Uptake 32 (28)Ecological Principles for Natural Resource Management • Nutrient Cycling &amp

(1)

Ecological Principles for Natural Resource Management

• Objectives

– Basic ecological principles that are important for understanding natural resources and their management

• Plant and ecosystem focus

1

(2)

2

• Definitions

– Natural resources

– Natural resource management

• Renewable vs. nonrenewable

• Sustainable vs. non-sustainable

(3)

3

• Definitions

– Ecology

– Ecological Hierarchy

(4)

4

• Ecological Hierarchy

Organisms (Individuals) Biosphere

Ecosystems

Communities

Populations Landscapes

(5)

• Ecological Hierarchy

Landscapes

(Individuals)

5

(6)

6

• Definitions

– Ecosystem ecology – Ecosystem

• Biotic components

• Abiotic components

• Ecosystem Attributes

(7)

Ecological Principles for Natural Resource

Management

• Spatial scales of Ecosystems

7

(8)

• Ecosystem (and Soil) Development

Ecosystem Development

8

(9)

•Earth’s solar energy budget

•Over a year, Inputs ≈ Outputs

• Climate - Solar Radiation

9

(10)

Management

10

(11)

Management

11

(12)

13

Where is productivity highest? Lowest?

What are the latitudinal patterns? Other patterns?

(13)

How do temperature patterns compare with those of NPP?

14

(14)

How do precipitation patterns compare with those of NPP?

15

(15)

Is temperature or precipitation a better predictor of NPP?

16

(16)

Management

• Climate - Ecosystem Types

17

(17)

Management

• Climate - Global Biome Types

18

(18)

• Local Climate - Elevation &

Aspect

Elevation

N

23

Aspect S

(19)

6CO₂+ 6H₂O + energy <--> C₆H₁₂O₆+ 6O₂

24

• Solar Radiation - Photosynthesis

(20)

• Photosynthesis

Light Temperature

H₂O Nutrients

Nitrogen Content (g m^-2) 25

(21)

26

Inputs - Outputs = 6Storage

• Ecosystem Water Budget

(22)

CO₂ H₂O

Transpiration

27

• Water Budget - Transpiration

Sunlight

Hydraulic Lift

(23)

Management

• Soils - So much more than dirt!

28

(24)

29

• Carbon Cycling - Energy cycling

Decomposers

Nutrient Uptake

Consumption

(25)

Management

• Carbon Cycling - Trophic Chains

30

(26)

Management

• Carbon Cycling - Trophic Pyramid

31

(27)

Management

• Nutrient Cycling & Uptake

32

(28)

Inputs - Outputs = 6S

33

(29)

Table 7.1. Major Sources of Nutrients that Are Absorbed by Plants^a.

a Data from (Whittaker et al. 1979, Chapin et al. 1980b)

Inputs - Outputs = 6S

34

(30)

• Ecological Hierarchy - Populations

Management

Landscapes

(Individuals)

35

(31)

• Populations - Size

Management

36

(32)

Management

• Populations - Size

37

(33)

• Populations - Growth Rate

Management

38

(34)

Management

• Populations - Distribution

39

(35)

• Populations - Structure

Single Species

40

Mixed Species

(36)

• Ecological Hierarchy - Communities

Management

Landscapes

(Individuals)

41

(37)

Management

• Communities - Interspecific Interactions

42

(38)

N-fixation (root nodule)

43

Mycorrizhae

Lichens

• Communities - Mutualism (+ , +)

(39)

Epiphyte

44

Facilitation

• Communities - Commensalism (+ , 0)

(40)

• Communities - Parasitism (+ , -)

Korthalsella sp.

(HI Mistletoe)

45

(41)

Management

• Communities - Predation (+ , -)

46

(42)

Management

• Communities - Competition (- , -)

47

(43)

Management

• Communities - Competition (Niche)

48

(44)

Species A

Species B

• Communities - Competitive Exclusion

Species A Species B

49

(45)

Species A Species B

50

• Communities - Competitive Exclusion

(46)

Management

• Communities - Resource Partitioning

51

(47)

Management

• Communities - Ecological Succession

52

(48)

ManagementPrimary Succession

53

(49)

ManagementSecondary Succession

54

(50)

Management

• Communities - Disturbances (Fire)

55

(51)

Management

• Communities - Disturbances (Wind)

56

(52)

Management

• Communities - Disturbances (Humans)

58

(53)

Management

59

(54)

Management

60

(55)

61

• Ecology Matters

– Natural resource management = the

application of ecological principles to the management of natural resources

– To manage biota, you have to understand ecology