23 Feb Describe geographic patterns of vegetation types and net primary production (NPP). Explain how NPP values correspond to different types of vegetation. Describe how climate and physiography g
geology multi-part question and need support to help me learn.
Attached instruction, it’s 1 level GEOGRAPHY, on topic,Plant Productivity and Biogeography.
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GEOGRAPHY 102, Winter 2023
Assignment #2
Plant Productivity and Biogeography
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Complete the following exercises. Answer each of the questions individually, in order, in a neat typewritten report. Answers should be succinct sentences, direct and to the point. Using 12-point font and one-inch margins, the total length of your written submission should be approximately 3-4 double spaced pages (not including tables or diagrams). Please organize your report with the question numbers but WITHOUT the question/instruction text included in this document. There are various files associated with this exercise (pdfs, images and Excel spreadsheets) posted to onQ.
Due Date: Friday 24 February 2023 11:59 p.m. EST (submit to onQ)
Late Penalty: 10% per day penalty will apply without a valid excuse approved prior to the deadline up to a maximum of 7 days.
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The purpose of this exercise is to demonstrate the relationship between climate, vegetation growth/productivity and vegetation patterns across Canada. It will also introduce you to the relationship between climate vegetation and soils.
You will need to review the following information and data sources to complete this assignment:
Arbogast, A.F., Ford, L., Dagesse, D. 2018. Discovering Physical Geography, Chapter 10 Plant Geography, John Wiley and Sons, Canada
Canadian National Vegetation Classification (CNVC)
Vegetation Zones of Canada
(map also provided as a pdf)
Vegetation Classes and Factsheets
Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data
Recommended Reading
Liu, J., Chen, J.M., Cihlar, J., and Chen, W. 2002. Net primary productivity mapped for Canada at 1-km resolution, Global Ecology and Biogeography, 11(2) 115-129. (available on onQ).
Learning Objectives
Describe geographic patterns of vegetation types and net primary production (NPP).
Explain how NPP values correspond to different types of vegetation.
Describe how climate and physiography give rise to various productivity gradients across North America and specifically Canada.
EXERCISE #1: Deriving Net Primary Production (NPP) and Decay Time
In this exercise, NPP is measured as the total weight of new material in all living plants, i.e., plant biomass produced annually within a square meter area over the course of a year (g m-2 yr-1) (Lemke et al, 2009). The NPP values that will be used here are modelled based on a relationship between annual NPP and annual Actual Evapotranspiration (AE) for Big Cypress Swamp, Florida (US EPA1973). The model is as follows:
NPP = 2.29(AE) 366.8
A natural process in ecosystems is that of decomposition of leaf and woody material which provides a continual recycling of nutrients for future use by living biomass. Similar to NPP, decomposition rates can be modelled based on knowledge of AE. A decomposition rate of 100% would indicate that all litter produced in that given year decomposes within one year. In this exercise you are provided with decomposition rates and are asked to calculate decay time which is derived as:
1/X
where X is the decomposition rate expressed as a decimal ratio (e.g., 35% = 0.35).
Productivity (i.e., NPP) gradients describe the change in productivity over space (i.e., distance). Changes in productivity can be gradual or dramatic, depending on local climatic conditions and physiographic conditions. For instance, changes in altitude can give rise to rapid changes in productivity given rapidly changing temperatures and perhaps moisture regimes.
Questions (14 marks)
Complete the first part of Table 1 (i.e., Excel spreadsheet provided) by calculating NPP and decay time using the equations provided above. (5 marks)
Some tropical rainforests have AE of 1600 mm (e.g., Leopoldo, Franken and Villa Nova, 1995). Derive the estimate of NPP for these areas. Explain the differences between a tropical rainforest NPP and that of the Vancouver Coastal Rainforest. See your text (Arbogast et al., 2018) for a description of Tropical Rainforests. (3 marks)
The equation/model for the AE:NPP relationship is derived from direct field measurements from Big Cypress Swamp, Florida which is located in a tropical climate. Explain the NPP values derived for Resolute, Nunavut in the context of how the model was developed from data collected at Big Cypress Swamp. Do these values reflect the actual conditions for Resolute? Explain. (3 marks)
Explain why a site such as Moosonee, Ontario has such a potential to accumulate significant fire load, and hence be hazardous for forest fires. (3 marks)
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Note: Exercise?1 is adapted, in part, from: Lemke, K.A., Ritter, M.E., Heywood, N.C., 2009. Physical Geography Laboratory Manual, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, Toronto, 336.
EXERCISE #2: Canadian National Vegetation Classification (CNVC)
For this exercise, you will be examining different vegetation zones at a range of ecological scales as defined within the CNVC. Given Canadas expanse and the wide ranging climatic, physiographic and environmental conditions, Canada is host to a wide range of vegetation classes and ecological conditions from coast to coast to coast.
Questions (36 marks)
For each site in Table 1, determine the Vegetation Class to which they are located. Use the ?Vegetation Zones of Canada: a Biogeoclimatic Perspective map for this purpose and input this information to Table 1 (use the excel spreadsheet provided). If you are not familiar where some of these sites are, you can use Google Maps to determine where the sites are and then reference them to the map of vegetation zones. A pdf of the map is provided in the assignment folder in onQ. This exercise will give you a sense of the variability of vegetation zones within Canada (i.e., biogeoclimatic variability). (5 marks)
Refer to the 1981-2010 climate normals for this exercise: Obtain the annual daily mean temperature, annual daily mean maximum temperature, annual daily mean minimum temperature and total precipitation data for each site in Table 1. Input these data directly into the excel spreadsheet (Table 1). As you complete this table take note of the relationships between temperature and precipitation data and vegetation zone. (10 marks)
Some sites may have more than one climate station. For instance, Edmonton has four climate stations. International/National Airports tend to have sophisticated weather stations which are well maintained (e.g., Edmonton Intl A). Also, city centre stations may be influence by heat island effects but also may have the longest records. Use data from the climate stations identified in Table 1.
Compare and contrast the following vegetation zones:
M024 Vancouverian Coastal Rainforest
M496 West-Central North American Boreal Forest
CM742 Eastern Canadian Temperate Deciduous Forest
Complete the table/matrix below (Table 2) to help you in your comparison. Use your text, the fact sheets from the Canadian National Vegetation Classification and Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data website, the Soil Orders of Canada website () and any other sources you deem suitable. The Soil Orders of Canada map and descriptions are also in your text on p. 295-306. (12 marks – 4 marks per site)
Discuss the impacts of climate in these zones on productivity and the reasons these zones have such contrasting climate conditions and productivity levels. Examine the data in Table 1 as well as other climate variables from the Government of Canada and the descriptors for each CNVC site (see fact sheets for each of these vegetation zones that are available on onQ).
Also, you have climographs for Tofino, Yellowknife, and Kingston (from Assignment 1) which are representative of the Vancouverian Coastal Rainforest, West-Central North American Boreal Forest, and Eastern Canadian Temperate Deciduous Forest, respectively. Include the climographs (with captions) of Tofino, Yellowknife, and Kingston with your answer (remember, these centres are simply representative centres within the three vegetation classes and the climate variables will vary somewhat within each vegetation zone). Obtain the temperature and precipitation data from the Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data website (see Question 6) for Tofina A, Yellowknife A, and the Kingston Pumping Station. Also, include the annual mean monthly temperature range. The NPP and Decay Time values are provided for you (derived from Vancouver, BC, Hay River, NT, and Ottawa, ON respectively).
Write a paragraph outlining the primary differences between these three vegetation zones, specifically as related to general climate and soils. (9 marks – Summary/Synopsis paragraph 6 marks; 3 marks for including three proper climographs)
Table 2
Total Marks for Assignment 2 = 50 marks [12.5% of final grade]
References
Lemke, K.A., Ritter, M.E., Heywood, N.C., 2009. Physical Geography Laboratory Manual, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, Toronto, 336.
Leopoldo, P.R., Franken, W.K., Villa Nova, N.A., 1995. Real evapotranspiration and transpiration through a tropical rain forest in central Amazonia as estimated by the water balance method, Forest Ecology and Management, 73:185-195.
Meentenmeyer, V., and Elton, W. 1977. The potential implementation of biogeochemical cycles in biogeography, The Professional Geographer, 29:266-271
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1973. Ecosystems Analysis of the Big Cypress Swam and Estuaries. EPA 904/9-74-002. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
