Forest Ecosystem and Function

Forest Ecosystem and Function

Temperate Forests of Naran, Pakistan

Types of forests Tropical rain forests - Hot and humid region. - Annual rain fall- 2000 to 4500mm. -Found in south and central America, westren and central Africa, South east Asia, and some Islands of Indian and Pacific Oceans -Tropical forests are considered important because it helps in recycling water

Temperate Forests Cold in winter and warm and humid in summer Annual rain fall is 750 2000 mm. Sol is rich. Found in Western and Central Europe, eastern Asia and eastern North America.

Temperate Forests of Nathiagali, Pakistan

Temperate Forests of Kaghan Valley

Coniferous forests Many coniferous trees are found in this region like spruce, fir, pine etc. Found in northern parts of northern America, Europe & Asia. The soil in these forests is acidic and humus rich

Sub-Tropical Scrub Forests, Margalla Hills

Sub-Tropical Pine Forests, Margalla Hil

Grass lands

Grasslands Grasslands are regions where average precipitation is high (250 1500 mm) for grass and for trees to grow. Rain fall are erratic and uncertain in these region Regions found in central & south America, subequitorial Africa & South Australia, south India Soil rich and deep ideal for grasse.

Alpine pastures of deosai, skardu, Pakistan

Thar Desert Thar is the Largest Desert Of Pakistan. It is situated in the province of Sindh. This desert also enters the boundry of India therefore it is one of the largest deserts of Asia. Thar desert in Pakistan spreads over an extensive area in Ghotki, Sukkar, Sanghar, Mirpur Khas and Tharparkar districts. The desert consist of barren tracts of sand dunes covered with thorny bushes, mostly acacia. The desert is separated from irrigated area by the bed of the Eastern Nara. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province. Thar desert of Pakistan and India is the 9th largest desert of the world. The total length of Thar desert in Sindh (Pakistan) and Rajhistan (India) is 200,00

DESERT A desert is a land scape form or region that receives very little precipitation.>250mm per annum.

Coastal Forests, near Karachi, Pakistan

Mangrove Forests, Karachi, Pakistan

MOUNTAIN Mountain is land form that extends above the surrounding terrain in unlimited area.

CHARACTRISTICS Mountain cover the 20% of land area. Going up the mountain is similar to moving from equator to north pole. Mountain are the reseviors of water. A big bank of Biodiversity.

The following forest types of Pakistan are found in Pakistan. Littoral and swamp forests Tropical dry deciduous forests Tropical thorn forests Sub-tropical broad -leaved evergreen forests. Sub- tropical pine forests Himalayan moist temperate forests Himalayan dry temperate forests Sub alpine forests Alpine scrub

Natural forsets and manmade tree plantations cover 4.224 million ha, or 4.8% of of the land area in the country.anonymous 1992, Amjad et al 1996. Agriculture, both irregated and non- irrigated, is practiced on 20.58 million ha, or 23.4 % of the land area, and live stock grazing on 28.509 million ha, oe 32.4 %, consists of snow, glaciers, rock, deserts tidal flats, water bodies river beds, lakes, dames, towns cities and so forth. The nonproductive use of most of the land area is due to he arid climate. Distribution of Pakistan`s forests

Forest ecology effects, All sources categories Forest health T & E species, Timber and wood products Cultural resources Soils Esthetics & reaction Water Aggroforestry & spl. Forest Prod Fish & wild life

Forest floor

Ecosystem consists of Communities of animals(living) things: Plants, animals, microbes, et al. Inanimate stuff (rocks, soils, grasses, chemicals). Exchange matter and energy: within the system Between systems Systems Interact and are independent

Ecosystem structure (size and arrangement of planta and animals, dead stuff ft al) OPERATIONAL Env. Ecosystem function (The operational environment exchange of matter and energy)

Operational Environment the physical environment around a living oragnism;governs how ecosystem interact Light Mechanical Plant Heat Chemical

Oprerational environment effects every thing. Growth Disease Insect Reforestation Distribution of plants

Oprerational environment effects every thing. Big drivers -Climate -Elevation slope aspect -Geology and soils -Land conversion -Fire policy -Floods -Biota Not so big drivers timber harvest -Silviculture - Land conversion -Microclimate - Land slides - Floods Plants and animals

Which leads to Why are plant species found where they are found? Answer: Its evolved adaptation to its surrounding operational environment

And. Ecological communities Plants and animals are occurring together in a coherent group because of their aptations to each other and the surroundings Environment (Communities become ecosystems when we include processes behind interaction and interdependency)

Temperature and water availability are two big drivers in determinig forest type: Fire is important Geology, e.g. serpentine soils, may be locally important

Natural forces (disturbances) modifying the operational environment. wind throw Earth quake Root disease Land slides Global climate change floods and..

Fire natural and human caused, is a mjor force drive plant succession in forests.. Some trees and shrubs are adapted for fire, while others are not. FIg

Forest succession Community changes, because plants change the operational environment

Forest succession Primary succession Following big distribution Secondary succession After initial plant Early seral plant species Late seral species Best in full sun light conditions Best tolerant shade and other understory conditions

The changed operational environment may help perpetuate the existing plant community, OR Set the stage for the next community. Forest succession

Succession in an even aged Fir forests

Succession may have many end points 45 year old Fir stand Root disease s and bark beetles affecte d out come

What about human induced ecosystem change??

Harvesting affects operational environment here greatly increased light, heat, water, chemical turn over; Sol compaction?, Mycorrhizal effects?

Thinning effects: Less increase in light, heat, water, nutrient turn over; Mechanical damage to leaves tree? Soil compaction?

Productivity what makes the whole work done?

Oceanic production by the process of Photosynthes Terrestrial production

Trophic levels - plural-noun Each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, consisting of organisms sharing the same function in the food chain and the same...

The trophic level of an organism is the position it occupies in a food chain. The word trophic derives from the Greek τροφή (trophē) referring to food or feeding. A food chain represents a succession of organisms that eat other First trophic level. The plants in this image, and the algae and phytoplankton in the lake, are primary producers. They take nutrients from the soil or the water, and manufacture their own food by photosynthesis, using energy from the sun.

Trophic levels T1 producers T2 Herbivores T3 Primary carnivores T4 Secondary carnivores T5 Decomposers Energy flows are like log processing: there`s an attempt to maintain maximum value at every step, orecologically, nature tends to fill all niches with communities.

Overview The three basic ways organisms get food are as producers, consumers and decomposers.

The T1 level The environmental drivers determining productivity species location also determine productivity. Soils management is very important. Fig.

Nice little T2 herbivores at work Spruce bud worm may be a serious pest on over stocked with firs. Second trophic level Rabbits eat plants at the first trophic level, so they are primary consumers. Fig

Fourth trophic level Golden eagles eat foxes at the third trophic level, so they are tertiary consumers.

Decomposers T5 are essentials within a forest ecosystem for nutrient cycling Decomposers includes larger insects, and a fanastic variety of microscopicinsects, bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes. The fungi on this tree feed on dead matter, converting it back to nutrients that primary producers can use.

Mycorrhizae Mutual benefits -Greatly expanded root net-work (increased). - Esential hormones - Pathogens protection- - Attracts microscopics insects for bu poop near roots -- fungal get food from tree - White is mycorrhiza

What happen within and around a primary root? Fig

Our forest ecosystems are adapted to various types of natural disturbance s.s Ecosystem resilience & suatainability

Undersatnding Resiliencey: Diturbance does not exceed system ability to Self healing Redundancy recover: Genetic diversity within and between species Refugia.

Redundancy is a form of dismissal Redundancy is a form of dismissal. A genuine redundancy only arises in three very narrowly defined circumstances: the closure of the business,: the closure of a particular workplace for example an academic unit, department, course, unit or office/building: a reduction in the need for employees the test being not whether an employer needs fewer employees, but whether it needs fewer employees to do work of a particular kind. This could be due to restructuring.

Sustainability Sustainability is meeting present needs without compromising the future. Not pushing an ecosystem beyon its ability to recover

Practices that drastically alter the operational environment, such as terracing for site preparation,can be successful, though not politically acceptable. fig

Legacies (The local spare parts bin) As long as enough undisturbed ecosystem pieces remain, the system will recover

Sustainability is like good equipment operation & maintenance. Even better, with good harvesting, forst ecosystems can quickly repair themselves. The right machinery and a knowledgeable operator are very important. As is leaving enough of the right pieces intact.

Within stands and across landscapes, sustainability takes human in genuity working with Mother nature.