BEECH FOREST ECOSYSTEMS
INTRODUCTION
This essay will look at beech forest ecosystems, describing the main characteristics, along with pre-human and current distribution of beech forests. Vegetation structure and native fauna associated with the ecosystem will be looked at with examples of species given.
Environmental effects such as altitude, latitude, rainfall and soil drainage, and how they can affect beech forests will be investigated. Anthropogenic effects will also be looked at, explaining how human activity can affect ecological processes and the composition of plant and animal species within the beech forest ecosystem.
DISCUSSION
New Zealand beeches belong to the genus Nothofagus or ‘Southern Beeches’, and consist of three
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They form the highest tree line in the Wairau Valley in the vicinity of Nelson Lakes, and at Mount Ruapehu in Central North Island (Wardle, 1984). Silver beech dominates the wetter, western mountains, growing from sea level to the treeline in Southland and Fiordland. Black beech forms lowland to mountain forests on eastern slopes from Canterbury to the East Cape, and is the only beech species in the Taranaki region.
All beech species grow together in the north-west South Island and on the East Cape. Red and silver beech co-exist on mid slopes in the north-west of the South Island (Orwin, 2009).
The beech forest canopy is made up of one or more species of beech (Salmon, 1986). There are no emergent trees, and trees, shrubs and ferns in the understory are sparse (McLintock, 2009). Among the scattered shrubs which may be present, the small leaved Styphelia (Cyathodes) fasciculate, S. Juniperina (prickly mingimingi), Coprosma rhamnoides (red fruited karamu), and C. Microcarpa are often encountered. The forest floor has a deep carpet of leaf litter, soft cushions of the pale green milk moss (Leucobryum candidum) and masses of the translucent fans of the kidney fern (Trichomanes reniforme).
Beech forests become more complex with higher rainfalls so its growth appears more luxuriant as a result of lichens, mosses, liveworts and moss-like filmy ferns clothing the forest floor and trunks and branches of trees. Where the canopy is partly open there is more species
By comparing the topography, soil moisture levels, relative humidity, and wind speed of the upland Savanna and Bottomland forest we will be able to compare and contrast between these two vegetation zones. The data collected in the investigation will be used to test the hypothesis that the bottomland forest has a higher degree of shrub layer cover than the savanna. The higher level of shrubs in the bottomland forest might be attributed to the space available for shrub layer species. In addition, the data collected will confirm that the bottomland forest has a higher tree density than the
The bar chart was used to compare the number of species in each transect. In transect A, there were 5 different species. The species in this area were mostly grass, forbs, moss, bugs and beetles. Bugs and beetles made up a small population of this transect. In transect B, there were also 5 species. The species were mostly grass, shrubs, forbs, moss and bugs. In this transect, shrubs were found which makes transect B more diversed than A. In Transect C, 8 species were located in this area. The species included shrubs, grass, fobs, evergreen, trees, dirt, bugs and spiders. New species such as evergreen, trees, dirt and spiders were located in this location. Therefore the test that diversity happens through ecological succession was
The topography of the island is also of note. The west end of the island features a closed-canopy forest with more hardwood trees. The east end of the island is better characterized as a “boreal forest,” a term used to describe regions that are mostly covered by coniferous forests. It is good to note that the balsam fir is found on both ends of the island, but that samples used in the study from the west end of the island were, on average, older, but shorter, than those samples found on the east side of the island.
Please record the address of the property where the samples were collected, or—even better—provide GPS coordinates). You will bring these leaves to the college and will identify the trees they came from using accepted scientific methodology. I will give you guidance in how to identify the tree species. (Note that this may involve meeting outside of class time). You will then write a paper, using the same format as your regular lab report, on the identity of the trees, whether they are native to our area or not, and discuss why they might be growing where you found them. Your paper will be reviewed and you will have the option to either accept the grade given, or correcting any problems found. If problems are corrected, your grade will be raised to the maximum and your paper submitted for possible publication online at www.saturnjournal.org. This will be worth 10 bonus points. 3. Extra exam credit. There will be four bonus points available on each of the two lab practicals, and five bonus points on the final lecture exam, for a total of thirteen bonus points. Total bonus points available = 30. When added to your lowest qualifying exam grade, this equates to a maximum of six (6) points added to your final course average. EXAM POLICY: A. Repeating exams. Please note that each exam may be taken once only. Exams may not be repeated because you are not happy
The rare Daintree Rainforest is one of the forest that has been demolishing slowly because of logging. With this ecosystem fragmentation is occurring (“All about carbon dioxide”). Ecosystem fragmentation is where the forest is separated into smaller pieces over time because of human activity (“The Daintree Rainforest Australia”). With this happening, animals habitats are becoming even smaller (“All about carbon dioxide”). With more habitat space becoming less it is causing more animals to become threatened and an endangered species (“Deforestation”). Smaller amount of habitat is also affecting the animals migration patterns, their ability to collect food, and provides less shelter (“All about carbon dioxide”). This fragmentation also makes it a struggle for animals to move from one part of the rainforest to another and it also affects the limit it has on the animals breeding population. The ecosystem fragmentation is making them become more vulnerable to extinction (“Population in Daintree”). Logging is cutting down one and one-half acres of trees each second and eighteen million acres of forest are destroyed each year. It is estimated that in over the next quarter of a century up to twenty-eight thousand animal species may become extinct all because of logging and human damned for lumber (“All about carbon
Every forest has a story to tell. By looking closely at its habitants, that story can be interpreted. Much of this narrative is written in the trees: their age, their tolerance to shade, and the rate at which they grow are all characteristics that can imply a lot about their environment. Exploring these relationships and how they connect with each other can indicate the health and history of the land. Heiberg Forest, located in northern New York, was once used for agricultural purposes in the 1800-1900’s. (Nowak, Lecture Notes) Much of the land once used for farming was left to regrow back into a young forest. The life history of different tree species can be determined by examining the most common species in Heiberg.
The ancient forests of the Northeast aren’t the only aspect of the bioregion that’s fate have been at perpetual risk since the early settlement of Europeans. There is no question that forests still dominate the landscape of Northeastern region accounting for “60% of the total land area, and in New England alone, the coverage is 80%”. Still the species that exist within the understory of the forests have undergone an equally dramatic transformation because of human interaction with the land and the harvest of its resources. Some species in the understory of the mixed forests of the Northeast have been driven out of the region, are under intense ecological pressure, are on the brink of extinction, or have already gone extinct in the region. Perhaps one of the most harmful and impactful effects colonization of the Northeast has had on the resources of the land is the introduction of non-native species and diseases into the region. Over time the overall makeup of the forests have changed drastically as an example, “…the American chestnut once made up as much as 25% of the trees in some areas and was economically the most important hardwood in the Eastern forests”. The introduction of chestnut blight at the turn of the century accounts for
To see the differences of the two sites, basal area, density, species richness, and the Shannon diversity index were used. Basal area and density is the average amount of space of trees in hectares. Basal area is taken using the tree diameters while density uses the number of trees. Species richness is the number of species found. Abundance of each species is used to find the Shannon diversity index. The Sorensen similarity index compares the areas based on the number of the same species. Also, different species were looked at to find the relative basal area, relative density, and importance value of the trees. There were differences and similarities in both
The organisms found in temperate forest ecosystem are trees: producers, plants: producers, insects: consumers and decomposers, squirrels: consumers, deer: consumers, bears: consumers, foxes: consumers, and birds: which consumers and decomposers. The rewards of this biodiversity are the survival of life is certain and will maintain to live in connection with the organism. Essential nutrients are supplied by plant life eaten by herbivores that are then eaten by carnivores, which keep the food chain going. Producers, consumers, and decomposers are the major three categories of organisms found in the temperate forest system. Producers consists of trees,
I will first list trees there are pines,oak,maple,elm trees, evergreen spruce, fir,and the deciduous larch. Second I will list plants Blue Bead lily,Goldthread,and Pearly Everlasting.
Spruces, balsam firs, eastern larches and conifers dominate the forest. Trees such as aspen and birch may be in the mix as well. Needle-like leaves on trees such as the conifer (firs and pines) have minimum surface area for water loss (Berg, 2012). They also retain their needles and shed snow easily during the winter. Pinecones can be found in these forests. These contain seeds that are sometimes foraged by animals of the forest. Mosses and lichens are part of the plant life as well, and can serve as an important part of an animal’s diet in the tiaga
In Area 2, the species with the highest dominance value was the Oregon White Oak (70.6%). Oregon White Oaks provide shelter, housing, and food to various animals as well. Diversity of birds is often higher in Oregon White Oaks than in an adjacent coniferous forest. Using the dominance data, it tells us that at this moment in time Oregon Oak and
Biological Issue. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2014, from http://averillbiology.blogspot.com/2011/01/redwood-trees-devastating-deforestation.html CHAPTER FOUR: ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS: THE TERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENT. (1998). Environmental Management Handbook, 177-192.
The Canadian Shield has many forests, within those forests are a lot of trees. Mostly trees grow in the Shield. The types of trees that are found are birch, aspen, hemlock, pine and balsan. The trees listed are found in the southern parts of the Shield. There is also tamarack, black spruce and white spruce trees are in the forests of the Shield, a lot of the forests in the shield have a mix of many trees.
Gray’s Bush Scenic Reserve is a Department of Conservation managed 12 ha remnant of a podocarp-broadleaf forest. It is located on the north eastern side on the Gisborne flood plains approximately 10 km from the city centre of Gisborne. Gray’s Bush Scenic Reserve is unique in that it is the last surviving stand of the kahikatea/puriri forest type in the Gisborne region (DOC 'Gray's Bush. n.d). The prominent canopy trees are kahikatea and puriri with and understory comprised of nikau, kawakawa, pukatea, mahoe and tawa.