Lab Project 4 “Hotspots”

Introduction: This lab discusses the Andes and why they are considered a hotspot. The different types of ecosystems are important to the different species of plants and animals in a particular region. This project highlights some of the endemic plants and animals in the Andes, the socio-economic status of the Andes, and why the species biodiversity in this region is decreasing (Climate change and Humans).

The Andes

http://www.destination360.com/south-america/peru/images/s/andes.jpg, Accessed May 7, 2012.

Results: A biodiversity hotspot is a place where it is rich in endemic (native) plants and animals that are threatened by people. The Andes is considered a hotspot because around 80 percent of the Andes’ most important ecosystems are unprotected. A study found that 226 endemic species, those found no-where else, were afforded no protection (Hance, 2012). A combination of climate change and habitat destruction is pushing many species into new locations and some have no-where to go.  

Below are eight questions that will give you a broader idea of why hotspots are important and how the extinction of animals and plants affect us and what different organizations are doing to help endangered species.

1.      Describe the location of your hotspot and the type of ecosystems found there.

The Andes Mountains extend from north to south through seven South American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. These mountains are the longest and one of the highest mountain ranges in the world; they run north to south (4,500 miles) along the western coast of South America. The climate changes throughout the biome because there are some places that are closer to the equator. The Andes are separated into three natural regions: the southern, central and northern regions. The northern region is hotter because it is closest to the equator.

The Ecosystems of the Andes are influenced by altitude. The Paramo is the highest mountain region in the Andes and is located in the northern region. This unique ecosystem reaches to the glaciers and is home to distinct some 2,000 plants and animals. The paramo is tropical montane vegetation that lies above the continuous forest line yet below permafrost. The vegetation consists of giant rosette plants, shrubs and grasses. The vegetation provides shelter and habitat to many mammals, birds, insects, amphibians and reptiles.

 The central region of the Andes is the Puna grasslands ecoregion, of the montane grasslands and shrub lands biome. The puna grasslands cover most of southern Peru. This ecosystem consists of Central Andean wet and dry puna. The wet puma is an ecoregion at high elevation, wet, montane grassland in the southern high Andes, occurring from northern Peru to northern Bolivia. The wet puna shares its border on the west with the Sechura desert and the east with the wet Peruvian Yungas. The characteristically mountainous landscape contains high lakes, mountain valleys, snow covered mountains, and plateaus. Central Andean dry puna is an ecoregion that is a very dry, high elevation montane grassland of the southern high Andes. It extends into northern Chile and Argentina and east into western Bolivia occurring above 3500 m between the tree and permanent snow lines. The vegetation of the dry puna consists of tropical alpine herbs with dwarf shrubs. Within the dry puna are salt flats, high plateaus, snow covered peaks and volcanoes. 

 The Southern region of the Andes ecosystem is called the Tropical Andes. The Tropical Andes is divided by a valley and spilt into by two regions (Northern and Southern). This biodiversity hotspot was named the “global epicenter of biodiversity” according to the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (Heisler, 2012). The Tropical Andes holds 45,000 plant species, over 1,500 bird species, over 800 amphibian species and nearly 500 reptile species (Heisler, 2012). One sixth of all plant species in the world reside in the Tropical Andes. This region includes many types of cloud forests at many varying altitudes, including the montane cloud forest that covers nearly 200,000 square miles in Peru and Bolivia. This ecosystem is rich in orchids and bromeliads among many other flowering plants. The cloud forests is home to approximately 4200 species of orchids and have a huge variety of bird species. Other ecosystems include patches of dry forests, woodlands, cactus stands, thorn scrub found in this hotspot.

The Paramo

                                                            http://www.mobot.org/mobot/research/paramo_ecosystem/images/Cotpaxi_Aedo.jpg, Accessed May 7, 2012.

                                                                   The Puna Grasslands

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Romanceor_Altiplano_1.jpg/310px-Romanceor_Altiplano_1.jpg, Accessed May 7, 2012.

Montane Cloud Forest

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRYeoGbxZV41b4AYZrGGdQP_nbAdKPWPmtIvi22KhBhk75-asRTpQ, Accessed May 7, 2012.

2. Describe one endemic animal species and plant species found in the Andes.

Thttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chestnut-breasted_Coronet, Accessed May 7, 2012.

 The Chestnut-breasted Coronet is a type of humming bird that is found in the humid montane Andean forests. This bird is particularly vulnerable to changes in the environment or climate. The Chestnut-breasted Coronet utters high-pitched chirps and whistles. The short calls are given by both sexes from perches and indicate their feeding territories.

http://www.chileflora.com/Florachilena/FloraEnglish/HighResPages/EH1467.htm, Accessed May 7, 2012

Adesmia Aphyla is one of the many endemic plant species of the Andes. Their habitat is according to altitude. They prefer medium altitude up to the timberline and prefer dry, arid areas fully exposed to the sun.

3. Explain how the hotspot meets criteria of a biodiversity hotspot?

The biodiversity hotspots says for a region to be considered a hotspot they must be the most richest and most threatened reservoirs of plant and animal life on Earth.

The Tropical Andes are one of the richest and most diverse regions on Earth. There are 226 endemic (native species) species found in the tropical Andes that are not found no-where else on Earth. These species are threatened by climate change and habitat destruction by people who reside in the Andes. This destruction is pushing many species out of their home. This hotspot also maintains the largest variety of amphibians in the world with 664 distinct species; unfortunately, almost 450 of them are listed as threatened. In addition, a unique plant species in the Andes called the Andean Bromeliad that requires 100 years to mature and is threatened by deforestation.

4. Give a general description of the regions socio-economic conditions.

The economic standing in the Andes is quite poor. The indigenous have limited access to medical care, electricity and water. The topography limits roads and access to airports, so delivery of food to markets is limited and food brought in if available is expensive. Agriculture and population growth are recent. Within the last 8, 000 years a specialized desert-and-highland agriculture was developed. Dozens of crops have been domesticated like the potato, corn and cotton among many others. The high altitudes have made agriculture quite difficult. Keeping crops from freezing the Andean people have developed preserves of freeze-dried meat, fish and others that can be kept indefinitely and weigh much less than the original food. The Andean people are resilient. The Andes can be treacherous to crops and civilizations, but the indigenous have discovered and built technology to make their life easier.

5. State the human induced and/or natural reasons why species biodiversity has decreased in that region and explain what is being done to protect this particular area and its species. 

Human impacts such as deforestation, agriculture, dams and road building are affecting the Andes cloud forests. People residing in the Andes are increasing and their cities are expanding and encroaching on native vegetation leaving only 25% of the original vegetation intact in the Tropical Andes. At higher altitudes the indigenous have seasonal burnings, grazing, agriculture, mining and fuel wood collection that have degraded the  grasslands and scrublands of the puna and paramos. Extensive cultivation of opium poppy has led to clearing thousands of montane forests and the spread of chemical herbicides through rivers and streams that pose threats to plant and animals especially amphibians. In the lower altitudes, a new and serious threat is oil exploration and development on the eastern slopes of the Andes and the adjacent Amazonian lowlands of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. In recent decades, large oil and gas discoveries have been made in these areas, making the region a hydrocarbon hotspot as well as a biodiversity hotspot. Industrial and small-scale mining for diamonds, iron ore, gold, and bauxite also pose threats throughout the hotspot. The growing network of roads that accompanies this industrial development is also bringing waves of migrants fleeing economic hardship in the highlands. Finally, invasive alien species, many of which were introduced as human food sources or to facilitate agriculture, threaten the survival of native flora and fauna. Alien species include exotic grasses used for cattle grazing, the rainbow trout, and the American bullfrog, which can out-compete or even eat many native amphibians. Looking at a broad range of ecosystems across the Andes in Peru and Bolivia, the study found that 226 endemic species, those found no-where else, were afforded no protection whatsoever.

Climate change affects species biodiversity in the Andes as well. Endemic species are restricted to a specific area and occur nowhere else. These species are especially vulnerable to climate and environmental changes because they require unique climates and soil conditions. Due to the Andes heating up, species have begun migrating upslope to keep up with climate change. Glaciers are also posing a threat due to higher temperatures. They have begun to melt posing threats to the indigenous people and endemic species.

Despite the high level of threat in the Tropical Andes, a network of protected areas today conserves some of the most important remaining intact ecosystems in the hotspot. Protected areas cover some 16 percent of the original extent of vegetation in the region, although only about eight percent of the hotspot is protected in reserves or parks in IUCN categories I to IV. However, even these parks are not inviolate, and without adequate enforcement and monitoring, they can be damaged by settlement, poaching, and illegal logging. One method for identifying priority areas for the expansion of protected area networks is by identifying sites for species that face the greatest risk of global extinction. Globally threatened species are best protected through the conservation of sites in which they occur; these sites are referred to as “key biodiversity areas” (KBAs). KBAs are discrete biological units that contain one or more globally threatened or restricted-range species, and can potentially be managed for conservation as a single unit. In the Tropical Andes hotspot, Conservation International and the BirdLife International partnership recently completed the identification of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) which provide a starting point for incorporation of other taxonomic groups as we continue in the identification of KBAs throughout the region.

6. Answer these questions. You should at minimum answer in three complete sentences for each and use your text plus a Web site like US Fish and Wildlife as references. See grading criteria for details.

1. Is it important to be concerned with species extinction? State two reasons why or why not?

As populations grow, the cities extend encroaching on the indigenous animals (Johnson 2012). The impact of deforestation on wildlife extinction is severe. Deforestation is the greatest eliminator of species. Wildlife extinction should be important to all of us because it affects everyone. Throughout history plants and animals have provided humans with food, clothing, energy, medicines and structural materials. Saving species from extinction maintains equilibrium with nature.

b. What is one endangered or threatened species in your region? See the US Fish and Wildlife Web site

http://www.fws.gov/ or another resource. What threats does it face? What is being done to help?

http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Andean_Cat.jpg, Accessed May 7, 2012.

The Andean cat lurks in the rocky cliffs of the Anden Mountains. This cat preys on large rodents. The Andean people are killing the Andean cats because they believe that this cat is responsible for killing local herders goats. This is posing a significant threat to the already critically endangered species. To protect the cat, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in Argentina is using $29,000 in grant money from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Wildlife Without Borders program to expand a successful “Guard Dog” project, which was piloted five years ago. The Guard Dog project begins with WCS purchasing a puppy and giving it to a herder when a goat has recently given birth. The puppy is then taught to nurse from the nanny alongside a kid, which imprints the puppy and results in social bonds. As the puppy grows to be an adult, the dog becomes the goat herd’s greatest protector, fending off carnivore predators such as the Andean cat (The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 20120). How cool is that.

c. Do you think you as an individual should be concerned with the loss of biodiversity in hotspots located far away, from where you live? Explain your reasoning.

Yes, I am concerned with the loss of biodiversity in hotspots located far away, from where I live because it affects everyone. We take animals and plants for granted not knowing how much we rely on them. Plants and animals provide us with food, shelter, clothing, medicine, climate regulation, soil formation and pollution processing. Eliminating a species takes one more cure from a deadly disease and flushes it down the drain. I firmly believe that every animal and plant has a specific duty to perform on Earth and when that species is eliminated that job is no longer performed and however small it is we feel its effects.

Conclusion: My lab project demonstrated how important plant and animal species are to a particular environment. Human impact can be severe to the point of eliminating an entire species. This affects everyone no matter what part of the world you live in. By completing this project, I learned what a hotspot was and how rich they are in endemic plant and animal species.