Forest Ecosystems Are Functioning Units

Forest ecosystems are functioning units that contain both biotic (plants, animals, and microorganisms) and abiotic (air, water, rocks, energy) factors. Forest ecology is the study of the interactions between the organisms in a forest and the interactions between these organisms and their nonliving environment.

In this assignment, you will:

Design a unique simple, imaginary forest ecosystem with several species.

Determine the interrelations between the species inhabiting the ecosystem and their physical environment, including species niche and reproductive habits.

Apply a disturbance to your forest ecosystem and anticipate the impact that such a stress would have on the organisms living in the ecosystem.

Suggest options to mitigate the impact of the disturbance.

You are to design a FOREST ecosystem. Your ecosystem should be imaginary but your species must actually exist in a forest somewhere on earth. Be sure to take into consideration the conditions associated with species endangerment while you plan your ecosystem:

1. Limited Range: Species is found in only a small, specific area.

2. Small Population or Rarity: Species is rare within its range. High level consumers are usually rare. Other species may also have small populations.

3. High Specificity: Species has very specific requirements for:

food (e.g. Pandas only eat bamboo; animals which eat only one type of food, or a few specific foods, are prone to extinction if the food supply disappears.);

reproduction (e.g. Spotted Owls only nest in old coniferous tree hollows, rabbit fleas use female rabbit reproductive hormones and don't make their own);

habitat (e.g. there are fungi which are found only in gopher tortoise burrows); etc.

4. High Sensitivity: Species is extremely vulnerable to environmental disturbances. Examples include:

Birds are very sensitive to DDT and related pesticides which cause thinning of their eggshells. Compare birds with cockroaches, which are not very sensitive.

Some plants have very specific requirements for light; too much or too little sunshine will kill them.

5. Low Fecundity: Species produces few offspring. Note: species which care for their young either before birth (long pregnancy) and/or afterwards have fewer offspring than those who do not.

6. High Human Value: Species has characteristics that make it valuable to humans. Many animals have been hunted to endangerment, or even extinction, for their beautiful plumage or fur. Wild plants and fungi may also be over-harvested if they are particularly tasty or contain useful medicine.

Procedure:

I ) Research and familiarize yourself with the following concepts at http://www.fi.edu/tfi/units/life/habitat/habitat.html and/or http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/102/ecosystem.html or any other reputable, educational website.

food chain food web primary producer primary, secondary and tertiary consumer decomposer pyramids of energy, mass and number community population niche threatened species endangered species extinction.

II) Design a unique forest ecosystem with several resident species and record the following about your species below. Remember to include your references.