1. Chapter 6: Ecosystems and Ecosystem Management

2. Watershed The whole region or extent of land which contributes to the supply of a river, lake or ocean.

3. Our Watershed Elm Fork Trinity Watershed

4. Bioindicator The presence, condition, and numbers of the types of fish, insects, algae, and plants that provide accurate information about the health of a specific body of water. By tracking changes, water systems can be identified that have undergone change due to stress placed upon the environment.

5. Bioindicators Some bugs can't tolerate water pollution, We call these bugs pollution sensitive. 12 points each Mayfly Caddisfly Water Penny Planarian Dobsonfly Stonefl y Other bugs are less sensitive to pollution... Eight points each Crayfish Dragonfly Mussel Riffle Beetle Adult Whirligig Damselfly Clam Fishfly Sowbug Riffle Beetle Larva Alderfly Damselfly Cranefly Dragonfly Mussel Some bugs can live in any kind of water. We call these bugs pollution tolerant. Four points each Leech Midge Aquatic Worm Gilled Snail Black Fly Lunged Snail

6. Osteichthyes The Clean Water Act (CWA) was based on several laws, (Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, Clean Water Act of 1977, and the Water Quality Act of 1987) and was created to identify and reduce pollution caused by industrial, government, and agricultural facilities. The Act’s objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters through the use of credible bioindicators to evaluate the health of a body of water.

7. EPA Case Study

8. The Ecosystem: Sustaining Life on Earth Sustaining life on Earth requires more than individuals Life is sustained by interactions of many organisms functioning together in ecosystems –Physical and chemical environments

9. Basic Characteristics of Ecosystems Ecosystems have several fundamental characteristics Structure Made up of two major parts: –Biotic or living (ecological community) –Abiotic or non living (physical chemical environment)

10. Basic Characteristics of Ecosystems Processes –Cycling of chemical elements and flow of energy Change –Undergo development through succession

11. Basic Characteristics of Ecosystems For complete recycling of chemical elements to take place, several species must interact. –Photosynthetic organisms produce sugar from carbon dioxide and water –From sugar and inorganic compound they make other organic compounds (protein, woody tissue) –Need decomposers to get back to inorganic compounds

12. Basic Characteristics of Ecosystems At its simplest a community will have –At least one species that is a producer –Another species that is a decomposer –Plus a fluid medium

13. Ecological Communities Ecological community defined in two ways –A set of interacting species found in the same place and functioning together to maintain life. –Operational def= all the species found in an area, whether or not they interact.

14. Food Chains Energy, chemicals and some compounds are transferred from creature to creature along food chains (food webs). –The linkage of who feeds on whom Grouped by trophic level –# of feeding levels away from original source of energy

15. Trophic Levels First trophic level –Use energy from the sun and carbon dioxide from the air to photosynthesizes –Green plants, algae and certain bacteria –Called autotrophs Second trophic level –Organisms that feed on autotrophs –Called herbivores

16. Trophic Levels Third trophic level –Feed directly on herbivores –Called carnivores (meat eaters) Fourth trophic level –Carnivores that feed on third-level carnivores Decomposers- feed on waste and dead organisms of all trophic levels

18. A Terrestrial Food Chain Example: North American Temperate Woodland 1 st level- grasses, herbs and trees 2 nd level- mice, pine borer and deer 3 rd level- foxes, wolves, hawks and other predatory birds and insects 4 th level- humans

20. An Oceanic Food Chain Tend to have more trophic levels 1 st level- planktonic algae and planktonic bacteria 2 nd level- zooplankton and some fish 3 rd level- fish and invertebrates feed on herbivores, baleen whales 4 th+ levels- killer whales, predatory fish

22. The Food Web of the Harp Seal Food webs are complex because most species feed on several trophic levels. Harp seal (shown at 5 th level) –Feeds on flatfish (4 th level) –But also feed on foods from 2 nd – 4 th –A species that feeds on several levels placed in a category one above the highest level it feeds on.

24. Community Level Interactions Indirect and more complicated community wide affects species have on one another. Sea otter of the Pacific Ocean –Came close to extinction because of over hunting for fur –Feed on shellfish (abalone, sea urchins) –Where sea otters abundant kelp beds abundant and few sea urchins –Otters affects the abundance of kelp

25. Sea otters have community level effect –Where more kelp is present more habitat for many species Keystone species –A species that has a large effect on its community or ecosystem Holistic view –Ecological community is more than the sum of its parts Community Level Interactions

28. How do you know when you have found an ecosystem? An ecosystem is the minimal entity that has the properties required to sustain life. Vary greatly in structural complexity and clarity of their boundaries. Differ is size, composition, proportion of non-biological constituents and degree of variation in time and space.

30. Watershed –Commonly used practical delineation of the boundary of an ecosystem –Determined by topography –United in terms of chemical cycling

32. Ecosystem Management Ecosystem can be natural or artificial Can also be managed –Agriculture –Wildlife preserves Ecosystem concepts lies at the heart of the management of natural resources.