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Tropical Ecology WBNZ-849 TropicalTropical ecologyecology WBNZWBNZ --849849 Ryszard Laskowski Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University www.eko.uj.edu.pl/laskowski 1.1. AboutAbout thethe ccourseourse 2.2. LectureLecture #1:#1: IntroductionIntroduction toto tropicaltropical ecologecolog yy 2/61 CourseCourse organizationorganization Place:Place: InstituteInstitute ofof EnvironmentalEnvironmental Sciences;Sciences; RoomRoom 1.1.11.1.1 Time:Time: Friday,Friday, 14:0014:00 –– 17:0017:00 (15(15 LL ++ 1515 S)S) 9 x 3 h (lectures & conversations) 1 seminar (3 h) Teachers:Teachers: R.R. Laskowski,Laskowski, J.J. Weiner,Weiner, T.T. Pyrcz,Pyrcz, P.P. Koteja,Koteja, W.W. FiaFia łłkowskikowski EvaluationEvaluation :: finalfinal examexam (5(5 --66 openopen questions):questions): 80%80% activeactive participationparticipation inin classes:classes: 20%20% 3/61 TeachersTeachers ’’ emailsemails [email protected]@uj.edu.pl [email protected]@uj.edu.pl [email protected]@uj.edu.pl [email protected]@uj.edu.pl wojciech.fialkowskiwojciech.fialkowski @[email protected] 4/61 ReadingReading Articles and textbooks BooksBooks fromfrom thethe LibraryLibrary ofof available at the course website NaturalNatural SciencesSciences !! 5/61 SupplementarySupplementary readingreading inin PolishPolish 6/61 ATTENTION: The ‘Tropical Ecology ’ course (WBNZ 849) is the prerequisite for ‘Tropical Ecology – Field Course ’ (WBNZ 850) Syllabus : Introduction to tropical ecology: tropical biomes – geographical distribution and characteristics; destruction and protection of tropical ecosystems. Equatorial rainforests – the most diverse biome on Earth. Geographical distribution patterns of insects in tropical mountains. Mimicry. Termites and ants – the two groups of special importance in tropical ecosystems; prey -predator interactions. Adaptations in animals to hot deserts: water balance, behavioral and physiological mechanisms for obtaining and saving water; behavioral and physiological thermoregulation; life histo ries. Biology of coral reefs and mangroves: environmental conditions and biodiversity. IntroductionIntroduction toto tropicaltropical ecologyecology 8/61 WhereWhere areare tropics?tropics? OriginOrigin ofof thethe term:term: fromfrom GreekGreek τρόποςτρόπος ((tropostropos )) == turnturn (the(the sunsun appearsappears toto "turn"turn back"back" atat thethe solstices)solstices) AreaArea betweenbetween thethe TropicTropic ofof CancerCancer (23(23 o3030 ’’N)N) andand thethe TropicTropic ofof CapricornCapricorn (23(23 o3030 ’’S)S) AreaArea ofof thethe EarthEarth wherewhere thethe SunSun isis 9090 o aboveabove thethe horizonhorizon atat leastleast onceonce everyevery yearyear == tropicaltropical zonezone == torridtorrid zonezone 9/61 WhereWhere areare thethe tropicstropics located?located? TheThe simplestsimplest possiblepossible answer:answer: Area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn 10/61 WhyWhy shouldshould wewe studystudy tropicaltropical ecology?ecology? Species richness on Earth (per ca. 9274 km 2 ≈ 1°ₓ1°) Grenyer, R. et al. 2006. Global distribution and conservation of rare and threatened vertebrates. Nature 444: 93-96. (pdf available for course participants at the course web page) 11/61 SpeciesSpecies richnessrichness inin tropicstropics TaxonomicTaxonomic PolandPoland UgandaUganda groupgroup ((312312 kmkm 2)) ((241241 kmkm 2)) vascularvascular plantsplants 27002700 49004900 mammalsmammals 109109 330330 birdsbirds 446446 10611061 reptilesreptiles 99 165165 amphibiansamphibians 1818 5252 Sources: Wikipedia; http://www.africapedia.com; EarthTrends (http://www.vub.ac.be/klimostoolkit/sites/default/files/documents/uganda_bd.pdf) 12/61 BiodiversityBiodiversity hotspotshotspots onon EarthEarth „As many as 44% of all species of vascular plants and 35% of all species in four vertebrate groups are confined to 25 hotspots comprising only 1.4% of the land surface of the Earth.” Myers, N. et al. 2000. Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403: 853-858. (pdf available for course participants at the course web page) 13/61 TropicalTropical climatesclimates accordingaccording toto WladimirWladimir KKööppenppen 14/61 TropicalTropical climatesclimates accordingaccording toto KKööppenppen GroupGroup A:A: TropicalTropical (( megathermalmegathermal )) climatesclimates AfAf :: TropicalTropical rainforestrainforest climateclimate (~(~ 55 -- 1010 o ofof thethe equator;equator; inin coastalcoastal areasareas cancan extendextend toto 2525 o;; nono seasonality)seasonality) == hhyygromegathermalgromegathermal AmAm :: TropicalTropical monsoonmonsoon climateclimate (further(further fromfrom thethe equator;equator; twotwo seasonsseasons –– rainrain andand dry)dry) AwAw :: TropicalTropical savannasavanna climateclimate (two(two seasons,seasons, wetwet andand drydry –– veryvery clearclear andand pronounced)pronounced) GroupGroup B:B: DryDry climatesclimates (arid(arid andand semiarid)semiarid) OnlyOnly partlypartly belongbelong toto tropicstropics 15/61 1.1. TropicalTropical rainforestsrainforests Climatic diagram for Belem (Brazil) 16/61 TropicalTropical rainforests:rainforests: geographicalgeographical distributiondistribution around equator (ca. 10 oS – 10 oN) 10 oN 10 oS 17/61 TropicalTropical rainforests:rainforests: characteristicscharacteristics Very high annual rainfall: at least 1700 – 2000 mm Average annual temperature: 27 – 30 oC High rate of biogeochemical cycles Soils: low in organic matter and nutrients due to intensive weathering ( laterization oxisols ) Four -layer forests : ( 1) emergent layer – single trees above the canopy (60 -70 m); ( 2) canopy layer (30 -45 m); (3) understory layer (only ca. 5% of light!); ( 4) forest floor (only ca. 2% of light) Richness of epiphytes and lianas Extreme species richness: approx. 2/3 of all plant and animal species living on Earth (at only 6% of Earth surface!) 18/61 TropicalTropical rainforests:rainforests: typestypes Lowland equatorial evergreen rainforests annual precipitation above 2000 mm Amazon, Orinoco and Congo basins, Indonesia, New Guinea Wet broadleaf forests partly evergreen high annual rainfall, warm and wet summer and cooler and dryer winter Central America, Caribbean, West Africa, India, Indochina Montane cloud forests cooler mountain climate, high rainfall, low cloud cover tropical and subtropical mountains Floodplain forests environmental conditions similar to lowland evergreen forests but in poorly drained areas flooding Borneo, Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, Indochina 19/61 NutrientNutrient turnoverturnover raterate Average retention time of dead organic matter and nutrients in forest litter: boreal forest (taiga), temperate broadleaf forest, and equatorial rainforest (time in years ) OrganicOrganic BiomeBiome NN PP KK CaCa MgMg mattermatter TaigaTaiga 353353 230230 324324 9494 149149 455455 TemperateTemperate 44 55..55 55..88 11..33 33..00 33..44 forestforest RainforestRainforest 00..44 22 11..66 00..77 11..55 11..11 Schlesinger 1991 20/61 ProductivityProductivity andand carboncarbon accumulationaccumulation Average NPP of selected biomes ( kg x m -2 x year -1), carbon accumulation rate ( g x m -2 x year -1) and C(biomass) /C(soil) CC accumulationaccumulation BiomeBiome ProductivityProductivity C(bC(b ))//C(C( ss)) raterate TaigaTaiga 0.80.8 11.711.7 –– 15.315.3 0.550.55 TemperateTemperate 1.21.2 0.70.7 –– 5.15.1 1.131.13 forestforest RainforestRainforest 2.22.2 2.32.3 –– 2.52.5 1.681.68 Lieth & Whittaker 1975, Schlesinger 1991 21/61 MainMain carboncarbon poolspools inin primevalprimeval tropicaltropical rainforestsrainforests AccumulatedAccumulated carboncarbon PartPart ofof thethe ecosystemecosystem (t(t C/ha)C/ha) AliveAlive plantsplants (above(above andand 210210 underground)underground) DeadDead treestrees andand litterlitter 1010 SoilSoil 100100 TOTAL:TOTAL: 320320 After Jonathan Adams, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN 37831, USA 22/61 TropicalTropical rainforestrainforest soilssoils 23/61 FerrasolsFerrasols (FAO)(FAO) == OxisolsOxisols (USDA):(USDA): locationlocation andand pedogenesispedogenesis EarlierEarlier calledcalled lateriteslaterites ;; acc.acc. toto FAOFAO -- ferrasolsferrasols Definition:Definition: soilssoils containingcontaining inin thethe wholewhole profileprofile ≤≤10%10% leachableleachable materialsmaterials andand <10%<10% basebase saturation;saturation; highhigh contentcontent ofof FeFe andand AlAl oxidesoxides Location:Location: ca.ca. 1/31/3 ooff thethe Earth'sEarth's continentalcontinental landland area,area, mostlymostly 1515 --2525 oSS –– 1515 --2525 o NN PedogenesisPedogenesis –– tropicaltropical weatheringweathering (( laterizationlaterization ):): high precipitation + CO 2 chemical weathering and leaching of humic materials and minerals from the soil profile only stable Fe i Al oxides remain rusty -red color 24/61 LaterizationLaterization + H+ H+ H AlO x FeO x FeO SiO 2 ++ x + Ca Mg ++ Na + K SiO AlO x FeO x 2 25/61 FerrasolsFerrasols ((OxisolsOxisols )) –– KenyaKenya 26/61 LaterizationLaterization –– consequences:consequences: LeachingLeaching ofof virtuallyvirtually allall organicorganic mattermatter andand nutrientsnutrients soilssoils veryvery poorpoor inin nutrientsnutrients veryvery smallsmall reservoirsreservoirs ofof soilsoil organicorganic mattermatter plantsplants havehave toto useuse (re(re --cycle)cycle) allall mineralsminerals releasedreleased fromfrom decomposingdecomposing litterlitter veryvery
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