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What are the characteristics of an invasive species?
⦁ Invasive: Species that spread at such a rate that they cause harm to human health, the environment, and /or the economy.
⦁ In natural areas, invasive plants are those species that displace native plants and become the dominant species in that vegetation layer.
⦁ Invasive plants can halt successional processes by limiting the establishment and the growth patterns of native species.
⦁ They can deprive native invertebrates of food sources, disrupting the food chain for native wildlife.
What Causes Ocean Dead zones?
Hypoxic (low-oxygen) areas in the world's oceans (large lakes), caused by "excessive nutrient pollution from human activities coupled with other factors that result in eutrophication and deplete the oxygen required to support most marine life in bottom and near-bottom water.
What is the difference between bioaccumulation and biomagnification?
In bioaccumulation, chemicals remain in living tissue and concentrations increase over time as an organism lives and is exposed to chemicals again and again. In contrast, biomagnification is when a chemical becomes more concentrated as it moves up the food chain because predators are eating prey species that all contain levels of the chemical.
Does adhering to an integrated pest management program prohibit the use of chemical pesticides to solve pest problems? Why or why not?
No, using an IPM strategy does not mean that pesticides will never be used. Instead, it means that alternate, lower-environmental impact solutions are used first and pesticides are used only as a last resort.
What is the riparian zone and why is it important to freshwater ecosystem health?
The riparian zone is the land directly adjacent to streams and lakes with vegetation that is adapted to living in conditions with lots of water. The riparian zone is an interface between aquatic habitats and uplands. Riparian zones provide inputs of OG matter to aquatic systems, provide shade that lowers water temperatures, provide inputs of large wood that increases habitat complexity, and captures pollution and sediments from run off that otherwise would enter the water.
() What are the two most pervasive forms of degradation impacting lake and stream ecosystems?
The two most pervasive forms of degradation impacting lake and stream ecosystems are nutrient pollution (nitrogen and phosphorus) and degradation of the riparian zone.
Why are American Bullfrogs considered an invasive species in the Pacific Northwest? (Max 3 sentences)
Bullfrogs are not native to the northwest which means the ecosystems in the northwest as not adapted to self-regulate the bullfrog population. However, this is not why Bullfrogs are invasive species. Instead an invasive species is one that spreads at such a rate as to cause harm to human health, the environment, and /or the economy. That is why the Bullfrog is an Invasive species because it is spreading and growing in such a way as to cause harm to the environment.
() Which type of lake (oligotrophic, mesotrophic, or eutrophic) is most likely to be a carbon sink? For full credit, you must provide an explanation why.
Eutrophic lakes are most likely to be carbon sinks. Lots of nutrients in these lakes support lots of plant growth. When the plants die and sink to the bottom, some of the organic material is decomposed but some of it is stored in the lake sediments. The layers of organic materials in the sediments are a carbon sink.
Define “Restoration Ecology?”
The scientific study of repairing and managing disturbed ecosystems through human intervention