Biodiversity Stewardship_Assignment 7

https://drive.google.com/a/vt.edu/file/d/0B2EfJxxGs0juazNyS1h0YnFvWEU/view?usp=sharing  (link contains slides with notes)


 

Definition of Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the interwoven, diverse "fabric of life" at the species level, as well as genetically and ecologically.  The variety of life and the relationships that exist at these various levels are vital to healthy ecosystems and the human race.

According to the National Wildlife Foundation, some studies predict there may be over 100 million species on Earth, yet we have only identified 1.7 million.  While tropical rainforests have the most diversity, longleaf pine ecosystems (once occupying a 90 million acre range) are one of the most diverse in North America.  Although these systems are vast, they are representative of only a fraction of the rich biodiversity that exists on our planet we have yet to discover.

https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conservation/Biodiversity.aspx

Welcome!!

Welcome to my explorations of biodiversity within the longleaf pine historic range.

The Longleaf Pine Ecosystem was once the dominant forest of the South, encompassing more than 90 million acres across nine states from Virginia to Texas.  Despite such a vast range, fragmentation, unsustainable harvest, conversion to other land uses and vegetative types, invasive species, and exclusion of fire, longleaf pine forests were reduced to slightly more than 3% of its historic reach across the landscape - a higher rate of loss than most other threatened ecosystems, including wetlands in the Southeast and rainforests worldwide.

Outside of the tropics, one would be hard pressed to find a more biologically diverse system.  According to the Range-Wide Conservation Plan for Longleaf Pine, more than 140 species of vascular plants can be found in a 1,000 square meter area with as many as 50 different plant species in one square meter.  Over 900 endemic plant species can be found only in this ecosystem. This system is home to over 170 of the 290 reptiles and amphibians found in the Southeast.  Not surprising, due to the extensive losses that have occurred of this forest type, 29 species associated with the longleaf pine ecosystem are Federally listed as threatened or endangered.

Fortunately, forestry, wildlife, and biodiversity conservation conservation communities, from the ground to Washington, have united to restore this ecosystem across the 90 million-acre historic range due to the exceptional ecological wealth and biodiversity this system represents.  Bringing awareness to this tremendous biodiversity while implementing actionable items to accelerate the pace and scale of restoration of this iconic ecosystem will be the intended outcome of this study.