Landscape Ecosystem Perspective

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Landscape Ecosystem Perspective 1. Background on
ecosystem classification 2. Ecological variation
among ecosystems 3. Applications for restoration
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• Soils, geomorphology, and biota vary from place
  to place across a landscape
• These 3 factors interact at a given spot on the
  landscape to produce an ecosystem
• Landscape ecosystem volumetric unit of the
  landscape
• Ecosystem classification grouping similar
  sites into ecosystem types

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Ecosystem classification identifies
interrelationships within and among
geomorphology, soils, and vegetation

• Vegetation
• Geomorphology Soils

Ecosystem Type
Ecological Properties
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Soil catena
MA http//nesoil.com/plymouth/catena.gif
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Soil-geomorphic relations in upper Michigan
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• Classification is a data reduction or
  information reduction technique
• This works because combos of similar
  geomorphology, soils, and veg reoccur across a
  landscape
• Continuous vs. classification
• An ecosystem type has ecological properties
  (e.g., soil texture), which differ among
  ecosystems

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• Notes on multifactor and multivariate simply
  mean many factors or variables
• Classification has long history in ecology EC
  emphasizes interactions and geomorphology/soils
• Geomorphology/soil relatively stable e.g.,
  topographic features, soil texture
• Vegetation useful, but not essential

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Identifying key environmental variables
Southern Appalachian Mountains solum A B
horizon
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• EC not a panacea yet practical tool
• Examples of EC systems US FS TES, NRCS site
  types, research-grade EC
• EC provides framework for studying how
  properties vary among ecosystems
• Here are some examples

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Nutrient Cycling
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Landscape ecosystem control over tree
mortality Longleaf pines in SE USA in very
moist, waterlogged ecosystems, rooting depth is
restricted. Trees more susceptible to wind damage
(uprooting) due to shallow root system But
lightning mortality important on upland xeric
sites!
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Plant composition and diversity
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From a Michigan project of the federally
endangered Kirtlands warbler in jack pine
forests Findings  We noted significant
differences in climate, physiography, soil, and
vegetation between 10 landscape ecosystems at the
ecological level of landforms.  Moreover, jack
pine height growth differed significantly among
the 10 ecosystems, and the landforms exhibited
marked differences in the timing of initial
colonization and duration of occupancy by the
warbler.  Ecosystems favoring jack pine growth -
those with a warmer microclimate or
higher-quality soil - were typically colonized
first but had the shortest duration of occupancy,
while colder, drier, and less fertile ecosystems
were colonized later but had longer durations of
occupancy. 
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Summary of warbler relations to landscape
ecosystem habitat
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• Archaeological Resources
• Upper Michigan Locations of historical logging
  camps can be predicted using LEC
• Eastern white pine was desirable timber species
  in late 1800s logging camps located by pines
  and by water for transporting logs
• Michigan Archaeologist 4387-102.

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1920-2660 m elevations 6300-8700 ft Ponderosa
pine, Gambel oak, aspen Entisols, Inceptisols,
Alfisols, Mollisols Slope gradients mostly lt 10
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• Methods
• 102, 0.05-ha plots sampled in 2003 (66 core
  plots)
• 55, 500, 513, 523, 536, 551, 558, 570, 582, 585,
  and 611 soil types
• Geomorphology, soils, plant communities
• Cored 2 dominant, open-grown pines of pre-1875
  origin
• Seed bank samples
• 0-15 and 15-50 cm soil samples analyzed for
  texture, gravel content, organic C, total N, pH,
  CaCO3 equivalent, and water-holding capacity
• Multivariate and univariate analyses

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• Limitations
• Springs and other rare ecosystems not sampled
• More plots
• Pre-existing published data
• Seed bank methodology

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Ecosystem classification Cluster analysis and
ordination 10 ecosystem types on 66
plots Ecosystem types internally similar in
environment and vegetation characteristics Black
cinders/Phacelia (558) Red
cinders/Bahia (513) Clay
basalt/Gutierrezia (523) Xeric
limestone/Bouteloua (500) Mesic
limestone/mixed flora (536) Xeric
basalt/Muhlenbergia (551, 570) Rocky
basalt/Sporobolus (570, 582, 585)
Mesic basalt/Festuca
(551, 570, 582, 585)
Aspen/Lathyrus (611) Park/Symphyotrichum (55)
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Black cinders/Phacelia
UTM 452794E, 3905543N Elevation 2007 m
Low upper soil fertility
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Ponderosa pine seedling growth in 19201
Cinders
Clay
1 Haasis, F.W. 1921. Relations between soil type
and root form of western yellow pine seedlings.
Ecology 2292-303.
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Xeric basalt/Muhlenbergia UTM 441833E,
3917442N silt 41 (0-15 cm)
organic C 1.2 total N
0.09 C4 mountain muhly
Mesic basalt/Festuca UTM 432074E, 3903341N
silt 53 (0-15 cm) organic C
2.2 total N 0.14
C3 Arizona fescue
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Red cinders/Bahia UTM 446730E,
3915773N Elevation 2326 m High gravel content,
sandy loam soils, slow tree growth
UTM 452716E, 3898173N Elevation 2079 m
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Rocky basalt/Sporobolus UTM 445788E,
3877037N Elevation 7252 ft
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Lupinus argenteus Lathyrus lanszwertii
Vicia americana 0-15 cm soil total N 0.26
next highest ecosystem 0.15
Populus/Lathyrus UTM 424674E,
3886663N Elevation 2215 m
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Park/Symphyotrichum 31 0-15 cm clay
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Age 50-150 yr mean annual diameter increment

of pre-1875 origin ponderosa pine Means without
shared letters differ at P lt 0.05 (Fishers LSD)
Error bars are 1 SD
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Plant species richness Means without shared
letters differ at P lt 0.05 (Fishers LSD)
Error bars are 1 SD
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Soil moisture ( of dry soil weight, 0-15 cm
depth) for 7 ecosystems measured June 19, 2004.
Means without shared letters differ at P lt 0.05.
Error bars are 1 SD.
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Silvery lupine Arizona
fescue White Mountain sedge
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Estimating ponderosa pine diameter growth based
on importance of key plant species
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51, 10-m2 exclosures Grazing effects partly
related to environmental gradients

• Environmental influences
• - vegetation productivity - water
  availability - animal
  movement - other factors

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Abiotic and biotic influences on 0-15 cm organic
matter below Gambel oak
5.9 dry benmoreite northern Centennial Forest
2.9 limestone Campbell Mesa
7.2 basalt Coulter Cabin
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Seed bank composition (greenhouse emergence
method) 103 seed bank species detected, 280
aboveground species Untreated samples, 0-10 cm
mineral soil Erigeron divergens, fleabane (35 of
102 plots)
Verbascum thapsus, mullein (25)
Gnaphalium
exilifolium, cudweed (13)

Muhlenbergia minutissima, annual muhly (12)

Chamaesyce
serpyllifolia, sandmat (12)

Carex geophila, White Mountain sedge
(12) Others Muhlenbergia montana, Nama
dichotomum, Poa fendleriana, Chenopodium
graveolens
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Ecosystem-specific seed bank composition e.g.,
black cinders wishbone fiddleaf annual
muhly fetid goosefoot
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Nama dichotomum (wishbone fiddleleaf) 21 plots
where it occurred in seed bank samples 0-15 cm
sand 70 45 plots where it did not occur in
seed bank samples 0-15 cm sand 37