Resource

Ecology Ch 15

Learning Objec8ves
A"er studying this chapter, you will be able to:
1. Dis8nguish among the concepts of economic growth, economic development, sustainable development, and ecologically sustainable development. 2. Explain the dierences between renewable and non- renewable natural resources. 3. Understand the maximum sustainable yield concept and how it relates to popula8on growth. 4. Know why overharves8ng s8ll occurs when we know the consequences. 5. Describe the various types of forestry prac8ces and harves8ng of marine resources and how they impact the environment.

Resource Ecology
Is Linkage of ecological knowledge with natural resource management. Economic growth
Growing economy

Economic development
Increasing eciencies
Stand of coastal Douglas r, B.C.

Sustainable development
Growth towards a human economy that could run forever (sustainable economy). Sustainable development while maintaining biodiversity.

Forest ecosystem or 8mber?

Ecologically sustainable economy

Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem - space in which organisms are interac8ng. Ecosystem services - those func8ons that are recognized as sa8sfying human needs. A u8litarian view of nature Conven8onal economy does not value these services.

Chapleau, Ontario

Wetlands purify water and store carbon. These services would be costly if the conven8onal economy had to provide them.

Externali8es

Dierent types of value

Economic, ecosystem func8on, aesthe8c, cultural, spiritual, recrea8onal, intrinsic

Tom Thompson

Ecological Damage
Ecological damage is not considered to be a cost in conven8onal economy: Air pollu8on. Water pollu8on. Reduced soil fer8lity. Declining stocks. Declining biodiversity.

Deple8on of soil fer8lity by intensive agriculture is not considered to be a cost.

Ecological Economics
Seeks to valuate the rela8onships between economies and ecosystems. Full cost includes: Cost of repairing environmental damage, including costs of habitat restora8on. Comprehensive life-cycle assessment of energy and materials used.

Ecological economics includes damage on human health and ecosystems by air pollu8on as a produc8on cost.

Sustainable Development
Decreased use of non- renewable energy. Increased use of renewable materials. Solar, wind, hydroelectricity, geothermal Increased produc8on eciency.

Hydroelectric power is renewable energy, but dam construc8on may destroy en8re ecosystems irreplaceably .
p. 473

Non-sustainable Development
The current human economy is non-sustainable, as indicated by: Non-renewable energy.
Fossil fuels used as material (asphalt, plas8c). Metals. Deforesta8on (unmanaged). Marine sheries. Agricultural lands.

Mining for non-renewable resources depletes the stocks and oben destroys en8re ecosystems, as in case of the oil sands in Alberta.
p. 472

Easter Island
Populated 300-400 C.E. Thriving economy based on produc8ve marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Wood needed for boats, stone quarries and fuel. Deforesta8on resulted in lack of wood. Culture had collapsed by the 18th century.
Environmental Applica@ons 15.1., p. 474

Biological Resources
Harves8ng
Gathering of wild biomass or reaping a cul8vated crop.

Management
Ac8ons to improve environmental condi8ons to enhance the produc8vity or quality of a biological resource.

Oben undertaken in a coordinated manner.

Commercial landings of Cod in Atlan8c Canada.

Fig. 15.15, p. 504

Constraints on Biological Resources

Fig. 15.3, p. 475

Popula8on Growth and Harves8ng

Maximum sustainable yields
Maximum harvest (catch) of a popula8on that can occur without decreasing popula8on growth rates. Achieved when harvests maintain popula8on densi8es at K/2. Why K/2?

Collapsed sheries indicate that harvest has exceeded popula8on growth.

Pacic sardine has been subjected to huge popula8on uctua8ons, driven by shing.
Sardinops sagax

Fisheries
Sustainable sheries: Provide the best long term economic return while maintaining stable sh popula8ons.

Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)

Diagramma8c model of MSY. F(N)- Popula8on Growth Rate h - Harvest rate K - Carrying capacity

Problems with the MSY Concept

Dicult to determine in the real world because: Environmental condi8ons con8nually changing. Popula8on models imperfect. Cau8on needed when these models are applied. Best to set lower.

p. 481

Reasons for Overharves8ng

Humans view themselves as legi8mately empowered. Self-interest (tragedy of the commons). Socio-technological empowerment. Cornucopian world-view. False economy of not including environmental eects.

Humans oben perceive nature and its resources boundless, as a cornucopia.

Forestry
Important renewable resource. Dierent harves8ng methods with dierent environmental impacts: Clear-cuing Shelterwood In Canada, 90% of forest harves8ng is done as clear- Commercial thin cuts. Selec8on cuing Planta8ons
p. 487

Forestry Impacts on Nutrient Reten8on

Bormann and Likens (1981) in New Hampshire. Control and experimental stream catchments (clear- cuing). Harvested forest then Herbicide used to suppress regrowth.

Marine Resources
Biological stocks that are harvested for food:
Fish, seaweed, crustaceans, marine mammals

Harvest limits, no other management.

Salmon are being stocked in rivers.

Aquaculture rapidly growing industry.

p. 498

Atlan8c Cod (Gadus morhua)

Historically important food sh for Europe. Grand Banks immensely produc8ve. Near-shore stocks depleted by 1900. Modern technologies resulted in large captures even with declining stocks. Collapse. Moratorium 1992.
1886

1903

Cod used to be abundant and large.

p. 503

Salmon (and others) Aquaculture

Atlan8c salmon, both on Atlan8c and Pacic coasts. A large part of global sh harvest (41% in 2011). Fish food and excrement may accumulate: eutrophica8on. Toxic chemicals. Parasite and disease transmission to wild sh. Escapes, gene8c eects. Wild carnivores feed on sh pens (-ve interac8on with owners).

Fish farms oben located in shallow embayments, leading to conicts with prime loca8ons for wild sheries.
CBCs Ideas Alex Morton
p. 510