apes unit 9 - global change

Antarctic spring

—Antarctic winter can create stratospheric clouds full of ice crystals —crystals melt in beginning of spring —chemical reactions convert less reactive chlorine to a more reactive form —chlorine degrades ozone into atmospheric oxygen (O2) —the ozone layer thins

Instead of CFCs

—HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) replaces CFCs —benefits: work just like CFC, no chlorine atoms drawback: powerful greenhouse gas

CFCs and ozone

—UV light hits CFC and breaks off chlorine molecule —chlorine molecule bonds with O3 to form ClO + O2 —ClO + O then turns into Cl + O2 —chlorine goes back into cycle, acts like catalyst —basically, chlorine has a fun time breaking down O3 into O2, which thins ozone layer

When UV rays hits oxygen

—UVC hits O2 and breaks it apart into O —O joins with O2 to form O3 —UVB hits O3 and breaks it back into O2 and O —O joins with another O to form O2 —oxygen goes back and forth

Sea level rise (vertical)

—adds additional layer of ocean on top of photic zone —less light and reduce temperatures

Nitrous Oxide emission

—agricultural and soil management

Thinning of ozone

—allows UVB and UVC to pass through —high radiation rays that will cause problems for organisms

What is an invasive species

—an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health —can sometimes be beneficial, but they are considered invasive when they threaten native species in some manner —nonnative species may be introduced into ecosystems accidentally or purposefully —since invasive species are generalists and not subjected to "checks and balances" of native ecosystems, they have a competitive advantage over endemic species

Selective pressure

—any external factor that changes the behavior and fitness of organisms within an environment —resource availability —abiotic environmental conditions —biological factors —determines which genetic/behavioral traits re favorably adapted to the environment and which one aren't —selective pressure will change in changing environments

Climate change and habitats loss

—as average global temperatures rise, habitats may be lost —coastal inundation from melting land ice and permafrost —rising sea levels due to thermal expansion —changes in precipitation patterns due to change in atmosphere and oceanic circulation patterns —climate change has been most intense in northern latitudes, aka most at risk for habitat loss and loss of biodiversity

Ocean warming effects: metabolic changes

—as the ocean warms, marine species may migrated but they can't local escape to cooler areas: they are always surrounded by the warmer water —organisms are pushed to their biological thermal limits and become weakened or die —reduction of biodiversity/disruption of trophic structures

Global warming potential (GWP)

—based on amount of energy that it radiates and residence time in atmosphere —carbon dioxide is standard (1) —from lowest to highest: carbon dioxide' methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, CFCs, HFCs

Competition

—can occur within or between species in an ecosystem where there are limited resources —competition consumes important metabolic resources so competitive strategies generally evolve to limit resource conflict through resource partitioning —organisms may compete for territory, food, mates, habitat

Greenhouse gases

—carbon dioxide CO2 —methane CH4 —water vapor H2O —nitrous oxide N2O —chlorofluorocarbons CFCs —hydrofluorocarbons HFCs —tropospheric ozone O3 —naturally occurring in some cases but many have by amplified through anthropogenic activities

GWP vs concentration

—carbon dioxide is emitted most (even tho CO2 has GWP of 1, its concentration makes it much more impactful) —CFCs and HFCs have low concentration

Factors that may led to extinction

—certain factors may make a species more likely to become extinct —being extensively —having a limited diet —outcompetes by invasive species —having specific, limited habitat requirements

Changes in air circulations

—changing temperatures can change gallbladder air circulation —convection currents and Hadley cells can change in size —winds would change —changing s precipitation changes biome chacterisitcs

Carbon dioxide emissions

—combustion of fossil fuels —transportation —electricity

Increase in greenhouse gases drives climate change

—concentrations of many greenhouse gases have steadily increases in the atmosphere as a result of human activity —increased greenhouse gases have led to climate change

Why is coral beaching a problem

—coral colonies are the foundation of highly biodiverse reef ecosystems —the loss of coral colones means that there will be a loss of habitat for the other species that depend on them —this loss will also disrupt the trophic structure of the reef ecosystem —degraded reefs are vulnerable to invasive species, which have the potential to create permanent negative ecosystem impacts

Ocean warming effects: coral bleaching

—corals have algae that live within their bodies in mutualistic relationship; besides helping provide food for the coral, these algae also give corals their unique colors —warming ocean temperatures stress the corals —when stressed, corals expel their symbiotic algae,w high gives them a "bleached" appearance —coral CAN recover fro, a bleaching event, but if the conditions that caused the bleaching continue, this will often lead to the death of the coral

Strategies to protect species: legislation

—criminalizing poaching and instituting steel fines and/or punishment for poachers can help curb this practice —laws: the Lacey Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and CITES (convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora)

Disease vectors expand their range

—disease vectors are usually insects that like to live in tropical areas —as Earth heats up, the range of the vectors expand past the tropical areas

Sea level rise (horizontal)

—displaces human and organisms —estuaries and mangroves are pushed back —increase in marine environment

Controlling invasive species (small scale)

—drain, clean and dry boat prior to moving it to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species —prevent the dumping of aquariums and release of exotic pets —clean boots/shoes and change your pants/socks before hiking into a new area to help prevent the spread of invasive seeds —keep firewood where it was cut to prevent the spread of wood-borne pathogens

Other strategies to protect species

—establishment of protected areas for species such as wildlife refuges or national parks —enforcement of conservation practices within protected habitat areas can help too

Hunting

—extensive hunting can head to the loss of a species —poaching/illegal hunting —animals may be hunted for food, prized body parts, traditional medicinal uses, medical research purposes, sport

Examples of resource availability

—food —water —habitat —mates

Climate changes impact populations (animals)

—habitat destruction —loss of food source —timing of food source availability changes —new temperatures beyond range of tolerance —new salinity beyond range of tolerance —increased storm intensity —increased potential of fire —impacted annual group behaviors: timing of migration, hibernation

Sea ice is melting

—habitats for many animals —polar bears use sea ice to hunt seals through breathing holes —melted sea ice means polar bear cannot hunt for seals

Climate change impacts populations (humans)

—human health (extreme heat, poor air quality, reduced food and water quality, increased infectious diseases) —shelter (coastal communities gone bc of rising ocean or storms) —loss of income —especially impacts those vulnerable to changes (low income, indigenous, disabilities)

Domestication

—humans have been domesticating organisms for thousands of years —domestication involves artificial selection, where organisms with the most desirable traits for humans are crossbred to enhance the occurrence of that in the species —many domesticated species are managed for economic returns and provide humans with food, labor, medicine, and pollination services

Polar ice is melting

—ice can reflect sun's radiation and infrared —land is getting warming, which melts more ice, which means that more radiation to warm land and melt ice (positive feedback loop) —some melting is normal

Historical data of warming and cooling

—ice cores and volcanic ash —today's temperatures far exceeds the maximum temperatures of past —today's data shows that earth is warming, which is correlated with increase in concentration of greenhouse gases in atmosphere

Causes of ocean warming

—increased greenhouse gases in earth's atmosphere such as carbon dioxide and methane —traps heat that the ocean absorbs

Soil viability and erosion

—increased temperatures can dry out soil and susceptible to wind erosion —near coastal areas, increased water and leach nutrients further down soil

Montreal Protocal

—international treaty where countries agree to reduce and eliminate use and manufacture of CFCs

Controlling invasive species (large scale)

—introduction of a competitor species to the invasive species —introduction of a predator species to the invasive species —introduction of a species-specific pathogen into an invasive population —physical removal and controlled burns help control invasive plants —application of pesticide specific to the invasive species

Competition from invasive species

—invasive species are usually r-selected niche generalists —can tolerate broad range of abiotic conditions and have a varied diet —outcompete native species with more specific requirements and leads to increased risk of extinction of native species

Poaching

—killing or capturing of animals for sale or profit

Sea levels rise

—land ice (glaciers, ice sheets) melts, adding to the volume of water in the ocean —thermal expansion of ocean, due to warming from climate change, increases the volume of the ocean —changes salinity and temperature of water, which impacts water density

Ocean currents change

—melting ice changes density of ocean (salinity and temperatures) —changes ocean currents from water density —altered ocean currents can impact terrestrial climate especially in coastal areas

Methane emission

—natural gas and petroleum —landfills —enteric fermentation (cow digestion)

Stratospheric ozone

—naturally occurring —blocks most of UVB and all of UVC —unfortunately does not block a lot of UVA

Water vapor

—naturally occurring (water cycle) —residence time (amount of time in atmosphere) is short —not a huge impact

Habitat fragmentation - differential effects

—not all species are equally impacted by the adverse effects of habitat fragmentation —generalists and species that thrive in "edge" habitats may increase in number tan specialists —specialists and migratory and territorial species are much more affected by habitat fragmentation —fragmentation decrease overall ecosystem biodiversity

Tropospheric ozone

—not naturally occurring —secondary pollutant —forms chemical smog —harmful —greenhouse gas

The greenhouse effect

—occurs in troposphere, not stratosphere —the sun's solar radiation warms the Earth —some of the energy is reflected, some of the energy is re-radiated as heat (infrared radiation) back onto space -some re-radiated heat is absorbed by greenhouse gases in troposphere, then emitted again toward the surface of the Earth as heat in different directions —the greenhouse effect helps keep Earth at a temperature that can support life —greenhouse gases are a fraction of the atmosphere's gases

Habitat fragmentation causes

—occurs when large habitats are broken up into smaller isolated areas —causes: construction of roads and pipelines, clearing of land for agriculture or development, logging —some species may actually benefit from increased fragmentation (edge habitats) but generally, habitat fragmentation has a negative impact on biodiversity

Ocean acidification effects on coral

—ocean acidification is harmful to coral because coral need free carbonate ions to form their skeletons —corals are the foundation of highly bio diverse reef ecosystems, and provide food and habitat for a variety of marine life. When corals are damaged or die off, ocean biodiversity is severe impacted —combined threats from ocean acidification and ocean warming mean coral reefs are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change

Why is ocean acidification occuring

—ocean acidification is primarily due to increased greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere, specifically CO2 —the more CO2 released into the atmosphere, the more oceans absorb, lowering their pH through specific chemical reactions —Anthropogenic activities that contribute to ocean acidification: those that lead to increased CO2 into atmosphere: burning/combustion of fossil fuels, vehicle emissions, deforestation

ocean warming

—ocean warming: the global increase in ocean water temperatures —amount of warming isn't uniform—some areas warmed more quickly than others

Ocean warming effect: reproductive changes

—organisms weakened by thermal stress do not reproduce well —many marine reproductive patterns (mating times, eg hatching times, larval development) are timed based on specific ocean temperatures: disruption of these temperature patterns leads to reproductive harm

Examples of biological factors

—pathogens —disease

Effect of ocean warming: loss of habitat

—reduction of sea ice negatively impacts hunt/feeding patterns —higher water temperatures impact predatory/prey interactions as prey migrate to cooler areas —sea level rise alters coastlines, impacting species that use both land and water resources —rising coastal seas may push some communities out of the photic zone —warming oceans may impact primary productivity of phytoplankton, which are the basis of marine feed webs

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

—refrigerant/ coolant —propellant (aerosols) —some types of plastics —stable compound, stay in atmosphere for long time (means ozone takes long time to repair) —greenhouse gas

Increases in greenhouse effect results in

—sea levels rise —disease vectors expand their range —climate change that impacts populations

Tropospheric ozone emissions

—secondary pollutant —formed by chemicals that form photochemical smog

Permafrost is melting

—solid layer of ice in tundra that is usually frozen —warming of earth is melting permafrost —frozen undecomposed material is now being decomposed which is producing methane —positive feedback loop because methane is greenhouse gas

Intense competition leads to endangerment or extinction

—species try to limit competition because it is biologically costly —trophic relationships are disrupted —increased competitor fro invasive species —resources have become increasingly scarce due to habitat loss or climate change

Limited diet and habitat

—species who are niche specialists are generally at greater risk of extinction —specific habitat requirements —limited diet —low reproductive rates/long gestation time —few offspring with high parental care

CFCs and HFCs emissions

—substation of ozone depleting substances (HFCs)

Examples of abiotic environmental conditions

—temperature —humidity —tree over —salinity

Characteristics of invasive species

—tend to be niche generalist, r-selected species —can withstand a wise variation of abiotic conditions —varied diet/ability to survive on different types of food —production of numerous offspring —exponential population growth —little parental care —short generation time

Strategies to mitigate biodiversity loss

—the creation of protected areas such as wildlife refuges and parks —the creation of habitats corridors to reduce the negative effects of fragmentation —restoration of lost habitats —sustainable land use practices

What is ocean acidification

—the decrease in pH in ocean waters —the pH has fallen by 0.1 pH aka 30% increase in acidity

Ocean acidification effects

—the shells of many ocean creatures and the skeletons of corals are made of calcium carbonate CaCO3 —to make CaCO3 for their shells, marine organisms combine calcium ions, Ca+2 and carbonate ions, CO2-2 —with acidification, the increased hydrogen ion concentration bond with the carbonate ions in the seawater (bond easier with carbonate than calcium) —a bicarbonate ion is formed when hydrogen ions bond with carbonate ions —this leaves less carbonate ions available for marine organisms to use to build their shells and exoskeleton because they cannot extract the carbonate from bicarbonate —with enough free H+ ions around, they can even break apart existing calcium carbonate bonds, dissolving shells and skeletons that are already formed

Effects of ocean warming

—thermal expansion of ocean due to ocean warming causes: rising sea levels, displacement of coastal populations due to flooding

Effects of ozone depletion

—thinning of ozone layers (especially at poles) —disrupts terrestrial photosynthesis —disrupts terrestrial photosynthesis and photosynthesis by phytoplankton (which lowers primary productivity of producers) —disrupts food chains/webs —UV rays can impacts populations of some organisms like amphibians (radiation causes mutations) —UV rays can impact human health (skin cancer, cataracts)

How are invasive species spread

—transport of lumbar or firewood —ballast water in ships —movement of boats and boat trailers —through the movement of international shipping containers —on the fur of animals or the clothing/shoes of humans —thigh the movement of wind and water

HIPPCO

—useful acronym that details the main factors leading to decreases in biodiversity —H = habitat destruction —I = invasive species —P = population growth (human) —P = population —C = climate change —O = over exploitation

How does ocean acidification occur

—when CO2 is absorbed by seawater, a series of chemical reactions cur which result in an increase in hydrogen ions —the water combines with the carbon dioxide to create carbonic acid, which is a weak acid —the carbonic advice then dissociates into hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions —the greater the concentration of hydrogen ions, the lower the pH of the water

Domestication and loss of biodiverisity

—when humans assume responsibility for the reproduction and selection of traits in another species, genetic diversity will be reduced —reduced genetic diversity results in loss of biodiversity —examples include domestic livestock and mono cropping