LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY SREM 3011 LECTURE 12 Dr Brendan Mackey Department of Geography The Australian National University
LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY SREM 3011 LECTURE 12 Dr Brendan Mackey Department of Geography The Australian National University
Conceptual framework: model response of ecological criteria' phenomena to the primary environmental regimes At a meso scale, climatic variables based on long term, mean monthly rainfall, maximum& minimum temperatures provide fundamental inputs to light, heat, moisture regimes Nutrient regime?? Discuss next week Next few lectures: role of topography in defining PERs at a topo scale moisture regime radiation regime climate(meso) vs topo-scaled topographic effects
• Conceptual framework : model response of ecological ‘criteria’/phenomena to the primary environmental regimes • At a meso scale, climatic variables based on long term, mean monthly rainfall, maximum & minimum temperatures provide fundamental inputs to light, heat, moisture regimes • Nutrient regime?? Discuss next week Next few lectures: - role of topography in defining PERs at a topo scale moisture regime radiation regime - climate (meso) vs topo-scaled topographic effects
Next 2 weeks lectures A. Topo-scaled modelling of PERs B. Other statistical models for analyzing site data C. Ecological classification regionalization
Next 2 weeks lectures: A. Topo-scaled modelling of PERs B. Other statistical models for analyzing site data C. Ecological classification & regionalization
If species distributions are a function of the moisture, radiation thermal and nutrient regimes then the more accurately we'track,them(ie the PERs), the better we can ' track'plant and animal response Moisture regime is only coarsely approximated by precipitation precipitation is a useful index of moisture regime at regional scales, but limited/problematic at both continental and smaller scales Problem: estimate moisture regime across entire landscape, factoring in (1)evaporation topography and soil profile how to generate gridded estimates in an analogous manner to our climate models?
• If species distributions are a function of the moisture, radiation, thermal and nutrient regimes, then the more accurately we ‘track’ them (ie. the PERs), the better we can ‘track’ plant and animal response • Moisture regime is only coarsely approximated by precipitation - precipitation is a useful index of moisture regime at regional scales, but limited/problematic at both continental and smaller scales • Problem: estimate moisture regime across entire landscape, factoring in (1) evaporation (2) topography and (3) soil profile : how to generate gridded estimates in an analogous manner to our climate models?
Mean annual precipitation(mm) within a region, evapo -'constant P-E& available moisture (AM) As E>P must to have same amt of am Therefore important for continent. wide analysis
Mean annual precipitation (mm) • within a region, evapo ~ ‘constant’ • P- E& available moisture (AM) • As E>, P must > to have same amt of AM Therefore important for continentwide analysis