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Ecology in the Anthropocene

School of Biology FACULTY OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES. Ecology in the Anthropocene. Advanced Topics in Ecology (BLGY3133) Submodule E. Ecology in the Anthropocene Lecture 1 (06/11/12). Outline of this lecture. Introduction to the submodule Times, locations Assessment

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Ecology in the Anthropocene

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  1. School of Biology FACULTY OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES Ecology in the Anthropocene Advanced Topics in Ecology (BLGY3133) Submodule E

  2. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Outline of this lecture • Introduction to the submodule • Times, locations • Assessment • Short overview of human impacts • Impacts of removing taxonomic diversity • Trophic cascades • Ecological networks • Impacts of removing genetic diversity • Harvesting • Hunting

  3. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Timetable for the submodule • Three lectures • 06/11/2012, 2pm-4pm – Worsley Dental LT (6.142) • 08/11/2012, 3pm-5pm – Roger Stevens LT 15 (11.15) • 13/11/2012, 1pm-3pm – Worsley Dental LT (6.142) • One mid-module session of formative feedback • 20/11/2012, 2pm-6pm – Worsley SR (8.43M) Y • Two sessions of presentations • 04/12/2012, 1pm-5pm – Michael Sadler SR (LG.10) • 06/12/2012, 1pm-5pm – Worsley SR (8.43N) Y • 20/11/2012, 2pm-3pm – Worsley SR (8.43M) Y • 3pm-6pm – by appointment in Manton 8.04

  4. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Assessment • Grant application • Topic: Human impacts and ecology • Background knowledge • Identify gaps in knowledge • Plan study to fill that gap • Present the project to a scientific audience... • ...with a “lay summary” • Guidance docs on VLE: • Ecology in the Anthropocene Written Assessment • Ecology in the Anthropocene Oral Assessment Groups of three, everybody speaks!

  5. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Lecture recordings (hopefully) • www.vimeo.com • Link will be emailed • Lectures with audio • Try to edit within a day • Password is: • “dragonfly” Please let me know if it is useful for you in the module feedback!

  6. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Readings • Leopold (1949) Sandy County Almanac • 4 copies in library, only £5 to buy online • Caughley and Gunn (1996) Conservation Biology in Theory and Practice • 10 copies in library • Primack (2010) Essentials of Conservation Biology • 3 copies in library (of different editions) • Sodhi and Ehrlich (2010) Conservation Biology for All • Freely available online: http://www.conbio.org/publications/free-textbook • Primary references throughout the course (watch the bottom of each slide)

  7. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Making ourselves at home Photo: Felagund Elephant damage > increased frog diversity Ant presence > increased arthropod diversity Green plants > oxygen-rich atmosphere Nasseri, N. A., McBrayer, L. D. and Schulte, B. A. (2011). African Journal of Ecology, 49: 133–140. Sanders, D. and van Veen, F. J. F. (2011). Journal of Animal Ecology, 80: 569–576. Bendall et al. (2008). Phil Trans Roy Soc, 363: 2625-2628.

  8. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) The “Anthropocene” • The Anthropocene is defined not just by climate change or extinctions, but by a linked set of effects on Earth and its biosphere, from perturbations in the nitrogen cycle to the dispersal of species around the globe. Official recognition of the concept would invite cross-disciplinary science. And it would encourage a mindset that will be important not only to fully understand the transformation now occurring but to take action to control it. • Nature Editorial 473 (19 May 2011) Eugene Stoermer (1934-2012)

  9. 6000 BCE Present day

  10. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Overview of human impacts Habitat-level effects • Habitat destruction • Pollution • Climate change Ecological effects • Addition of invasive species • Removal of species Species-level effects • Over-harvesting • Selective harvesting

  11. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Overview of human impacts Habitat destruction • Oil sands, Alberta • 1719 – First discovered by Europeans • 1888 – Large oilfield announced • 1967 – Commercial exploitation begins • 141,000 km2 of boreal forest and peat bogs • 19km from Wood Buffalo National Park • UNESCO World Heritage Site • RAMSAR Site Public domain

  12. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Overview of human impacts Habitat destruction Area = 112.1 km2 Ancillary buildings Water extraction Area = 5.6 km2 Road CITY “Access” Difficult to calculate the area affected

  13. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Overview of human impacts Pollution Before Diffuse pollution e.g. acid rain Diffuse pollution e.g. eutrophication Point pollution e.g. landfill After

  14. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Overview of human impacts Climate change From NASA Public domain Public domain

  15. Conservation Biology – BIOL 3602Lecture 1 - 09/01/2012 Evaluating human impacts Invasive species Cane toad (Bufo marinus) Public domain Northern Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) photo by Wildlife Explorer Argus monitor (Varanus panoptes) photo by Greg Hume Map from IUCN Red List

  16. Sea Otter  (Enhydralutris) Giant kelp Photo by StefMaruch Sea urchin (Strongylocentrotusfranciscanus)

  17. Conservation Biology – BIOL 3602Microteaching Lecture Evaluating human impacts Over-harvesting Atlantic cod (Gadusmorhua) graph from Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

  18. 1957 Selective harvesting • Demographic effects • Ecological effects • Evolutionary effects 1980 2007 McClenachan, L. (2009) Documenting loss of large trophy fish from the Florida Keys with historical photographs. Conservation Biology, 23, 636-643.

  19. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Structure of the submodule History of human impacts on the world Exploitation of resources Intentional modification of the environment Accidental modification of the environment Reducing diversity Habitat destruction Climate change Invasive species Genetic Taxonomic Agricultural ecology Urban ecology Range shifts Phenology LECTURE 1 LECTURE 2 LECTURE 3

  20. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Resource exploitation Humans Rhino POACHING Western black rhinoceros (Dicerosbicornislongipes)

  21. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Resource exploitation REMOVAL OF PREY LARGE RANGE SIZE Humans Cougar POACHING HABITAT LOSS Eastern cougar (Puma concolorcouguar)

  22. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Resource exploitation POOR DISPERSAL SNAKEHEAD MURREL HABITAT SPECIALISM FISHING BY-CATCH Grebe Humans HABITAT LOSS Aloatra grebe (Tachybaptus rufolavatus)

  23. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Wolves in Yellowstone Map by Karl Musser • Established 1872 • Area is 8,983 km2 • Largest intact ecosystem in the northern temperate zone • Last wolf killed 1944 Map by Finnrind

  24. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Wolves in Yellowstone Mission of YNP: The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations 1944 Wolves extirpated from YNP 1974 Wolves listed under Endangered Species Act and Montana leads wolf restoration projects. YNP is obvious candidate location 1978 Recommendation of reintroduction of wolves from BC or Alberta 1988 US Congress investigates possibilities (“Wolves for Yellowstone?”) 1990 Formation of Wolf Management Committee 1992 Public consultation, 180,000 public responses 1995 First YNP reintroduction: “experimental, non-essential” populations per article 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA)

  25. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Wolves in Yellowstone 66 wolves reintroduced 1995/6 325 wolves as of 2005 US National Parks Service, http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/wolves.htm

  26. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Wolves in Yellowstone Wolves in Yellowstone Trophic cascades Ripple, W.J. & Beschta, R.L. (2012) Trophic cascades in Yellowstone: The first 15 years after wolf reintroduction. Biological Conservation, 145: 205–213

  27. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Fear of wolves affects ecosystems Ripple, W. J. & Beschta, R. L. (2004). Wolves and the ecology of fear: can predation risk structure ecosystems? Bioscience, 54, 755-766.

  28. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Wolves as climate change buffers Warmer winters Fewer animals dying late in winter Scavengers need winter mortality Wolf kills provide additional carrion Wilmers, C.C. & Getz, W.M. (2005) Gray wolves as climate change buffers in Yellowstone. PLoS biology 3 (4) p. e92

  29. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Resource exploitation • Wolves eradicated from Scotland in 1769 • Red deer (Cervuselaphus) in high densities • Hinder plant recruitment • Expensive culls • General public support NILSEN, E. B., MILNER-GULLAND, E. J., SCHOFIELD, L., MYSTERUD, A., STENSETH, N. C. & COULSON, T. 2007. Wolf reintroduction to Scotland: public attitudes and consequences for red deer management. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 274, 995-1003.

  30. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Resource exploitation Public attitudes to wolf reintroduction in Scotland NFUS, National Farmers Union for Scotland; SCA, Scottish Countryside Alliance; NTS, National Trust for Scotland; MTUK, Mammals Trust UK; SWT, Scottish Wildlife Trust; TfL, Trees for Life NILSEN, E. B., MILNER-GULLAND, E. J., SCHOFIELD, L., MYSTERUD, A., STENSETH, N. C. & COULSON, T. 2007. Wolf reintroduction to Scotland: public attitudes and consequences for red deer management. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 274, 995-1003.

  31. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) A note on trophic cascades Knight, T. M., Mccoy, M. W., Chase, J. M., Mccoy, K. A. & Holt, R. D. 2005. Trophic cascades across ecosystems. Nature, 437, 880-883.

  32. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) A note on trophic cascades Karen Johnson dingo Canis lupus dingo red fox Vulpesvulpes dusky hopping mouse Notomysfuscus Letnic, M. and Dworjanyn, S. A. (2011), Does a top predator reduce the predatory impact of an invasive mesopredator on an endangered rodent?. Ecography, 34: 827–835.

  33. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) A note on trophic cascades More often than not, a “trophic trickle”? Montoya, J. M., Pimm, S. L. & Solé, R. V. 2006. Ecological networks and their fragility. Nature, 442, 259-264.

  34. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Ecological networks • Keystone species Lack of good data, lack of appropriate methods for analysis Paine, R. T. 1966. Food web complexity and species diversity. American Naturalist, 100, 65-75. Paine, R. T. 1969. A note on trophic complexity and community stability. American Naturalist,103, 91-93.

  35. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Ecological networks • Food webs and ecological networks Broadstone Stream Cordulegasterboltonii(photo by Albano Soares) Woodward, G., Thompson, R., and Townsend, C.R. (2005) Quantification and resolution of a complex, size-structured food web. Adv. Ecol. Res. 36, 85–135.

  36. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Ecological networks • Food webs and ecological networks Broadstone Stream Analyse gut contents to calculate interaction strengths Woodward, G., Thompson, R., and Townsend, C.R. (2005) Quantification and resolution of a complex, size-structured food web. Adv. Ecol. Res. 36, 85–135.

  37. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Ecological networks 2 1 3 2 8 2 1 3 1 2 1 Solé, R. V. & Montoya, J. M. 2001. Complexity and fragility in ecological networks. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Series B (Biological Sciences), 268, 2039-2045.

  38. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Ecological networks • Small world behaviour Solé, R. V. & Montoya, J. M. 2001. Complexity and fragility in ecological networks. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Series B (Biological Sciences), 268, 2039-2045.

  39. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Ecological networks • Scale-free networks Power law: Pk~k-y Many species with few interactions, few species with many Number of links (k) Number of species with that number of links (P) Solé, R. V. & Montoya, J. M. 2001. Complexity and fragility in ecological networks. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Series B (Biological Sciences), 268, 2039-2045.

  40. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Ecological networks • Complexity (mean no. links) 5 2 1 5 3 4 2 4 9 8 2 4 1 5 3 3 5 1 4 2 1 3 Complexity = 2.36 Complexity = 4.67 Solé, R. V. & Montoya, J. M. 2001. Complexity and fragility in ecological networks. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Series B (Biological Sciences), 268, 2039-2045.

  41. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Ecological networks • Connectance (links/species2) 5 2 1 5 3 4 2 4 9 8 2 4 1 5 3 3 5 1 4 2 1 3 Connectance = 0.215 Connectance = 0.421 Solé, R. V. & Montoya, J. M. 2001. Complexity and fragility in ecological networks. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Series B (Biological Sciences), 268, 2039-2045.

  42. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Ecological networks • Sub-domains (compartmentalisation) Solé, R. V. & Montoya, J. M. 2001. Complexity and fragility in ecological networks. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Series B (Biological Sciences), 268, 2039-2045.

  43. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Ecological networks • What happens when you remove species? Random removal (arbitrary node) Selective removal (best-connected node) Extinction rate Extinction rate Proportion species removed Proportion species removed Solé, R. V. & Montoya, J. M. 2001. Complexity and fragility in ecological networks. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Series B (Biological Sciences), 268, 2039-2045.

  44. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Ecological networks • What happens when you remove species? Solé, R. V. & Montoya, J. M. 2001. Complexity and fragility in ecological networks. Proceedings of the Royal Society: Series B (Biological Sciences), 268, 2039-2045.

  45. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Biodiversity and human impacts • Summary • Humans often remove or reduce species in food webs • The result is almost entirely unpredictable • “Trophic cascade” • “Trophic trickle” • Increases in the availability of good data and analytical methods

  46. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Evolution and conservation 1957 Fisheries Recognised for >100 years 1977: management was “seriously deficient in [its failure] to take into account the possibility of adaptive genetic change in exploited stocks of fish.” Managers focus on demography not genetics 1980 2007 McClenachan, L. (2009) Documenting loss of large trophy fish from the Florida Keys with historical photographs. Conservation Biology, 23, 636-643.

  47. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Evolution and conservation Photo by Rupert Fleetingly Quinn, T. P., McGinnity, P. and Cross, T. F. (2006), Long-term declines in body size and shifts in run timing of Atlantic salmon in Ireland. Journal of Fish Biology, 68: 1713–1730. doi: 10.1111/j.0022-1112.2006.01017.x

  48. Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Evolution and conservation Fisheries • Traits affected are correlated: • Size • Growth rate • Fecundity • Boldness • Catchability • Activity Difficult to tease apart ecological and evolutionary trends using temporal phenotypic changes

  49. Evolution and conservation Ecology in the AnthropoceneLecture 1 (06/11/12) Evolution and conservation Hunting • Also emphasises demography • Hunters select against the traits they want (genetic over-exploitation) • Three main genetic effects: • alteration of population structure • loss of genetic variation • evolution resulting from selection

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