Comparing ecosystems Regional ecosystems is an ecosystem classification system devised by the Queensland Herbarium. It is now used extensively in environmental planning and conservation. Ecosystems are classified in this system using three criteria: Bioregion Land zone Vegetation For example, Regional Ecosystem 11.4.3 Brigalow-belah shrubby open forest on Cainzoic clay plains. We will explore each of the three criteria through ecosystem comparisons Exercise 1 Below is a map of Queensland’s bioregions—the first criteria used in Regional Ecosystems. Choose two different bioregions to research. What can you find out about the characteristic abiotic and biotic factors of each bioregion? Fill in the table below Bioregion Abiotic factors Biotic factors Each bioregion will have unique flora and fauna. See if you can find examples of the following species interactions that are unique to each of your chosen bioregions. Complete the following table by describing each of the species interactions you found. Bioregion Predation Competition Mutualism Bioregions can also have different diseases affecting both natural biodiversity and livestock. Research a disease present in each of your bioregions and complete the table Bioregion Disease Exercise 2 Click the following link: o https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ On the left hand side, click Layers, then Add layers Click the down arrow on Biota (Flora & Fauna) Select Biogeographic region You will now see the borders of the bioregions layered over a satellite image of Queensland. Zoom into a random spot on either of the bioregions you chose to investigate. Now scroll down on layers tab and click the down arrow on Regional ecosystem mapping. Select Landzone – remnant Zoom in and out until you can see the coloured layers Using, the legend on the right-hand side select a landzone to investigate and not its associated number. For example, I am choosing the pink area to investigate in the above image, which according to the legend is ‘Cainozoic sand deposits, extensive flat or gently undulating plains’ Take note of your land zone number i.e it is 5 in this case Take note of the approximate area that your landzone covers in your field of view. Uncheck the Landzone – remnant layer, but leave your map in the same position. Click the down arrow on Broad vegetation groups Select Remnant BVG – 1:1 Zoom in until you can see the coloured layer. Using the legend, choose a broad vegetation group to investigate that was in the same area as the land zone you selected. For example, on the above I am choosing 30b Take note of the broad vegetation group number. If you happen to have white space over the area covered by your landzone, this means there is no remnant vegetation there. In this case you should go back and selected another land zone until you find a land zone with some remnant vegetation on it. You have now identified a part of Queensland using the Regional Ecosystems classification. Repeat this process for another area within the other bioregion you selected to investigate and record associated numbers. Exercise 3 In this exercise, you will investigate your chosen regional ecosystems and compare their characteristics. Click the following link: https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/regional-ecosystems/ You can investigate each of your regional ecosystems by first clicking on its bioregion, then the land zone, and then the vegetation group. Using the information under both of your ecosystem classifications, complete the following table to compare them Regional ecosystem Abiotic factors Biotic factors Exercise 4 We will now compare the climate of each of our ecosystems. Click this link: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/data/index.shtml?bookmark=136&zoom=2&lat=20.7065&lon=147.78&layers=B00000TFFFFFFFTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTTT& dp=IDC10002-d Select climate statistics under I would like Now select a point on the map close to one of the areas you investigated previously Select monthly climate stats Make a note of the following: o Mean annual maximum temperature o Mean annual minimum temperature o Mean annual rainfall Repeat this process for the other area you have been investigating and fill in the table Regional ecosystem Mean annual maximum temperature Mean annual minimum temperature Mean annual rainfall Using your knowledge of how environmental factors limit the distribution and abundance of species in an ecosystem, describe how you think the climate influences what kind of vegetation is present in each of your regional ecosystems. Exercise 5 In this exercise, you will compare the rate of clearing of each of your regional ecosystems. Click the following link: https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/soe2017-extent-andrate-of-change-of-remnant-native-vegetation/resource/2017-indicator-1-1-0-1-1 Search the table and find the bioregion and broad vegetation group for each of the areas you are investigating. Remember you can scroll across using the arrow at the top. Open an excel document and copy into it the data from each of your bioregions with associated broad vegetation groups (you cannot actually copy this so you will need to type it in by hand. Highlight your data selection Click the insert tab, then select the line graph option. Now select Line with markers Название диаграммы 23500 23000 22500 22000 21500 21000 20500 20000 19500 19000 Northwest highlands--eastern eucalypt woodlands to open forests Gulf plains--rainforests scrubs Add an appropriate axis labels. Write an appropriate figure caption. Paste your graph with figure caption below and then write a short paragraph describing the trends shown.
