Biodiversity/Habitat LossELF Activity: Biosphere 4C

http://andrill.org/education/elf/activities/4C

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.

Biodiversity is

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.

Hotspots refer to regions of high biodiversity which are currently experiencing loss of habitat.

For example: CaliforniaThis 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.

What are Hotspots?

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.

Plants Lichens, mosses, dwarf shrubs

Animals

Very few mammals, seasonal birds & insects

Climate

Short growing season, long cold winters, heavy winds

Above tree line, rocky shallow soil

http://www.blm.gov

Alpine Tundra

10,000-11,000 feet, shallow and rocky soils, above tree line

http://www.blm.gov

Arctic Alpine

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

8000 feet to tree line, cold winters, moist warm summers

http://www.blm.gov

Spruce Forest

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

6000-8000 feet with variations at different latitudes and mountain slope aspects (the direction the mountainside faces)

http://www.nhdfl.org

http://www.blm.gov

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

3500-5000 feet

http://www.blm.gov

Pine Forest

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

2000-3000 feet with variations at different latitudes and mountain slope aspects (the direction the mountainside faces)

http://www.blm.gov

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

Pinyon – Juniper Woodlands

dominated by grass, some shrubs and very few trees

http://www.blm.gov

Plants low species diversity, perennial grasses

Animals

bison, gophers, prairie dogs, coyotes, songbirds, mice

Climate

warm hot summer climate, low precipitation, semi arid

Grasslands

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

Desert

http://www.blm.gov

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.

http://www.blm.gov

Edith’s Checkerspot Butterfly

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.

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.

http://www.sierraclub.org

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

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.

www.pandaw.com

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