Ecuador Cloud Forests by Alijah McDonald, Sean Pridgeon, Carl Custer, Noah Ivey
Introduction
Our rainforest biome is the Ecuador Cloud Forest. It is located in... you guessed it, Ecuador, and covers over 50% of the country. It is popular due to its location in the Andes Mountains and its large cloud coverage. The following is all information about the forest's abiotic and biotic factors.
Introduction Video
Chapter 1: Physical Description of Biome
Location
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Climate
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Average Temperatures in Quito, Ecuador. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2016, from http://www.quito.climatemps.com/temperatures.php
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World Weather & Climate Information. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2016, from https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-precipitation-Rainfall-inches,Quito,Ecuador
Topography
- Soil
- The soil in Ecuador is very fertile. This is because the Andes mountains run through the middle of the country and the volcanic soil is very rich in nutrients
- Elevation
- Highest Peak
- 20,561 ft.
- Low elevation near coast at beaches
- Highest Peak
- Water Sources
- South Pacific Ocean off of west coast
Citations
- Quintana, H. G. (2013). Hector G. Quintana. Retrieved September 27, 2016, from http://www.escapeartist.com/ecuador/work/2013/10/14/farming-in-ecuador/
- Topographic map Ecuador. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2016, from http://en-us.topographic-map.com/places/Ecuador-8017834
- Bellavista. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2016, from http://www.bellavistacloudforest.com/#/geography-climate/4574060103
- World Weather & Climate Information. (n.d.). Retrieved September 27, 2016, from https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-Wind-speed,Guayaguil,Ecuador
- Ecuador: Land and climate (2016). CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest. Retrieved from http://online.culturegrams.com.scsl.idm.oclc.org/world/world_country_sections.php?cid=45&cn=Ecuador&sname=Land_and_Climate&snid
- Google Maps. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2016, from https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ecuador/@-13.9520513,-67.3198977,3z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x902387dda89a4bd5:0x9d76af04119c3702!8m2!3d-1.831239!4d-78.183406
- (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2016, from http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-87294/The-Earth-is-divided-into-four-hemispheres
- Google Maps. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2016, from https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ecuador/@-2.3230698,-78.736319,6.52z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x902387dda89a4bd5:0x9d76af04119c3702!8m2!3d-1.831239!4d-78.183406l
- Average Temperatures in Quito, Ecuador. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2016, from http://www.quito.climatemps.com/temperatures.php
- World Weather & Climate Information. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2016, from https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-precipitation-Rainfall-inches,Quito,Ecuador
Chapter 2: Flora and Fauna of the Ecuador Cloud Forests
Producers vs. Consumers
Producers and consumers are both living things within their environment however they differ in their matter of getting energy. Producers produce their energy. This is done through the process of photosynthesis in which sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide are used to convert chemical energy into carbohydrates. Consumers on the other hand, consume other organisms (either producers or other consumers) and get their energy from them.
Producers (Autotrophs)
Consumers (Heterotrophs)
Food Web
In a food web, arrows point from an organism to its predator.
There are multiple relationships show in this web describing certain organisms found in the Ecuador Cloud Forests.
There are multiple relationships show in this web describing certain organisms found in the Ecuador Cloud Forests.
- Spectacled bears will eat even pumas if provoked.
- Pumas will eat small but large animals like Capybaras.
- Tertiary consumers, like owls and birds, feast on small insects.
- Secondary consumers, like caterpillars and rodents, will eat plants.
- Scavengers will eat all around if the meal is dead.
- Decomposers will help break down dead organisms as well.
Energy Pyramid
Food webs and energy pyramids are great tools to show the flow of energy within an ecosystem. Briefly looking at either of these might mislead you though. Not all of the original energy makes it to the top of the food chain. In fact sometimes as little as 10% of the energy of one specific level on the energy pyramid will make it to the next level. That means if animal #1 is eating animal #2, and animal #2 has 10,000 units of energy, animal #1 might only get 1,000 units of energy from animal #2. This energy is usually lost by metabolic heat from the animal.
The Carbon Cycle
The carbon cycle is the process in which carbon moves around our environment. It usually happens in about 4 different steps.
- Carbon is absorbed by producers to make energy or is combusted by humans. When combusted, the carbon goes into the atmosphere and the process starts over.
- Consumers eat these producers and the carbon moves onto them.
- These consumers either pass along the carbon by either breathing, being eaten, or dying.
- When they die the carbon goes into the atmosphere for producers to absorb and use for energy, restarting the cycle.
Citations
- "The amazing flora and fauna of Ecuador's Cloud Forest (PICS)." 2014. 27 Sep. 2016 <http://matadornetwork.com/trips/amazing-flora-fauna-ecuadors-cloud-forest-pics/>
- "Wildlife in the Cloud Forests of Ecuador." Destination Ecuador. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2016. <http://blog.destinationecuador.com/?p=77>
- Bodner, F. (June 2015). Research Date. Retrieved November 23, 2016, from Research Gate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276929459_Many_caterpillars_in_a_montane_rain_forest_in_Ecuador_are_not_classical_herbivores <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276929459_Many_caterpillars_in_a_montane_rain_forest_in_Ecuador_are_not_classical_herbivores>
Chapter 3: Non-Human Organism Interactions
Parasitism
Parasitism is a relationship among two organisms in which one benefits from the others expense.
For example in the Ecuador forests, leeches are considered a part of a parasitic relationship. They leech onto a host and they suck on it blood. This is a density-dependent factor because the food of one population relies on the population of another orgainsm.
For example in the Ecuador forests, leeches are considered a part of a parasitic relationship. They leech onto a host and they suck on it blood. This is a density-dependent factor because the food of one population relies on the population of another orgainsm.
Commensalism
Commensalism occurs when one organism benefits from another but the other organism isn't affected. You might see this in Ecuador when a Bromelaid plant grows on top of a tree. It allows it to get its sunlight without hurting the tree it grows on. This is a density-dependent process because one organism relies on another's population.
Mutualism
Mutualism is a relationship between organisms in which both parties benefit from each other's actions. A common example of this in the Ecuador forests would be the ants and fungi. While the fungi gives the ants a place to store their larvae, the ants keep pests and mold from hurting the fungi at the same time. Mutualism occurs alongside of density-dependent factors because it relies on the population of certain species.
Predation
Predation is when one organism hunts another organism. This might happen in the Ecuador forests when a puma hunts for food. Predation is correlated with density-dependent factors because it relies on how much food is in the environment.
Competition
This relationship can have many more than two organisms involved but it basically occurs when organisms compete for survival. This includes things like plants competing for sunlight and certain predators competing for specific prey. In the image to the right you can see that the taller tree will be better off for survival than the smaller tree because it has more access to sunlight. This relates to a density-dependent factor which is sunlight.
Citations
- Symbiotic Relationships in the Tropical Rainforest. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2016, from http://lo2fosho.blogspot.com/2011/01/symbiotic-relationships-in-tropical.html
Chapter 4: Natural Disasters
Primary Succession
Primary succession is when an ecosystem develops in an area that was previously uninhabited by any living organisms.
Primary Succession in Ecuador?
Events that trigger primary succession aren't super common in Ecuador. However primary succession is technically always occurring. For example, Ecuador lies on a fault line and is very mountainous. This causes earthquakes to be common, and these earthquakes easily trigger landslides. These landslides disperse soil and organisms into potentially previously uninhabitated areas.
Secondary Succession
Secondary succession occurs after a minor natural disaster such as flooding or a wildfire. This is mainly when soil was left intact. It is basically like primary succession but soil is already there to speed up the process.
Secondary Succession in Ecuador?
Secondary succession is very common in Ecuador. The country lies on a fault line and therefore earthquakes are common. Earthquakes can cause trees to fall, landslides and on a larger scale... tsunamis which can lead to major flooding in some areas.
Inhibition, Tolerance, and Facilitation
When succession occurs, it usually happens in one of three ways, inhibiton, tolerance, or facilitation.
Inhibition is when species that start succession prevent any environmental growth. They don't allow any new organism to come in and pretty much dominate the area.
Tolerance is when early and later species exist with each other throughout succession.
Facilitation is when early species allow later species to come in at their own expense.
Inhibition is when species that start succession prevent any environmental growth. They don't allow any new organism to come in and pretty much dominate the area.
Tolerance is when early and later species exist with each other throughout succession.
Facilitation is when early species allow later species to come in at their own expense.
Pioneer Species
The forests have been developing for many, many years. Some of the earliest pioneer species have even been found and carbon dated. These were tree species called Croton billbergianus, Trema micrantha, and Zanthoxylum ekmannii. They were among the first to spread across the rainforest.
Climax Community
The climax community could be considered what is in the country right now. There haven't been any major destructive events in the biome and the animals that live there now create a stable environment.
Citations
- Long-term persistence of pioneer species in tropical rain forest soil seed banks. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2016, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19228112
- Earthquake causes deadly landslides in Ecuador. (n.d.). Retrieved December 01, 2016, from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/earthquake-causes-deadly-landslides-in-ecuador
Chapter 5: Human Organism Interactions
Humans and Biodiversity
Species Diversity
- This describes the amount of species in the area and the population of each species. This is driven by speciation.
- The Ecuador cloud forests contains more than 1600 bird species and the population of these birds can range from thousands to two or three. (Jacobs, M. D., & Walker, J. S. (1999). Density estimates of birds inhabiting fragments of cloud forest in southern Ecuador. Retrieved January 3, 2017, from https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0959270900003361
Ecosystem Diversity
- This is used to describe the differences between ecosystems around the world and the habitats within those ecosystems.
- The Ecuador cloud forests could be considered diverse to different types of rainforests. It also contains many different types of habitats within it such as the high andes, andess foothills, rivers, and the canopies of all the trees.
Threats to Biodiversity
Habitat Destruction
- This is when the habitat of a certain area is rendered unfit to support life. This is usually the effect of human activity.
Invasive Species
- An invasive species is an organism that isn't native to the surrounding area that can cause harm to the surrounding populations or habitats. They can disrupt the energy flow throughout the area by overpopulating themselves, overpreying, or spreading disease through existing populations.
- There are over one hundred existing invasive species throughout the Ecuador clooud forests.
Human Population Growth
- Human population growth through certain ecosystems can be a big problem because it stimulates industrial growth which then leads to the construction of roads, housing, and attractions.
- This is a big problem in Ecuador because of all the tourism. This causes hotels, restuarants, and other things of the same category to be built around or in forests. (Causes and consequences of deforestation in Ecuador. (n.d.). Retrieved January 03, 2017, from http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/projects/jefferson.htm)
Pollution
- Pollution is the spread of harmful substances throughout an environment.
- In Ecuador there is a large oil issue. There are a lot of deposits in Ecuador which oil companies are constantly pumping. This inevitably comes with leaks and the oil gets into rivers, lakes, and the soil. (Causes and consequences of deforestation in Ecuador. (n.d.). Retrieved January 03, 2017, from http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/projects/jefferson.htm)
Overharvesting
- This is when an area is overused for farming and eventually renders the soil infertile, which prevents life growing or being supported in that area.
Ecological Restoration
Reintroduction of Native Species
- This occurs when an organism that was once taken out of an area is reintroduced.
- A common example of this is when hurt animals are found in the wild, taken in by humans, and then are reintroduced to their native environments.
Removal of Non-Native Species
- This occurs usuall when a species that isn't native to an environment, usually invasive, is taken out of the area by us humans to preserve the environment.
Erosion Control
- This is when normally occuring erosion, is checked and preserved by humans for the survival of the environment (sometimes even theirs.)
- This is common on beaches (in Ecuador too) where us humans bring in sand to keep the beach a certain size for us to enjoy.
Reforestation
- This can occur naturally or implemented by us when an area that has been deforested by natural or unnatural events is regrown by the planting of trees or succession.
- The Global students embassy has implemented an eco- action education program which helps replant areas. (Reforestation. (n.d.). Retrieved January 05, 2017, from https://globalstudentembassy.org/community-based-eco-action-programs/ecuador/reforestation/)
Revegetation of Disturbed Areas
- This is basically reforestation but is more or less used after disturbance events such as wildfires, floods, and deforestation.
- The Globals students embassy has implemented an eco-education program which helps replant areas. (Reforestation. (n.d.). Retrieved January 05, 2017, from https://globalstudentembassy.org/community-based-eco-action-programs/ecuador/reforestation/)
Habitat Improvements
- This is the manipulated or maintenance of vegetation to yield desired results in terms of habitat suitable for designment wildlife species or groups of species.
Citations
- "Critical Wildlife Habitat Now Permanently Protected in Ecuador." Critical Wildlife Habitat Now Permanently Protected in Ecuador. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Jan. 2017. http://www.iucnredlist.org/news/critical-wildlife-habitat-now-permanently-protected-in-ecuador
- Jacobs, M. D., & Walker, J. S. (1999). Density estimates of birds inhabiting fragments of cloud forest in southern Ecuador. Retrieved January 3, 2017, from https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0959270900003361
- Land Purchase Consolidates Critical Cloud Forest Reserve in Ecuador. (2016, November 21). Retrieved January 05, 2017, from https://www.rainforesttrust.org/news/land-purchase-consolidates-critical-cloud-forest/
- Reforestation. (n.d.). Retrieved January 05, 2017, from https://globalstudentembassy.org/community-based-eco-action-programs/ecuador/reforestation/
- B. (2015). Retrieved January 02, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKIMS0hVJdc&%3Bt=311s
- Habitat Loss. (n.d.). Retrieved January 03, 2017, from https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Habitat-Loss.aspx
- Causes and consequences of deforestation in Ecuador. (n.d.). Retrieved January 03, 2017, from http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/projects/jefferson.htm
- Invasive Species. (n.d.). Retrieved January 04, 2017, from https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Invasive-Species.aspx
- Ecuador fights overpopulation in Galapagos. (n.d.). Retrieved January 05, 2017, from http://www.post-gazette.com/news/world/2008/10/12/Ecuador-fights-overpopulation-in-Galapagos/stories/200810120291
- Brooke, J. (1994, March 21). Pollution Of Water Tied to Oil In Ecuador. Retrieved January 05, 2017, from http://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/22/science/pollution-of-water-tied-to-oil-in-ecuador.html
- Rainforest Concern. (n.d.). Retrieved January 06, 2017, from http://www.rainforestconcern.org/rainforest_facts/why_are_they_being_destroyed/
- "species diversity"? (n.d.). Retrieved January 03, 2017, from https://www.reference.com/science/species-diversity-8d57264c02c6db8c
Chapter 6: Action Plan
The Issue
There is a major issue with oil pollution in Ecuador. It has contaminated water sources and soils and has negatively affected many native villagers and organisms within their environment.
The Evidence
Charts
These charts show how much the oil economy in Ecuador has been booming. It has been exponentially increasing for the past 30 years and shows no sign of stopping soon. This is definitely a problem because the more money these oil companies can make, the more they'll drill. And the more they drill, the more oil that will escape and pollute the Ecuador forests.
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Ecuador: Production of Crude Oil including Lease Condensate. (n.d.). Retrieved January 08, 2017, from http://www.tititudorancea.biz/z/ies_ecuador_crude_oil_production.htm
Report, S. R. (2016, February 11). Ecuador Gutted By Low Oil Prices: Rig Count Down To One. Retrieved January 08, 2017, from http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Ecuador-Gutted-By-Low-Oil-Prices-Rig-Count-Down-To-One.html
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Visuals
In the first image, a water source that has been contaminated by a leaking oil pipeline. The working men are seen struggling to pump the oil back out. In the second picture, a man is seen holding the soil in which oil is dripping out of. Both of these images show how drastically oil has polluted the environment.
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Primary Source
Our Solution
Five Steps
- Implement the construction of concrete trenches around major pipelines to contain a potential oil spill
- Implement cleanup campaigns around the forests
- Embargo oil companies associated with rainforest oil drillings and focus on less rare ecosystems such as deserts
- Pay companies more for security along pipelines
- Construction of newer/better pipelines
Explanation
To start solving this issue would require government funding and support, it is just too much money. However, if we had this, we would start with building trenches along the pipes that exist. This would prevent the larger issue of pipelines bursting while we continue with our next step. This would be cleaning up all of the oil that is in the environment. We could possibly flood areas to flush out oil from the soil or use large pumps to filter small lakes and rivers. Next, because the oil exporting in Ecuador has increased exponentially, we would need to embargo the companies that pump oil in endangered rainforests and focus more attention on companies that pump from deserts, etc. Now that we’ve cut money for Ecuador’s oil companies, we offer them more money in exchange for more security along their pipelines. Soon after that we could possibly afford to build newer and less accident prone pipelines.
Main issues that would arise from this plan would be funding and the fact that we would need tons of support, considering it could hurt Ecuador's economy and oil supply (which many countries might benefit from).
Main issues that would arise from this plan would be funding and the fact that we would need tons of support, considering it could hurt Ecuador's economy and oil supply (which many countries might benefit from).
Citations
- (www.dw.com), D. W. (n.d.). A slippery decision: Chevron oil pollution in Ecuador | DW Environment | DW.COM | 09.08.2016. Retrieved January 06, 2017, from http://www.dw.com/en/a-slippery-decision-chevron-oil-pollution-in-ecuador/a-18697563
- A. (2014, September 18). KEEP THE OIL IN THE GROUND. Retrieved January 08, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sRDxXWkCnM
- Human rights impacts of oil pollution: Ecuador. (n.d.). Retrieved January 08, 2017, from https://business-humanrights.org/en/human-rights-impacts-of-oil-pollution-ecuador-22
- Causes and consequences of deforestation in Ecuador. (n.d.). Retrieved January 03, 2017, from http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/projects/jefferson