ECOSYSTEM (HABITABLE PLANET) LAB

Please watch Habitable Planet Video #4 and respond to these questions. Write questions and answers and post to your blog. Link to video: http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/unit/text.php?unit=4&secNum=1

Rainforest

1. What is the function of the Center for Tropical Forest Science (CTFS)?

CTFS is a global network of forest research plots and scientists dedicated to the study of tropical and temperate forest function and diversity.

2. Why are the trees given the title of “engineers” of the tropical rain forest?

The reasons why trees are called engineers are because they are habitats which the entire organism depend on. Example if you take trees away then monkeys become no longer.

3. Why does a high-density species suffer greater mortality rates than rare density species?

The reason high density species suffer more is because humans cut those down more than the ones that are rare. Some of the rare trees can really hurt you so people just don’t mess with them.

4. Why do tropical rainforests have such immense diversity? How do they maintain their diversity?

The reason why tropical rainforests have such diversity is because these trees become specialist. Whenever a tree dies the tree drop all its branches and the in becomes like a pioneer. It brings back a bunch more trees to cover the whole it has made. 

5. What role do tropical forests play in stabilizing climate and atmosphere?

The role tropical forests play is that it brings a lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If we didn't have these trees we wouldn't have much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and with humans impacting the area they need carbon dioxide to breathe and to be able to study what’s out there.

Yellowstone National Park

6. What is the focus of Robert Crabtree’s research project in Yellowstone National Park?

The focus of Crabtree’s research is the cascading effect on the ecosystem.

7. What was the cascade effect of the elimination of the Park’s wolf population after 1926? Consider the following in your answer: willow, beaver, and elk populations.

When the cascade effect happened the elk population went up and seriously affecting other species. The elk consumed most the the vegetation and species like the beaver became scares.  To help this problem the trapped and killed the elk, it didn’t happen as good as it was so they brought the wolfs back. With is happen now the willow are able to live and not be killed by the overpowering on the elk. 

8. Food chains and webs can be shaped from the “top down” or from the “bottom up.” Which of these two categories best describes the wolf reintroduction project of 1995 and 1996?

They can be categories as top down because after the wolf was reintroduce they didn’t know if they would fit back in but they soon did.

9. What are the “hot spots“ in Yellowstone and how are they important to the wolf reintroduction research project?

The word hot spot is for area that has a lot of species in them. These help the vegetation of the area get better.

10. How can the data from a tropical rainforest that explains species diversity and abundance be helpful in managing and protecting temperate forests such as those in Yellowstone National Park or any other ecosystem on earth?

The tropical rainforest can help the species in the Yellowstone because they know things they need to put in the area to make sure everything lives. If something doesn't work in the rainforest then the know it won’t work in the Yellowstone.

11. Sketch or represent in some way the pyramid of energy flow for willows, beavers, elk, and wolves in Yellowstone National Park. Label the percent of high quality energy that persists at each level.

If we didn't have….

then this...

would kill off all the...

and we wouldn't have this great view we see and love today....