Brazil Protects Giant Swathe of Amazon Rainforest

Allison Pearson
Author: Marcelo Teixeira
Published: October 21, 2014
URL: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/brazil-protects-giant-swathe-of-amazon-rainforest/

Summary: On October 21st, the Brazilian government set aside a new reserve in the Amazon rain forest called the Alto Maues. This reserve is larger than the U.S. state of Delaware (almost 1.65 million acres), and is environmentally rich and practically untouched by humans. Putting that much land under government control is a very big deal because it means that hunting and forest-clearing are forbidden there. This has many positive effects on the environment: not only will protecting the rain forest reduce deforestation, it will also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Unlike most other countries, the main cause of the release of greenhouse gases in Brazil is due to deforestation rather than the burning of fossil fuels. Though this reserve will undoubtedly protect many species of birds, primates, and other mammals, the complete protection of the ecosystem is not guaranteed. Last year, illegal logging increased in the Amazon, destruction rising 29 percent from the previous year. Therefore, despite the fact that creating the Alto Maues reserve is a positive step for the Amazon, no one can be sure that deforestation of the area will disappear altogether.

Connection: This article is related to what we studied at the end of Chapter 36 about how human activities can alter ecosystems. Before the Brazilian government set up the reserve, deforestation of the amazon had negative effects on the surrounding environment, ultimately reducing the diversity of species. When humans cut down trees and burn them, they release carbon into the air, adding it to the atmosphere and therefore allowing more sunlight to reach the Earth. Another effect is that the lack of trees makes transpiration more difficult, altering the water cycle. Finally, if humans keep cutting down trees, we will reduce the number of species in that area and change the entire ecosystem. However, creating the Alto Maues reserve is a type of conservation biology (which we learned about in Chapter 36.5), which will hopefully prevent all of these negative effects and keep the Amazon diverse and more stable.

When Fig Wasps Can’t Take the Heat

Gabriella Ricciardone

March 9, 2014

Author:  Sindya N. Bhanoo

Published:  March 25, 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/26/science/fig-wasps-crucial-tropical-pollinators-face-a-climate-threat.html?action=click&module=Search&region=searchResults%230&version=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26contentCollection%3DScience%26region%3DTopBar%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26pgtype%3Darticle%23%2Fpollinators

Summary:

There are more than 700 species of wild fig in the tropics, and most of these species are pollinated by one certain species of fig wasp.  The wasp and fig have a mutualistic relationship; the wasps rely on the fig plants to host their eggs, and the fig plants are pollinated by the wasps.  Researchers that are part of a study in Singapore have recently discovered that this species of wasp is very susceptible to climate change, making the fig plants vulnerable as well.  This can be detrimental to the ecosystem in equatorial Singapore, as figs are a main food source for many different animal species.  Scientists found that temperatures rising only a few degrees could cut the adult fig wasps' life spans down from one to two days to a mere few hours.  The average daily temperature in Singapore is about 80˚F, and in this weather the wasps' life span is between eleven and twenty-four hours.  If temperatures are raised to 87.8˚F, that life span drops to between six and eighteen hours, and at 93.2˚F, less than six hours.

Connection:
While studying Unit 9, we discussed animal pollination and relationships between pollinators and plants.  The main ideas of this article center around the direct effect the wasps' vulnerability to climate change has on the tropical fig plant.  Furthermore, the reduction in figs would directly impact the rest of the ecosystem.  In class we have also talked about the symbiotic relationship called mutualism, which is the kind of relationship the wasp and fig have with one another.  Earlier in the year we studied global warming and ecosystems' temperatures rising, which is again being visited in this article, with the severity of rising temperatures impacting this species of wasp's life span.  

Deer Disrupt Natural Forest Growth

Leo Scheidemantel
March 8th 2014

No author given
Published: March 8, 2014
Source

Summary
Cornell University did a recent study on how deer impact the natural growth of forests. Surprisingly instead of benefiting the forest's growth the study showed that the deer negatively impacted the forest. The deer preferred eating the native plants and rejected the invasive species. Without the native species the invasive species thrives and reproduces. Another impact the deer had was overgrazing on the plants caused bare soil and less biodiversity of the area. Researchers germinated seeds found in forests with high populations of deer and compared them with germinated seeds from forests with low populations of deer. The forests with high deer population had more invasive species's seeds and fewer native plant's seeds than the forests with lower populations of deer.

Connections
This article relates to our ecosystems unit and our plants unit. In the ecosystem unit we learned about interspecific competition, which in this case the invasive species and the native species of plants are competing with each other. And the deer feed mostly on the native species, which helps the invasive species out-compete the native plants. In the plants unit we learned about plant's different ways of seed dispersal as well as how they grow.  The deer feed on the native plants before they are able to reproduce as well as the fact that the deer do not eat the seeds or fruits, they eat the leaves and stems. Without the leaves and stems the native plants are not able to produce enough food for themselves through photosynthesis to grow reproductive parts. The invasive plants however survive and reproduce, even though the deer do not eat them other animals in the forest such as birds may feed on any fruit produced and spread the seeds. Thus further spreading the invasive species and diminishing the native species.

"Invisible" Red Lion Fish invade the Caribbean

"Invisible" Red Lion Fish invade the Caribbean

David Chen
October 20, 2013

James Cook University
Published Oct 18, 2013
http://phys.org/news/2013-10-ghost-fish-caribbean.html

Summary:
     Studies by James Cook University scientists Oona Lonnstedt and Professor Mark show the reason for the lionfishes' extreme success in the Caribbean, where it is thriving as an invasive species. Lionfish are native to the Pacific Ocean, but they were accidentally introduced to the Caribbean Basin ecosystem around 30 years ago. The studies show that they are so good at catching prey because, they are almost invisible to the small fish. The Red Lion Fishes' camouflage is so good, that they are virtually undetectable. Studies included two other native predatory fish, and the same small prey fish were forced into interaction with them. The prey fish could not adapt to the lionfish as a threat, and the lionfish could swim up and capture almost every single one of them. This was a big contrast from the other two predatory fish, where they had much lower feeding success. The ability to trick the learning mechanism of prey with their camouflage makes the lionfish very successful, and almost unstoppable.

Connection:
     This article connects to our past unit on ecology. Although the article doesn't go into depth about how the lionfish actually affects the Caribbean Reef Basin i.e. "eating its way through the reef ecosystem" and "viewed as a huge nuisance.", it does explain why the lionfish is so overwhelmingly successful. It connects with our learning of invasive species and how they can change a native ecosystem, often drastically. This article shows exactly how an invasive species is able to thrive so well in a new environment. In this case, the lionfishes' camouflage tricks the native prey fish learning mechanism, and the lionfish is able to thrive and hunt freely.

 

Invasive Plant Thrives by Adapting Quickly to Local Climates

Madhuri Raman
October 20th, 2013

Author: Kim Luke
Published: October 17, 2013
http://news.utoronto.ca/invasive-plant-thrives-adapting-quickly-local-climates#

Summary: It was previously thought that invasive species such as purple loosestrife, thrived because of their ability to escape from predators, but research from the University of Toronto has found that more importantly, they are able to thrive based on their ability to adapt to their local climate. As a result, purple loosestrife has been flowering three weeks earlier than they normally would, and are also producing up to 30 times as many seeds. Researchers conducted an experiment using purple loosestrife plants from 3 different latitudes and planted them in areas climatically similar or different to their homelands. They saw that the plants that were grown closer to home had higher growth and reproductive rates, while plants grown in a climate much more different from their homelands had lower rates. The scientists found that northern populations flower at half the size and roughly 20 days earlier than southern populations. They went on to find that early flowering is an adaptive trait found in flowers in the northernmost regions because of an abundance of pollinators and improbability of frost damage. Overall we learned that adaptability is an important characteristic of invasive species.

Connection: In our ecosystems unit and term one project, we discussed how invasive species were harmful to their environment and surroundings. Purple loosestrife, the species used in the above experiment, was mentioned many times in class, and we were able to see examples of its growth and spreading in our school's nature trail. In class, we learned about how invasive species like purple loosestrife were able to survive and thrive in various environments. Specifically, we learned that they have to compete with native species for space and other resources. This article explains why purple loosestrife is able to survive in different environments. In addition to their ability to escape from predators and other natural enemies, they perhaps more importantly, have the naturally selected characteristic of adaptation. This is and important discovery because we learn that the ability to adapt to new surroundings plays an important role in the survival of invasive species. This article complements what we learned in class because we learned about how invasive species thrive and this article teaches us why.