Biodiversity Hotspot Lab 12
According to the international joint initiative group, the
Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), a region must meet this criteria- 1,500
endemic species of vascular plants or more than 0.5 % of the world’s total
vascular plant species and a minimum of 70% habitat loss- to be classified as a
biodiversity hotspot. California
Floristic Province or region meets all criteria and is one of five Mediterranean
climates that exist in the world, all of which are on the hotspot list.
1. Location and ecosystem
The
California Floristic Province is on the western side of California between the latitudes
30° to 50° N and 30° to 40° S latitudes. California’s Floristic Province
biodiversity hotspot biomes are chaparrals, and grasslands sagebrush steppe,
prickly pear shrub land, coastal sage scrub, juniper-pine woodland, upper
montane-subalpine forest, alpine forest, riparian forest, cypress forests,
mixed evergreen forests, Douglas fir forests, sequoia forests, redwood forests,
coastal dunes, and salt marshes. This region is a Mediterranean climate, in
other words, wet and windy winters (due to the prevailing westerly winds) and
dry, hot summers. CEPF apprises that
only approximately 50,000 miles or 24.7 percent of the original vegetation remains
unspoiled. This ecosystem is home to
2,120 or 61% endemic plant species that provide a foundation for the habitats
ecosystem. These plants as well as other
native plants support over 150 endemic vertebrate species and over 9,000
endemic invertebrate species among many other native and nonnative species that
all interact to support and sustain their ecosystem.
2. Native endemic plant species-
Common
name: Butterworth’s buckwheat
Binomial
Name: Eriogonum butterworthianum
Trophic
level: Producers (first trophic level supporting all other organisms in an
ecosystem).
Interactions with the biotic and abiotic ecosystem-
Through the process of photosynthesis this autotrophic
organism produces chemical energy that is stored in its biomass providing its
own nutrients as well as nutrients to other organisms making it a producer in
the trophic food chain. This plant is
also a foundation species that provides a habitable diverse environment for
other species through drawing in other species whose survival depends upon its
nutrient supply. For instance-this species supports primary consumers
or herbivores, such as, the Smith’s Butterfly or Euphilotes enoptes smithi that is endemic to this region. The Smith’s butterflies eat the nectar and
mate then lays its eggs on the flowers of this species after the eggs hatch the
larvae feed on the plants flowers for several weeks before entering the pupa
stage where it transforms into a butterfly.
It spends its entire life cycle with the buckwheat species. In
turn these species pollinate Butterworth’s Buckwheat and feed secondary
consumers, such as, birds, lizards, ants and tertiary consumers such as the
American Peregrine Falcon or Falco peregrines anatum. Ants whom also live and eat off of the
Butterworth Buckwheat have developed a mutual relationship with the
butterflies: the ants
protect the species from predators and parasites during the larvae and
caterpillar stage in return the caterpillar feeds the ants with the sugary
liquid it excretes. They also provide nectar for bees and
in turn the bees are pollinators for the species. Through photosynthesis this
species is chemically cycling carbon dioxide from the abiotic environment and
turning it into oxygen to be used by the biotic environment, including
humans. The Butterworth’s buckwheat organic dead waste provides
nutrients to decomposers and detritus feeders in an ecosystem. In turn, these organisms return nutrients
back to the soil to be used by the plants.
This shrub species
aids in the prevention of soil erosion thus aiding in sustaining the nutrients
in the soil as well as the stability of the banks in an aquatic systems causing
them to be more fixed thus helping support the geography of the landscape and
species within the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem.
Reproductive Pattern and basic physical characteristics-
This shrub is a perennial (lives for two years) herb with a
single stem that grows from a stout, woody root. Leaves on the stem are smaller
and arranged alternately. Each panicle has a cluster of 15 to 20
flowers. Bees, butterflies and other
pollinators pollinate these plants although self fertilization is possible but
rare. Germination of the seeds takes
approximately one month or less.
However, to remain viable shrub Butterworth Buckwheat populations
require surface fire at intervals of 5 to 20 years.
Native endemic animal species-
Common Name: Smith’s Butterfly
Binomial Name: Euphilotes enoptes smithi
Trophic Level: Primary Consumer (herbivore)
Interactions with the biotic and
abiotic ecosystem-
The Smith’s butterfly spends its
entire life cycle with the buckwheat species. In late spring and early autumn
the adults mate and lay their eggs on the flowers of this species after the
eggs hatch the larvae feed on the plants flowers for several weeks before
entering the pupa stage where it begins its ten month transformation into a
butterfly. In turn, this species is a pollinator
for the Butterworth Buckwheat shrub.
Ants whom also live and eat off of the Butterworth Buckwheat have
developed a mutual relationship with the butterflies: the ants protect the species from
predators and parasites during the larvae stage in return the caterpillar feeds
the ants with the sugary liquid it excretes.
Insects and spiders feed on the larvae.
Birds, reptiles, insects, and arachnids feed on the butterflies. The organic waste from each stage of the
butterflies development as well as the dead butterfly provide food for decomposers
and detritus feeders who break down the waste into nutrients that are returned
to the soil for use by other organisms.
Reproductive Pattern and physical characteristics-
The Smith’s butterfly spends its
entire life cycle with the buckwheat species. In late spring and early autumn
the adults mate and lay their eggs on the flowers of this species after the
eggs hatch the larvae feed on the plants flowers for several weeks before
entering the pupa stage where it begins its ten month transformation. The following year, as the Eriogonum butterworthianum
flower again, the new adult butterflies emerge living for only a week. Male
butterflies have bright blue wings. And females are brown with red-orange
markings. The underside of the wings of both males and females is white or grey
with black dots.
3. Socio-economic status in the region-
The
socio-economic conditions in this area are that of a developed wealthy
nation. Generally, people are well
educated, with middle to wealthy class incomes, and employment rates are
relatively high.
4. Hotspot Criteria-
This
region contains: 2,124 or 60.9% of the world’s endemic plant species; 18 mammal
species making up 11.5% endemism; 8 bird
species making up 2.4% endemism; 4 reptile species making up 5.8% endemism; 25
amphibian species making up 54.3% endemism; and 15 fresh water species making up 20.5% endemism
(CEPF). CEPF reports further disclose
that more than 75% of the native vegetation has been lost. Within this region native grasslands and
vernal pool habitats have been degraded to 1% of their original extent
resulting from the introduction of nonnative grasses, agricultural development-
conversion of the natural habitat to livestock pastures and croplands. Logging has reduced the red wood forests
natural habitat by an astonishing 75% in the past 150 years. A 90% loss of riparian forests has already occurred and is still
being degraded by legal logging operations, grazing, and development. Coastal scrublands are being degraded by
housing development, commercial development, and by of off-road vehicles. Wetlands, riparian woodlands and southern
maritime sage scrub, have experienced a 90% loss of their original area.
5. Causes of degradation-
Species
biodiversity has decreased in this region due to increased populations of
humans and human activities. Commercial
farming in California supplies approximately half of agricultural products
consumed by the U.S. population every year however it has caused habitat
degradation. Habitat fragmentation and
loss has occurred due to urbanization, road construction, pollution, livestock
grazing, logging, off-road vehicles, and fire regulations suppressing natural
fires all degrade these ecosystems and specie biodiversity.
6. Habitat conservationist-
One-third
of this region is under federal and state protection including several national
parks, 50 wildlife areas, 16 national wildlife refuges, 107 state parks that
are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. Many
of these protected areas in the region are the result of conservation
organizations, i.e. The Sierra Club, The Nature Conservancy, and the Wilderness
Society. Two of the national parks, i.e.
Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park, in this region were established
in 1890. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service implemented conservation plans for this region utilizing these methods as
well as others-corridors, restoration, and preservation and development plans. These strategies include collecting data on
the species in this region and identifying the harmful nonnative invasive
species. Also, identifying sources that
caused the degradation then eliminating or reducing those threats. The forest service and volunteer groups remove
nonnative plant species and reintroducing and re-populating native plant
species to the region. Plant seeds are
stored in a protected seed bank. Mitigating
the effects of degradation and restoring the habitat requires the practice of
community-based conservation where biologist and willing private land owners and
other residents in the community work together to protect and restore the
habitats. These willing volunteers are
educated about endemic species and taught how to protect the species and
support the species through planting native plants and reducing pollutants. Monitoring of the species within the
ecosystems and revaluation of the strategies used for restoration of the
ecosystems is done in order to observe the effects of ecological restoration
and allows for adaptive management. Some
example of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ecological restoration plans that
follows this criteria are the Del Monte Forest and Preservation Development Plan
and Recovery Plan for Five Plants from Monterey County, California. The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund
(CEPF) consists of seven global leaders who are committed to equipping
nongovernmental and private sector organizations to help protect
ecosystems around the world.
CEPF
contact information-
Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund
|
Conservation International
2011 Crystal Drive Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22202, USA
Tel: +1-703 341-2400
Fax: +1-866-733-9162 |
7. I think it is important that I as
well as others express and demonstrate concern through action for any loss of
biodiversity in hotspots around the world.
A loss of biodiversity means a loss of natural capital resulting in a
loss of natural services that purify our air, water, soil and food supplies.
And a loss of natural resources that support an economy through tourism, and
providing resources for material goods, pharmaceutical goods, and food supplies. A 70% or more loss of a habitat in regions
inhabiting endemic species may result in an ecological tipping point causing an
irreversible shift in the biotic and abiotic functions of the ecosystem leading
to the extinction of many species. Biodiversity
or the variety of species, the ecosystems in which they exist and interact and
natural services they provide, e.g. water and air purification, soil renewal,
and pest control, support the local and global environments and economies. The biotic and abiotic chemical or nutrient
cycles- including photosynthesis supporting air quality, soil renewal, and renewal
of nutrients stored in the biomass of organisms which provide nutrients to other
organisms in an ecosystem, including humans-effect the local and global
environment. A loss of biodiversity in a
region will alter the behavior of the ecosystem. For example, a change in the composition of
the soil may cause population declines in native plant species thus a decline
in animal species populations whose survival relies upon the endemic plant
species to provide nutrients to them.
Loss of species will degrade the ecosystem altering or completely
changing the biome in which they lived rendering
them unsustainable leaving behind a degraded area of land that cannot supply us
with resources or provide us with free ecological services. The change in a biomes habitat will lead to a
change in local temperatures effecting temperatures in the atmosphere thus
effecting global temperatures and weather systems. Furthermore, the loss of any endemic species
is permanent!
References
Arnold, R.A. Ecological studies of six
endangered butterflies: Island biogeography, patch dynamics, and design of
habitat preserves. Berkley: University of California Publications in
Entomology, 1983. 1-161. Print. 16 Nov.
2015.
Malone, Maureen.”Adaptations of the
Smith’s Blue Butterfly.” animals.mom.me: Demand Media. Web. 16 Nov. 2015
“California Floristic Province.” cepf.net:
Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund. Web. 16 Nov. 2015
