Lecture Notes Chapt4 Ecology Geology

GG100A1 Environmental Geology
Chapter 4 ECOLOGY AND GEOLOGY
Ecology and Geology Linkage

Ecology: Study of relationships between living things and their environments; the study of controls over
the distribution, abundance and health conditions of living things
Environmental Geology: Study of geological processes and their effects on environment
The linkage: Complex linkages, varies at different ecological scales
Fundamental Ecology Terms

• Species: A group of individuals capable of interbreeding
• Population: A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area
• Community: A group of the populations of different species living in the same area
• Biota: All organisms living in an area or a region
• Biosphere: The part of Earth where organisms exist and function
Species
• Indigenous species: Found in the area where they evolved
• Exotic species: Brought into an area or a region by human purposely or accidentally
– e.g., acacia trees: imported from Australia to arid regions as wind breaks
• Invasive species: Exotic species compete with indigenous species and may displace them
Ecosystem
• An ecological community and its surrounding environment in which the flows of energy and cycles of
chemicals support a living community
Types of Ecosystem
• Natural Indigenous: Ecosystem as the result of completely natural evolutional processes, rarely exist on
land
• Human modified: The one modified by human use and interest, almost all the major ecosystems
• Human constructed: Man-made ecosystem for many different purposes at many sites, such as ponds,
canals, wastewater treatment pools
Natural Service Functions of Ecosystems

Natural functions: The processes responsible for producing clean water, air and diverse living matters
• Direct functions
– Cycle of chemical elements (e.g., CO2, O)
– Flow of energy and nutrients
– Removal of pollutants
• Buffering functions: Providing protections from natural hazards (e.g. wetlands against coastal flooding
and erosion)
Biodiversity
The number or abundance of species in an ecosystem or ecological community
• Species richness: The number of species
• Species evenness: The relative proportion of species
• Species dominance: One of multiple species more common than others
• Keystone species: Exerting a stronger community effect disproportionate to their abundance
Geology and Biodiversity

• Geology affects the overall environmental conditions of an ecosystem
– Changes in topography (e.g., mountain building and slope movement)
– Plate tectonics and ecosystem barrier (e.g., North America and Europe tree diversity vs.
mountain range distribution)
– Changes in climate: Ice age, glaciation, and global warming
Keystone Species (1)

Keystone species: Species exert a strong community effects disproportionate to their abundance
Case study:
Wolf, elk and mountain stream system in the Yellowstone National Park
– 1960s–mid-1990s: Elk overbrowsed the riparian vegetation, affected the stream ecosystem
– late 1990s: Reintroduced wolves that hunted elks and promoted the growth of riparian
vegetation, water quality, and stream ecosystem

Figure 4.5
• Sea otters, urchins, and kelp
• Kelp forests: Three parts – root-like holdfast, stem (stipe), and blades (leaves)
• Holdfast attached to boulders or the rocky bottom, part of the active geological environment
• Urchins fed on the holdfast of kelp
• Sea otters restored and fed on urchins, kelp forests restored
Figure 4.9
Factors To Increase Biodiversity
• The presence of diverse habitat
• Favored geological environment
– Moderate amount of disturbance – hazards creating or renewing habitats
– Harsh environments for certain unique specialized species, increasing biodiversity at regional
scale
• Relatively constant environmental conditions, such as T, P, precipitation, and elevation
• Highly modified biologically productive environment
Factors To Reduce Biodiversity

• Extreme geological environment
– Extreme disturbances damage habitats
– Limit the number of habitats and ecological niches at a local scale
– Pollution and other stresses restricting the flow of energy and nutrients
• Fragmentation of ecosystems by land use transformation
• Intrusion of invasive exotic species
• Habitat simplification (engineering structure) or migration barriers
Human Domination
Human activities exerting dominant community effects
• Dominate almost all ecosystems on Earth
• Massive land use transformation – urban, agriculture, recreation and industry development
• Global climate changes
• Changes in biogeochemical cycles – O, CO2, energy, and nutrients
• Most rapid extinction of many species during the last 2000 years
Case Study: Seawalls and Biodiversity

• Seawall: structures made of concrete, large boulders, or wood parallel to the shore with the
objective of stopping coastal erosion
– Beach space narrowed, and gradient increases of offshore slop
– Waves are reflected, further narrows the beach
– Fewer animals in the sand, fewer insects, fewer birds to feed and rest on the beach,
reducing biodiversity
Case Study: Seawalls and Biodiversity

Figure 4.B
The Golden Rule of the Environment: All About Timing

• Geological processes on Earth time scale
• Human activities and expectations on human time scale
• Need to operate with an appropriate environmental ethic
• Need to make a “pact” with the Earth to achieve a more compatible relationship
• Disrespect and disregard resulting environmental degradation
Reduce the Human Footprint

• Total footprint: The product of the footprint per person times the total number of persons
• Human population reduction
• More efficient use of resources
• Better management of our waste
• Better understanding of ecosystems
• The importance of human-dominated ecosystems and other types of ecosystems
Ecological Restoration
• Process of altering a site or area with the objective of reestablishing indigenous, historical
ecosystems
• River restoration: Channel restoration, dam removal to reunite fragmented river ecosystems
• Beach and coastal sand dune restoration
• Reshaping the land, drainage, and vegetation patterns
Ecological Restoration Case Kissimmee River

• The process of altering a site or area to reestablish indigenous historical ecosystems
– Prior to 1940, wide floodplain with diverse wetland plants, wading birds, waterfowl, fish, and other wildlife
– 1942–1971: Two-thirds of the floodplain drained, degraded ecosystem functions and reduction of birds and fish
population
– 1992: Restoration project authorized by the Congress
– 12 km straight channel restored to a meander
Ecological Restoration Everglades Case

• Since 1900, urban development, much of the Everglades drained
• One of the most valuable wetland ecosystem
– 11,000 species of plants
– 100s species of birds, fish, marine mammals
– 70 threatened or endangered species
• Multi-level partnership restoration project
• Reduce pollution, remove invasive exotic species, and apply the precautionary principle
• Control human population, development, and access
Everglades Ecosystem
Figure 4.E1, Figure 4.E2
Important Restoration Aspects

• Hydrologic process: surface water and ground water
• Soil and Rock: Geological conditions (rock and soil type, slope, landscape)
• Vegetation: The cover materials on land and wetland
• Socio-economic shareholders: Interests and start points
• Science: Restoration goals and endpoints
Restoration Process and Procedure

Table 4.1
Biological Engineering in Ecologic Restoration

• Using vegetation in engineering projects to achieve specific ecological goals
• Designing and constructing certain ecosystems
• Modifying functions of ecosystems
– Solarizing the ice plant of the sand dunes in Santa Barbara
– Planting native dune vegetation species
Critical Thinking and Applied Questions

• An ecosystem consists of both living community and its nonliving environment. Is one of two components is more
important?
• Based upon the linkage between ecology and geology, what is the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations in
ecological restoration?
• What are the critical ecological challenges in your area?
• Are there any positive impact of land transformation on your local ecosystems?

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Lecture Notes Chapt4 Ecology Geology

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GG100A1 Environmental Geology

Chapter 4 ECOLOGY AND GEOLOGY

Ecology and Geology Linkage

Fundamental Ecology Terms

Natural Service Functions of Ecosystems

Geology and Biodiversity

Keystone Species (1)

Keystone Species (2)

Factors To Reduce Biodiversity

Case Study: Seawalls and Biodiversity

Case Study: Seawalls and Biodiversity

The Golden Rule of the Environment: All About Timing

Reduce the Human Footprint

Ecological Restoration Case Kissimmee River

Ecological Restoration Everglades Case

Important Restoration Aspects

Restoration Process and Procedure

Biological Engineering in Ecologic Restoration

Critical Thinking and Applied Questions

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