Global Change and Southern California Ecosystems Rebecca Aicher UCI GK-12 March 7, 2009.

Global Change and Southern California Ecosystems

Rebecca AicherUCI GK-12 March 7, 2009

What is global change?

http://sudinglab.bio.uci.edu/

http://sudinglab.bio.uci.edu/Humans alterations of biological diversity, land cover, atmospheric composition, and the climate system.

Global Change Ecology

http://www.greenfacts.org/en/global-biodiversity-outlook/figtableboxes/figure-2.htm www.latimes.com

Study of how these alterations influence the complex web of interactions among species, ecosystem processes and the Earth as a whole.

Global Change in Southern California Ecosystems

Droughts Invasive Species

http://www.greenfacts.org/en/global-biodiversity-outlook/figtableboxes/figure-2.htm

Nitrogen fertilization Increased fire frequency

www.latimes.com

How Does Global Change Affect Coastal Sage Scrub Communities?

Across the state, only 10% of coastal sage scrub habitat remains

Animal species rely on CSS habitat

http://home.pacbell.net/wa4lrm/chollas/images/CA-Gnatcatcher_7158.jpghttp://jr055.k12.sd.us/states/birds/AR%20cactus%20wren.jpg

Coastal Sage Scrub Species Decline as Invasive Species

Increase Over Time

Talluto and Suding 2008

1930s 2005

Vegetation Cover in Annual Grassland Communities and Coastal Sage Scrub Communities

Coastal sage scrub

Annual grasses and forbs

Interactive Factors Facilitate Success of Non-native Annual

GrassesIncreases in fire frequency

Air pollution and nitrogen deposition

Talluto and Suding 2008

Studying Global Change Ecology in High School Biology Classes

How does nitrogen fertilization affect diversity in coastal sage scrub communities?

Does nitrogen fertilization increase the invasibility of coastal sage scrub communities?

What Global Change Factors Affect Native Perennial

Grasslands?Less than 1% of native grasslands remain and

hypothesized due to:– Extreme drought in the late 1800s– Cattle grazing– Introduction of invasive species from regions with

similar climates– Nitrogen deposition– Land use change– Interaction of all of these factors leads to non-

native annual dominated communities

Southern California Grasslands

Dominated by non-native annual grass species with relict native perennial grasses and native annual forbs

Non-native

NativeSite Burned in Fall 2007

Studying Global Change Ecology in the Field to Restore Native Grasslands

How Do Nitrogen Fertilization, Dispersal, and Dominant Species

Determine Grassland Composition? Dispersal

Nitrogen

Plots

Dispersal

Control

Plots

No Dispersal

Control

Plots

No Dispersal

Nitrogen

Plots

Lupine Dominant

Amsinckia Dominant

Pollination, Flower Morphology, and Abundance

Today in the field you will:• monitor pollinator visitation• use a dichotomous key to identify

pollinator syndromes• measure abundance and height of two

dominant species • extract nematodes from the soil• seed an experimental grassland