Introduction to Pacific Northwest Ecosystems Introduction to PNW Ecosystems 1. Where are we? : global / continental position 2. An overview of our place: regional geography & landforms 3. How are landforms created? 4 Th i t f l t lti l l I. Physical & Chemical (Abiotic) Environment of WA 4. The importance of geology at multiple scales 5. Climate 1. Ecoregions 2. Ecoregions: a virtual field trip 3. Environmental determinants of ecoregions II. Ecological Zones of WA The Ecology of Washington 1. Global / Continental Position 2. Regional Geography & Landforms 3. Forces Behind Landforms I. Abiotic Environment of WA 3. Forces Behind Landforms 4. Geology 5. Climate I. Abiotic Environment of WA 1. Global / Continental Position A) Where are we ? Hokkaido Frankfurt Newfoundland Latitude : Bothell °N 1. Global / Continental Position A) Where is WA ? Continental Position : Coastal Maritime I. Abiotic Environment of WA Global / Continental Position B) What are the ecological implications of our position? I. Present-day Climate 1) Precipitation & Temperature It affects our 2) Daily & Seasonal Changes II. Past Environment 1) Past Climate 2) Geological history (and hence present day geology)
14
Embed
Pacific Northwest Ecosystems - UW Faculty Web Serverfaculty.washington.edu/wgold/bes489/010509.pdf · •1 Introduction to Pacific Northwest Ecosystems Introduction to PNW Ecosystems
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
•1
Introduction to
Pacific Northwest Ecosystems
Introduction to PNW Ecosystems
1. Where are we? : global / continental position
2. An overview of our place: regional geography & landforms
3. How are landforms created?
4 Th i t f l t lti l l
I. Physical & Chemical (Abiotic) Environment of WA
4. The importance of geology at multiple scales
5. Climate
1. Ecoregions
2. Ecoregions: a virtual field trip
3. Environmental determinants of ecoregions
II. Ecological Zones of WA
The Ecology of Washington
1. Global / Continental Position
2. Regional Geography & Landforms
3. Forces Behind Landforms
I. Abiotic Environment of WA
3. Forces Behind Landforms
4. Geology
5. Climate
I. Abiotic Environment of WA
1. Global / Continental Position A) Where are we ?
Hokkaido
FrankfurtNewfoundland
Latitude:
Bothell
°N
1. Global / Continental PositionA) Where is WA ?
Continental Position: Coastal Maritime
I. Abiotic Environment of WA Global / Continental PositionB) What are the ecological implications of our position?
I. Present-day Climate1) Precipitation & Temperature
2) D il & S l Ch
It affects our
2) Daily & Seasonal Changes
II. Past Environment 1) Past Climate
2) Geological history(and hence present day geology)
•2
Global / Continental PositionB) What are the ecological implications of our position?
I. Present-day Climate1) Precipitation & Temperature
A. Atmospheric circulationB Oceanic circulation
It affects our
B. Oceanic circulationC. Maritime influences
2) Daily & Seasonal Changes
II. Past Environment 1) Past Climate
2) Geological history
Atmospheric Circulation is a major determinant of global precipitation & temperature patterns
1. Sunlight energy greatest near equator
2. Results in warm, rising air at low latitudes
Campbell (2001)
2) Present-day Climate: Atmospheric Circulation
3. Rising air cools & rain falls abundantly at low latitudes
Atmospheric Circulation is a major determinant of global precipitation & temperature patterns
Campbell (2001)
Hadley Cell
2) Present-day Climate: Atmospheric CirculationAtmospheric Circulation is a major determinant of global precipitation & temperature patterns
4. Rising air leaves low pressure area behind.
Surface air from N and S flow into area
Campbell (2001)
into area.
Results in large-scale circular flow of air masses (Hadley Cells)
5. Hadley Cells create dry latitudes of descending air at about 30 °N & S
WA
WA sits at the
2) Present-day Climate: Atmospheric CirculationAtmospheric Circulation is a major determinant of global precipitation & temperature patterns
WA sits at the edge of another rising air mass region – hence
the tendency for higher levels of precipitation.
Campbell (2001)
2) Present-day Climate: Oceanic Circulation
Ocean currents determine the temperature of surface waters.
This has large i fl
Oceanic Circulation can be a major determinant of regional precipitation & temperature patterns
influences on coastal climates
Ricklefs (1997)
•3
ENSO EventsEl Niño (warm phase)
Warm surface water in the central & eastern Pacific
ENSO: El Nino – Southern Oscillation Events
La Niña (cool phase)
Cool surface water in the
UW CIG
ENSO PNW Climate ImpactsEl Niño (warm phase)
Warmer & drier winter
La Niña (cool phase)
Cooler & wetter winter
central & eastern Pacific
Events on “inter-annual” cycles
PDO: Pacific Decadal OscillationsSimilar to El Niño events, warm-phase PDO events show
cooling of north Pacific; warming of central, eastern Pacific
UW CIG
PDO – warm phase ENSO – warm phase
PDO: Pacific Decadal Oscillations
But PDO Oscillations are decades – long; rather than the annual variations of ENSO
2) Present-day Climate: Maritime Influences
Our coastal location allows large water body to moderate temperature extremes – a maritime climate
Our coastal position results in strong maritime influences on our regional precipitation & temperature patterns
Locations further from large water bodies experience larger seasonal temperature fluctuations –continental climates
Global / Continental PositionB) What are the ecological implications of our position?
I. Present-day Climate1) Precipitation & Temperature
2) Daily & Seasonal Changes
It affects our
2) Daily & Seasonal Changes
II. Past Environment 1) Past Climate
2) Geological history
Ecological implications
of seasonal variation in daylength
Daylength & Seasonality
# hours it is light
July: 17 hours of light
WA
Ricklefs (1997)
during 24-hour
periodCosta Rica
October: 12 hours of light
•4
Global / Continental PositionB) What are the ecological implications of our position?
I. Present-day Climate1) Precipitation & Temperature
2) Daily & Seasonal Changes
It affects our
2) Daily & Seasonal Changes
II. Past Environment 1) Past Climate
2) Geological history
White area:
Extent of glaciation about 18,000 YBP
Global Position
Past Climate
History of G l i l
Present Climate
Our location defines our past environments
Geological Processes
Past Organisms & Ecosystems: our biogeographical
template
Global / Continental PositionB) What are the ecological implications of our position?
I. Present-day Climate1) Precipitation & Temperature
2) Daily & Seasonal Changes
It affects our
2) Daily & Seasonal Changes
II. Past Environment 1) Past Climate
2) Geological history
Our Tectonic SettingOur location defines our past geological history
The Ecology of Washington
1. Global / Continental Position
2. Regional Geography & Landforms
3. Forces Behind Landforms
I. Abiotic Environment of WA
3. Forces Behind Landforms
4. Geology
5. Climate
A) Water Bodies:Marine
Regional Geography
Strait of Juan de FucaSan Juan IslandsStrait of Georgia
Pacific Ocean
Puget Sound
•5
A) Water Bodies:Freshwater
Major Streams of WA
Columbia
Nooksack
Skagit
SnohomishEast sideColumbia
Snake
West sideColumbiaCowlitz
Regional Geography
River
Snake River
Yakima River
Chehalis
Cowlitz
Nisqually
SnakeYakima
SpokaneOkanogan
CowlitzChehalisNisquallyPuyallupGreen
SnoqualmieSnohomish
StillaguamishSkagit
NooksackSkokomish
QuinaultHoh
A) Water Bodies:Marine / Freshwater
Major Estuaries of Western Washington
Grays Harbor(Chehalis River)
Will B
Regional Geography
Willapa Bay(Willapa & Naselle Rivers)
Nisqually RiverPuyallup RiverCedar / Green RiverSnohomish RiverStillaguamish RiverSkagit RiverNooksack RiverSkokomish River
1. WA Geography & Features
B) Landscape Units:Watersheds
I. Abiotic Environment of WA
WHAT IS A WATERSHED?
Watersheds
WATERSHED WHAT IS A WATERSHED?
Murdoch & Cheo (1999)
1. WA Geography & Features
B) Landscape Units:Watersheds
l bi
Nooksack Watershed
Snohomish Watershed
Major Watersheds of Washington
Columbia
Chehallis
I. Abiotic Environment of WA
Columbia River
Watershed
Willapa & Naselle
Nisqually
Puyallup
Cedar / Green
Snohomish
Stillaguamish
Skagit
Nooksack
Skokomish
1. WA Geography & Features
B) Landscape Units: Physiographic Regions
I. Abiotic Environment of WA
Note: These are arbitrary physiographic divisions for use in our class. Many different schemes exist.
•6
Physiographic Regions of WA
Olympic Mts
1-8,000 ft
San Juan / Puget SdIslands
Cascade Mountains4-9,000 ft
(volcanoes up to
14 000 ft)
Palouse Hills
Okanogan Plateau
6 – 8,000 ftSelkirk
Mts6-7,000 ft
Coastal Lowlands
Willapa Hills
(1-2,000 ft)
Puget Lowlands
14,000 ft)
Columbia Gorge
Columbia Basin
< 2,000 ft
< 2,000 ft
Blue Mts6 - 7,000 ft
1. Global / Continental Position
2. Regional Geography & Landforms
3. Forces Behind Landforms
I. Abiotic Environment of WA
3. Forces Behind Landforms
4. Geology
5. Climate
1. Building the Landscape: Tectonic ProcessesA) Terrane accretion
B) Folding & uplift
C) Volcanism
3. Forces Behind Landforms
2. Processes Reshaping the LandscapeA) Continental Ice
B) Mountain Glaciers
C) Water
D) Wind
Forces That Shape Our Land1. Building the Landscape: Tectonic Processes
Our Tectonic Setting
Subduction – the Pacific Plate is being forced down under the North American plate as it pushes eastward
Forces that Shape our Land1. Tectonic Processes
Alt & Hyndman (1995)
Protruding pieces of crust on the Pacific Plate are scraped off and accrete onto the shoreline (“terranes”)
(A) Creating Landforms: terrane accretion
Tectonic terrane:A piece of crustal rocks
Forces that Shape our Land1. Tectonic Processes
PNW coast2-300 MYBP
Terrane accretion
Complex geology
A piece of crustal rocks separated from its original plate
Alt & Hyndman (1995)
•7
North American
Plate
(B) Creating Landforms: folding & uplift
Forces that Shape our Land1. Tectonic Processes
Pacific Plate
Montgomery (1997)
Juan de Fuca Plate
Old Basin & Range Basalt Flows: 13 - 16 MYBP
Modern Cascade Volcanoes: 3 – 500,000 YBP
(C) Creating Landforms: volcanism
Forces that Shape our Land1. Tectonic Processes
Alt & Hyndman (1994)
(A) Continental Ice
Forces that Shape our Land2. Processes Reshaping the Land
Glacier 18,000 YBP
Seattle
Olympia
Kruckeberg (1991)
• Mountain carving
• Moraines
(B) Mountain Glaciers
Forces that Shape our Land2. Processes Reshaping the Land
1) Hill & valley local topography
Water & Ice interact with geology to create unique landscapes
2) Mountain valley topography
(C) Water
Forces that Shape our Land2. Processes Reshaping the Land Erosional forces interact with geology to define habitat diversity