Ch. 53 - Ecosystems and Global Ecology

Freeman - Biological Science 7th Edition

Freeman7th EditionBiological ScienceISBN: 9783584863285Not the one you use?Change textbook

Freeman 7th Edition

Ch. 53 - Ecosystems and Global Ecology

Problem 11

Chapter 53, Problem 11

Scientists around the world are collaborating to understand how deforestation, climate change, and natural processes will interact to affect one of the most productive and biodiverse ecosystems on Earth.
Which of the following biomes typically has the highest net primary productivity?
a. Temperate forest
b. Tropical dry forest
c. Tropical grassland
d. Tropical wet forest

Verified step by step guidance

Identify the key characteristics of each ecosystem option provided: temperate forest, tropical dry forest, tropical grassland, and tropical wet forest.

Understand the impact of deforestation on each ecosystem, considering factors like biodiversity loss, changes in carbon storage, and alterations in habitat structure.

Examine how climate change affects these ecosystems, focusing on temperature changes, precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events.

Consider natural processes such as nutrient cycling, species interactions, and ecological succession in each ecosystem.

Evaluate which ecosystem is most productive and biodiverse by comparing the interactions of deforestation, climate change, and natural processes in each option.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Deforestation

Deforestation refers to the large-scale removal of trees from forested areas, often to make way for agriculture or urban development. This process can lead to habitat loss, reduced biodiversity, and increased carbon emissions, impacting climate and ecosystem health. Understanding deforestation is crucial for assessing its effects on various ecosystems, including tropical wet forests.

Climate Change

Climate change involves long-term alterations in temperature, precipitation, and other atmospheric conditions, primarily driven by human activities like burning fossil fuels. It affects ecosystems by altering habitats, influencing species distribution, and exacerbating extreme weather events. Grasping climate change dynamics is essential for predicting its impact on biodiverse ecosystems such as tropical wet forests.

Biodiversity

Biodiversity encompasses the variety of life forms within a given ecosystem, including species diversity, genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity. High biodiversity contributes to ecosystem resilience, productivity, and stability. Understanding biodiversity is key to evaluating how deforestation and climate change might affect ecosystems like tropical wet forests, which are known for their rich biodiversity.

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Related Practice

Textbook Question

Explain why it is more energy efficient (in terms of the amount of total NPP required) to eat a pound of tofu (bean curd) than a pound of hamburger.

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Textbook Question

Suppose that record snows blanket your campus this winter. Your friend says this is proof that global warming isn't really occurring. What is the flaw in your friend's logic?

a. The average temperature of the Earth is not actually increasing.

b. Global warming refers to temperatures, but snow is a type of precipitation.

c. While the average global temperature is increasing, local temperatures and precipitation (weather) will vary.

d. Your friend is confusing global warming and global climate change.

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Textbook Question

During the Carboniferous period, plant growth was extensive but rates of decomposition slowed (probably due to the formation of vast, oxygen-poor swamp habitats). As a result, large amounts of biomass accumulated in terrestrial environments (much of this biomass is now coal). The fossil record indicates that atmospheric oxygen increased, atmospheric carbon dioxide decreased, and global temperatures dropped. Explain why.

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Textbook Question

Scientists around the world are collaborating to understand how deforestation, climate change, and natural processes will interact to affect one of the most productive and biodiverse ecosystems on Earth.

Select True or False for each statement about the effects of clear-cutting on the Amazon rain forest, then explain your reasoning.

T/F Nutrient export is likely to decline.

T/F Atmospheric CO₂ is likely to decline.

T/F Soil moisture is likely to decline.

T/F Species diversity is likely to decline.

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Textbook Question

Researchers have measured the effects of periodic forest fires on primary productivity in Amazon rain forest plots, comparing years with average precipitation and years with severe drought. Propose which controls would be necessary for such studies.

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Textbook Question

This box-and-arrow model summarizes some of the feedback links observed in the Amazon rain forest. Select True or False for the statements that follow, based on whether they are represented by the model. (Note that the boxes and arrows in this model are used differently than those in the nutrient cycle models).

T/F The burning of fossil fuels increases atmospheric CO₂.

T/F Tree growth reduces atmospheric CO₂.

T/F The death of trees promotes the invasion of grasses.

T/F An increase in CO₂ increases the frequency of droughts.

T/F Drought increases the frequency of forest fires.

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