Land Use in Pinchot
Latonia Ross
SCI 207: Dependence of Man on the Environment
Jeff Kingsbury
April 16, 2012

LAB QUESTIONS

In the lab questions below, report your answers in the format of a scientific report: introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusions and management recommendations. Click here for a tip sheet about writing scientific reports.

Introduction
1. What is the question that this study aimed to answer? State the hypothesis that you tested. This study aims to answer the question of whether 25%, 50%, OR 75% fragmentation will be sustainable for Pinchot’s forest in terms of sustaining its biodiversity and ecosystem services. It is hypothesized that neither 50% nor 75% fragmentation will protect the reserve’s biodiversity and ecosystem services. Methods
2. Briefly describe the methods of data collection and analysis you used to test your hypothesis. What scientific procedure did you follow to answer your question and test your hypothesis? I first started the experiment at 0% fragmentation and increased it by 25%, 50%, and 75% adding each species such as SFG, BBWF, Elk and wolves to each fragmentation level of the forest to show the effect each species would have on the forest ecosystem as the level increased.

Results 3. Look at your results table. What were impacts of fragmentation on each species’ population numbers when all four were present? Do you accept or reject your hypothesis? Support your answer with reference to the specific results upon which you are basing your finding. At 25% fragmentation, it appeared that each species was able to sustain itself with little effect on the ecosystem. The only one that showed a high expansion was the SFG which increased by 500+. There was a slight decline in the BBWF but none of major concern. The Elks were able to grow and survive within the forest habitat. There was a slight survival rate of the Wolves because of wolves highly sensitivity to human disturbance and habitat fragmentation. My research supports my acceptance of my hypothesis. The results changed drastically the more the fragmentation increased the more effect it had on the Wolves ability to survive and the more the SFG appeared to take over.

4. Did you observe any thresholds of fragmentation beyond which a species’ population number rapidly declined (here, an example of a threshold would be if one or more species’ population numbers remained relatively constant at 0% and 25% fragmentation, but then suddenly fell dramatically at 50% or 75% fragmentation)? Did the effects of any such threshold on one species cascade through the community to impact other species? Explain, using specific examples from your data. The Wolves remained somewhat stable between 0-25percent, however at 50% the Wolves survival rate drop by 50% (drop from 416 to 235) and then at 75% wolves were extinct (drop from 235 to 5). While the higher, the fragmentation rose its negative impact on the Wolves caused the spiny grass to grow at startling rates (started at 376 with 0% fragmentation to grow to 10,114 by the time the fragmentation reached 75%). The more the SFG grew it took over the species of Blue grass (Bluegrass started at 8778 at 0% by the time I reached 75% fragmentation it drop to 811). However, the Elk survival rate and growth continued to improve as the SFG dominated the forest. 5. What were the impacts of competition on each species? Each species found it necessary to try to adapt to the changes, while eating other species to fight for survival. How did the addition of BBWF, elk and wolves affect the populations of the other species? When the comfort level or the habitat changed so much within the forest the species would venture out of the forest location to try to find a different area to habitat but could not survive outside of their preferred habitat. Sort of the strongest survived being the SFG and Elks.

Discussion 6. Which species appear to benefit from increasing fragmentation? SFG Which species are negatively impacted? The Wolves and Bluegrass. Based on your knowledge of environmental science, what could explain these observations? Support your answer with specific results from your data and ideas from your readings. As the reading material have told us some species are able to survive longer than others because they have the ability to adapt to the change in their environment or change the original habitat and adapt to others, while other species cannot. Some species can feed off other species to survive eventually becoming the more dominate of the species causing one species to die off or not be able to reproduce.

7. How do your findings relate to relevant theories in environmental science? Specifically: a. Do your results indicate that any of the species are keystone species? Yes, it appears that the Spiny firegrass is a keystone species because it affect on the community is greater. Do they support the theory of bottom-up or top-down control of population dynamics in ecosystems? Explain. Yes, the herbivore Deer/Elk was able to survive over the Wolf because of the theory of bottom-up or top-down (size). The Deer/Elk was able to beat compete for the limited resources and win out over the wolf. b. How do deforestation and urban sprawl affect the greater food web? Do your results support idea that trophic cascades occur in nature? Explain. Deforestations are done for agriculture purposes to grow and produce more food for humans, while damaging the lands quality and killing of plant and animal species. Yes, some trophic cascades occur directly or indirectly some because of the deforestation and urban sprawl forcing species to hunt on different trophics to feed, such as the SFG feeding off the bluegrass ultimately decreasing the survival rate of the bluegrass.

8. According to the scenario, your results and the readings how might the environmental impacts of deforestation and sprawl affect the human community of Pinchot? It could affect the economic, health and safety of humans.

Conclusions and Management Recommendations 9. What do you recommend to Pinchot as a “sustainable” level of fragmentation that conserves the forest’s biodiversity and ecosystem services while still allowing for some development? 25% is the recommended fragmentation level for the less affect on the forest’s biodiversity and ecosystem services. Following up on your answer to question 8, how might conserving Pinchot’s forest reserve protect the town from economic, health and safety threats posed by fragmentation? If, all species are able to feed in their preferred habitat equally with very little affect, it does not force other species to change habitation or invade that of humans to survive. It would preserve the risk of lost of a species that does human good such as making medicine.

Remember – this is a scientific report, so no matter what your opinion of deforestation is, make sure your results and the readings support your conclusions.

Reference:

Turk, J., & Bensel, T. (2011). Contemporary environmental issues. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.(https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUSCI207.10.1)