Creek
County Park into
the Coyote Valley
and the
surrounding hills
of the Santa Cruz
Mountains
Wildlife travels
under highway
101
Importance
• Dispersal area between the Diablo Range and the Santa Cruz Range,
thus area for animal survival
• Enables wildlife to sustain their existence in the last remaining large
open space of the SC county
• Corridors can facilitate the movement of species (to find mates and
resources, and to enable the young to disperse out of the parental
home range) through habitat patches by providing connectivity
• Maintain genetic viability and maintain viable populations
• Different species utilize the highway 101 culverts to travel underneath
it
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Mountain lions (used one of the 101 culvert), Bobcats, Coyotes, Deer, Raccoons
Critical to Consider
• If this area is considered a critical corridor by state and
local authorities, how do you think urban development
will impact the habitat?
• Remember: Coyote Valley Ecological Area consists of
highly suitable habitat for many wildlife species
AB 2785 Wildlife
Corridors
• Background
o Knowledge about wildlife and migration patterns is needed in order to protect
them
• Goal
o The Department of Fish and Game is required to develop and maintain a
standardized spatial data system on vegetation and land cover, identifying
those areas that are most essential for habitat connectivity, including wildlife
corridors and habitat linkages, and to make that data available to the public
• Signed by the CA governor in 2008
Wildlife Corridors
in Santa Clara County
Coyotes (Canis lantrans)
Raccoon (Procyon lotor)
Bobcat (Lynx rufus)
Wild Boar (Sus srofa)
White-tailed deer
(Odocoileus hemoinus)
Why is Wildlife Corridor important
to those large mammal species?
Human habitat is the stumbling block to the
connection
It is the responsibility of humans who has the
power and ability to ACT upon the troubles
with the wildlife.
• Wildlife Corridor :Providing that last tube
connecting the different wildlife habitats
together
Benefits of Wildlife
Corridor?
• Large gene pool
engaging many
interconnected species
• Less interactions with
the humans &
developmental areas
=> Survival of the Wild (food,
shelter, place of escape, refuge,
migratory area etc.)
Sources
• Philips, Julie,
Environmental Science
(ESC 1) STUDENT
PACKET, 2012-2013
• Wright, R.T & D.F.
Boorse 2010.
Environmental Science:
Toward a Sustainable
Future. Prentice Hall.
De Anza Custom
Edition, 2010
• Pictures found on
google.com/images