Lecture Notes on Landscape Ecology and Biogeography

Key Topics Covered

• Landscape Ecology Basics
• Biogeography
• Species-Area Curves
• Island Biogeography
• Habitat Loss and Fragmentation
• Edge Effects
• Latitudinal Patterns in Species Diversity
• Extinction Patterns
• Conservation Priorities

Core Concepts

Landscape Ecology

• Habitat: Physical and biological surroundings of an organism.
• Landscape: Large area with multiple habitats in patches.
• Legacy Effects: Importance in restoration ecology.

Biogeography

• Study of species distribution patterns.
  • Historical Biogeography: Changes over time and evolutionary history.
  • Ecological Biogeography: Distribution of existing species based on current environmental conditions.

Realms and Biomes

• Realms: Large regions where organisms share common geological and evolutionary histories.
• Biomes: Identified by dominant vegetation types on land or dominant physical processes in water.

Important Patterns

Pattern 1: Area and Species Richness

• Species-Area Curve: Mathematical relationship between area and species richness.
  • Formula: S = cA^z (S = # species, A = Area, c = constant)
  • Logarithmic form: log S = z log A + log C
  • Most values of z fall between 0.20 - 0.35.
• Applications:
  • Important for applied ecology and conservation.
  • Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography by MacArthur and Wilson (1967).

Pattern 2: Island Biogeography

• Variables:
  • Immigration rate and distance to source population.
  • Extinction rate linked to species richness.
• Compression Hypothesis: Increased species lead to smaller niches and more competition.

Pattern 3: Latitudinal Patterns in Species Diversity

• Five Hypotheses:
  1. Area Hypothesis
  2. Evolutionary Time Hypothesis
  3. Spatial Heterogeneity Hypothesis
  4. Productivity Hypothesis
  5. Favorable Climate Hypothesis

Pattern 4: Extinction

• Forms of Extinction:
  1. Linnean Extinction
  2. Local Extinction
  3. Ecological Extinction
  4. True Extinction
• Natural Process: Vulnerability linked to specialization.
• Modern Extinction Risk: Assessed by IUCN Red List.
• The 6th Mass Extinction: Driven by H.I.P.P.O. + Rapid Climate Change.

Conservation and Biogeography

Designating Protected Areas

• Hotspots: High endemism and significant habitat loss.
• High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas: High richness, lower human impacts.

Announcements

• Assignments: HW9 on Biodiversity Indices due April 17th.
• Quizzes: Quiz 10 today, Quiz 11 on Thursday.
• Exam 3: Scheduled for April 15th covering Trophic Levels to end of Lecture 10.

Edge Effects

• Changes at Habitat Edges: Affect diversity and ecological processes.
• Species Responses: Vary based on edge habitat interactions.

This summary covers the essential points from the lecture on Landscape Ecology and Biogeography, providing a concise reference for further study and review.