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. a. temperate forest b. tropical dry forest c. tropical grassland d. tropical wet forest
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The maps shown here chronicle the loss of old-growth forest (more than 200 years old) that occurred in the United States. In your opinion, under what conditions is it ethical for conservationists who live in the United States to lobby government officials in Brazil, Indonesia, and other tropical countries to slow the rate of loss of old-growth forest?
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.
Human impacts such as habitat destruction, climate change, and pollution are causing a rapid decline in insect diversity. Pose an argument for why conservation efforts to preserve plant diversity, like Homegrown National Park, are essential for conserving insect diversity.
Do you drink coffee? A lot of people do—coffee is a major tropical crop, valued at over $100 billion per year. The most popular species of coffee, Coffea arabica, originated in Africa and is now planted extensively in Central and South America. The pest called the coffee berry borer beetle (Hypothenemus hampeii) moved along with the coffee and is a major problem for coffee farmers, sometimes destroying half of the coffee crop in mature plantations. Based on what you have learned in this chapter about global trends in terrestrial ecosystems, what is currently the largest threat to the wet tropical forests in Central America? a. habitat destruction, such as the clearing of forests for coffee plantations b. exotic species, such as the introduction of coffee berry borers c. pollution, such as the use of pesticides in coffee plantations d. climate change, such as changes in precipitation patterns
Do you drink coffee? A lot of people do—coffee is a major tropical crop, valued at over $100 billion per year. The most popular species of coffee, Coffea arabica, originated in Africa and is now planted extensively in Central and South America. The pest called the coffee berry borer beetle (Hypothenemus hampeii) moved along with the coffee and is a major problem for coffee farmers, sometimes destroying half of the coffee crop in mature plantations. Pesticides are generally ineffective in killing coffee berry borers. Ecologist Daniel Karp and colleagues conducted a study in Costa Rica to determine if natural predators like birds reduce the beetle population. The researchers selected 12 control plots and used nets to exclude birds from 12 similar treatment plots. What is the take-home message of the graph? (Remember, * means P 6 0.05)
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.