The Department of Biological Sciences welcomes back as its seminar speaker, Dr. Walter Carson of the University of Pittsburgh. His background and research interests can be found at the following URL: http://www.biology.pitt.edu/person/walter-carson
Dr. Renne will be hosting Dr. Carson and I would strongly encourage folks not only to attend his seminar, but also try to arrange a chat with him via Dr. Renne.
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ReplyDeleteDr. Carson’s lecture was very interesting. His focus was on the eastern deciduous forest and the relationship between decrease in certain species and the amount of browsing occurring in those areas. It has been found from his research that the understory and floor are much less diverse than the canopy. Some plants are shade tolerant and are able to grow in low light, another advantage of plants are those that are browsing resistant. There are many prevalent signs that the browsers are depleting the diversity of the floor. Once depleted these plant are few and far between and only found in areas such as rocks or found in the seed- bank. Dr. Carson’s group attempted to restore this loss via natural disasters (Fire) and decreasing browser. I was surprised to hear that fire stimulates seeds to come out of the seed-bank and can potentially stimulate regeneration of once dormant plants. What are some ways we can attempt to restore the diversity of these forest? Also what types of plants are browser resistant and shade tolerant species? Also what are some problems that we could face if these problems are not fixed?
ReplyDeleteI listened to Dr. Carson speak last year when he came to YSU. His presentations definitely never disappoint. I think some of the ways we can attempt to restore the diversity of the forests are to reduce deer populations and actively help reestablish wildflower populations. In addition, we may be able to go through areas and as Dr. Carson tested, create some fires and make some open areas. This may help to stimulate new growth.
ReplyDeleteA plant that is browser resistant are ferns.
Dr. Carson believes we have already passed the threshold of being able to restore to previous conditions. However, I believe that even though we may be passed this time we can still help to further these conditions. Conservation takes time and knowledge to the public and thats where I feel things lack. If enough people are informed things may be able to change. Scientist alone cannot make things happen. If the problems are not fixed, continual loss of wildflowers will result, more honeybee loss, loss of trees, and the list could go on and on. In addition, with loss of trees, we face an increase in CO2, adding to depletion of the ozone and increase in climate temperature, ice melting, sea levels rising... I could continue, but you get the picture.
Dr. Carson’s presentation was both interesting and informative about the state of our major forests. It was surprising to see the effects local wildlife can have on the local plant population and how critical the need for fire is to certain species. One of the ways to help restore the diversity would be conducting controlled fires. This would allow those species that are signaled by intense heat or by-products of the fire to begin their germination. However, failing to keep a fire under control in a heavily wooded area may lead to disastrous results. An escaped fire could destroy homes, business, or even result in death if it ever reached a heavily populated area.
ReplyDeleteA plant that is both shade tolerant and moderately resistant to deer is the Cephalanthus occidentails or Buttonbush.
If these problems are left unresolved, we run the risk of many different species of plants and trees going extinct. This would cause a disruption in the ecosystem that would have widespread impacts. For example, the extinction of specific trees or plants could remove shelter or a food source from the environment. Other organisms that depended on those plants or trees now must either adapt or face possible extinction themselves. The loss of specific shelter granting trees could result in a mass migration of birds to a new location. This could cause disruptions in that local ecosystem resulting in more ecological problems.
First off let me say that Dr. Carson was an excellent speaker. I attended the same seminar in 2013 for Senior Capstone, and it was still interesting to hear his research.
ReplyDeleteThere are quite a few plants that are browse-resistant and many that are considered shade-tolerant. Some browse-resistant plant species include Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis (Royal fern), Salvia spp. (Sage), Yucca spp. (Yucca), and Ilex opaca (American holly). A few shade-tolerant species include Cornus racemosa (Gray dogwood), Carpinus carolina (American hornbeam), and Asimina triloba (Pawpaw).
As Dr. Carson presented, fires are important to maintain certain species’ survival. The implementation of controlled burns may help. Deer population control is arguably one of the most detrimental to plant species’ survival and forest maturation. Not only has this overpopulation affected plants, other species, such as songbird populations, have been affected as well (http://blog.nature.org/science/2013/08/22/too-many-deer/). States must implement policies to reduce deer numbers. Perhaps the greatest challenge is getting the general population to care and become informed. Taxa will continue to decline until diversity is lost and many become extinct.
Dr. Carson gave a very interesting and entertaining presentation. Some browse-tolerant species, specifically deer tolerant, include pines, wax myrtle, ginkgo, and the China berry tree. Some shade-tolerant plants include hydrangeas, primroses, boxwood, and azalea. Some ways to prevent further decrease in plant species diversity in the eastern deciduous forest could be to introduce large amounts of diverse seed species in the soil bank to promote that germinatipn of a couple seeds at least. Controlled fires and differing canopy size areas in different areas can allow different fire intolerant and tolerant as well as shade intolerant and tolerant species growth. More deer population regulation is important since they heavily browse plants. Some regulations can be to make deer-free enclosures to promote browse intolerant species, as well as human regulation like open hunting to reduce the deer population size. Lack of diversity can cause certain species to go extinct if they are only found in that area. This can affect organisms that depended on it, causing their departure from thr area or even their own extinction if they are only found in the area as well. Even human industry can decrease if these rare or extinct plant species are needed for materials.
ReplyDeleteDr. Carson's enlightened me on a problem that I never knew existed. I never would have imagined that our forests were in such peril, which greatly concerns me as an avid outdoorsman and lover of nature. It appears to be quite clear from Dr. Carson's research that the greatest contributor to the problem is the whitetail deer, with populations significantly larger than they should be. Therefore, I believe the remedy that would have the greatest impact would be reducing those populations by increasing the limits that hunters may harvest per year. Ohio has been more progressive at doing so compared to neighboring states where harvest limits of whitetail vary among counties. Hunters are legally able to harvest more deer from counties with larger populations of whitetail deer. However, Dr. Carson informed me that populations still remain too large in Southeast Ohio where the highest number of deer of harvested in the state. I also believe that controlled burns of forests should be conducted in an attempt to allow seeds of plants that have been dropped many years ago to grow as many of these seeds may be very near to limits of viability. I fear that we may lose the beauty of our deciduous forests, which likely would impact the entire globe similar to the way rainforest destruction and further drive climate change.
ReplyDeleteIn order to restore the diversity firstly, we must protect remaining vegetation. Then, control of plant and animal species (Exclusion of deer), planting (Species that is characteristic to that particular ecosystem), as well as controlled fires.
ReplyDeleteAesculus spp. (Buckeyes) is a shade tolerant and Sea Urchin Blue Fescue is a deer resistant plant.
Since biodiversity is a link between all organisms if we can’t fix these problems the human kind can face future food problem by making food supplies unguarded to disease and pesticide.
Some of the shade tolerant trees include Arizona Madrone, Texas Madrone, Nootka Cypress, Sitka spruce and Canyon spruce. On the other hand generally the deer do not like plants with pungent aromas and so these may be referred to as the deer tolerant trees and shrubs. This may include strong-scented plants like lantana, catmint, chives, mint, sage or thyme. Deer also shy away from plants with prickly or rough leaves and plants with a bitter taste. Sometimes, deer browse new plantings or established plants with tender new growth, then avoid those same plants when their leaves are mature.
ReplyDeleteJust as Dr Carson said, deer over browsing continues to present a big challenge to the native forest cover. Through selective browsing the deer has seriously impaired successful forest tree regeneration and influenced the vegetation that grown in the forest. The species preferred by the deer, Oak, for example in many forests where the deer browses are diminishing and they would even get extinct if proper protective measures are not implement. The deer does not only feed on mature trees but even more on the seedlings which even kills any future prospective growth.
In some cases, over browsing by the deer as eliminated the entire understory. Or else, it has led to a legacy of increased competition where the resilient species overgrow and suppress the growth of others by producing shade on the floor of the entire forest. Besides deer browsing has led to diminished seed bank, production and slow growth rate.
To mitigate this, and as Dr. Carson put it, maybe controlled fire and reducing the population of the deer would help. But what is even more important is that the government may come up with proper policy frame work that ensures a lasting solution to this problem especially considering the magnitude of damage it potent on the ecosystem.
It was very interesting to learn theverything effect of overpopulation can have on local forests. I would never have imagined deers could reduce the biodiversity on the forest floor so drastically. THe biodiversity ha a reduced to such an extent that there is more biodiversity found on rocks than the forestuff floor. It is crazy to think of plants growing out of rocks but these are some of the few areas the deer cannot reach and this is why these plants are growing there. As a person who normally opposes hunting, something needs to be do be done to reduce deer population. Either through establishing more fences around forested lands or more extensive hunting and even providing incentives for those helping to cull the population. I hope something will be done soon,before we reduce the biodiversity of our forest further.
ReplyDeleteI think Dr Carson's presentation was very interesting. Since ecology is not my strongest subject, it was nice to learn some new information. I was not aware that some of the forests are in serious danger. For example, in West Virginia there is a problem with regeneration of oaks, and they discovered some of the possible reasons of forest change, such as fire or browsing. Also, it was interesting to learn that animal species can have a negative effect on biosystem. For example, deer species. One would think that deer is not harmful for the forest at all. But they actually cause damage to plants and trees, since those are their source of food.
ReplyDeleteI think poeple should take some actions in order to prevent forest diminishing,and save plants and trees.