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| Dr. Dyer with gusaneros Lucho (L) and Wilmer (R) in the station's Maquina |
The following are some notes that I jotted down during Dr. Dyer's evening discussion on July 23, 2013...
** Research is conducted in Ecuador, in part because of the impressive diversity of the region.
** In addition to studying plants, herbivores, and parasitoids, Dyer and his teams have researched hyper-parasitoids (or parasites that breed in and feed on other parasites within a host caterpillar... I call it a turducken of parasites).
** There are countless species of plants and animals in the rain forest, and there are many more still to be discovered.
** The food webs of ANY ecosystem are still very incomplete
** Interaction diversity = diet breadth, species richness, and interactions... studied since the 1970s (Dan Janzen)... measures tritrophic levels
** There has been 50 years of study by rearing caterpillars, showing connections between plants, herbivore insects (caterpillars), and parasitoids.
** Piper plants contain chemicals that serve as toxins to deter some herbivores (like hemlock which contains 8 toxins).
** Synergy = combined compounds and their interactions (ie Mountain Dew, coffee, Yerba Matte all have chemicals that interact with caffeine).
** Climate Change = rising temperatures, rising CO2 levels, and extreme weather... All combine to decrease interaction diversity = global change
** 63% of European nonmigratory butterflies have shifted ranges northward (envelope model)... but if host plants can't move north or upslope, then what??
** Extreme weather increase = not more hurricanes but more intense hurricanes (etc.)
** Parasites (like wasps) can't handle extreme weather events as well as moths and butterflies (which leads to more damage caused by moths and butterflies on crops in regions affected by extreme weather events).
** GOAL = phenological asynchrony --> phenological (when things happen) + asynchrony (delinking, i.e. parasites from caterpillars)
** Change in CO2 and temp --> i.e. Saponin (toxin) almost doubled with high temps vs ambient temps (normal)... alfalfa could become toxic to mammals if temps increase (could happen over our lifetimes).
**Biocontrol works = parasitoids are killing caterpillars (which kill alfalfa) and no insecticides are needed.
** Higher temps + higher CO2 = no parasitoidism (BAD)... we need parasitoids so global temperature and carbon dioxide increases (plus extreme weather events) are bad for all of us.
** Increased climate change = less species diversity and seriously declined interaction diversity (host shifting MAY occur for parasitoids to survive).
** Stability, productivity, ecosystem function are UP if species and interaction diversity are UP
** The draw for Earthwatch = natural history (getting connections and answering our questions).
** What if we don't examine our world now and extinction happens without us knowing it? That's almost worse than the extinction itself. (paraphrase of Dan Janzen, ca. 1974)
WESTON J.
ReplyDeleteClimate Change = rising temperatures, rising CO2 levels, and extreme weather... All combine to decrease interaction diversity = global change
I think that its interesting how one thing can lead to another that will affect humans. It also tells us we need to be careful of what we release into the atmosphere and the harm that it can do.
Climate change- rising temperatures, rising CO2 levels, and extreme weather... All combine to decrease interaction diversity = global change
ReplyDeleteClimate change is very important because it plays an extremely important role in our lives. We need to be very cautious about the constant weather changes because people need to make sure they stay safe. It also teaches us to be careful about what you release into the air, because it could create more extreme weather changes.
Parasites (like wasps) can't handle extreme weather events as well as moths and butterflies (which leads to more damage caused by moths and butterflies on crops in regions affected by extreme weather events).
ReplyDeleteI think this note has very important issues in it. I am very concerned that since there is going to be more extreme weather events, then the crops will be destroyed by the moths and butterflies. This is bad because the crops did not grow well this year because it was so hot. The hotness came from global warming and affected many other more areas in our world.
Climate Change = rising temperatures, rising CO2 levels, and extreme weather... All combine to decrease interaction diversity = global change
ReplyDeleteClimate change is very important. It is a huge role in people's lives. We need to be careful on what we put in this earth and make sure it is safe and will not harm anyone. If we are not careful and release what should not be in the air could create more extreme weather.
** Climate Change = rising temperatures, rising CO2 levels, and extreme weather… All combine to decrease interaction diversity = global change.
ReplyDeleteI think this is one of the most important notes of the ones listed. A decrease in diversity means less variation of each species which may lead to total extinction. Negative climate changes caused by humans must be addressed immediately. These global changes over many years, if not corrected, will lead to loss of life of plants, insects, animals and maybe humans.
Climate Change = rising temperatures, rising CO2 levels, and extreme weather... All combine to decrease interaction diversity = global change
ReplyDeleteClimate change is very important because it plays a big part In how people live. I think that people need to take care of what they release in to the world because If they don't and release what should not be in the air it could create more extreme weather and hurt many animals, plants, and people.
Stability, productivity, ecosystem function are UP if species and interaction diversity are UP
ReplyDeleteThe greater the veriaty and number of species and interaction with one another, the healthier the ecoystem is. I think this is because species have to adapt and change which makes them stronger.
Climate change is causing a lot of havoc on the earth. Water levels are increasing in some areas and decreasing in other areas. Carbon dioxide levels and global temperatures are on the rise. Look at how hot is has been here in Southern California and how dry. Climate change is having major effect on animals too - threatening extinction. Islands may disappear under the water. Humans are effected by all this too. Different weather patterns at different times of year.
ReplyDeleteClimate change = rising temperatures , rising co2 levels, and extreme weather... All combine to decrease interaction diversity =global change.
ReplyDeleteI think that climate change is a huge and very serious problem because it can play a huge part in our lives and other living things lives too. we cause most of this climate change by releasing toxic chemicals into the air like CO2. This negative climate change caused by us needs to be changed. We need to be careful about what we release into the air!
Climate change = rising temperatures, rising CO2 levels, and extreme weather… All combine to decrease interaction diversity = global change.
ReplyDeleteClimate change is very important and is a terrible problem in the world. People will start to get sick and not be able to handle the heat and animals, plants, ext. will possibly become extinct if it doesn't stop. The climate change effects everyone and everything in the world and is a major problem that needs to be fixed. Humans cause most of this climate change by releasing dangerous chemicals into the air such as CO2 and much more and this climate change is now teaching us to be careful of what gets released into the air.
Climate Change = rising temperatures, rising CO2 levels, and extreme weather effects all living and non living things
ReplyDeleteIt affects us humans by hurting our ecosystem with terrible heat strokes, and ruins our homes, buildings, and other structures with awful storms. This also affects our crops because in California the heat stroke a few months back made farmers not have enough water to feed there plants
Climate Change = rising temperatures, rising CO2 levels, and extreme weather… All combine to decrease interaction diversity = global change.
ReplyDeleteClimate change affects us because it can hurt our crops if it gets to hot, keep us in this drought, and destroy animals habitats destroying them.
BROOKE B.
ReplyDeleteIf one thing can lead to another that will affect what happens to us humans than we should be very careful of what we do to our world. One day the earth will be destroyed because of us and we don’t know what will happen to us. We need to be more conservative and more wise of what we are doing to this world.
ZOE W.
ReplyDelete** Higher temps + higher CO2 = no parasitoidism (BAD)... we need parasitoids so global temperature and carbon dioxide increases (plus extreme weather events) are bad for all of us.
Higher temperatures and higher C02 are very bad and cause no parasitoidism which is very bad. We need to be very careful that we don't waste parasitoids so global temperatures and carbon dioxide increases.
SEBASTIAN M.
ReplyDeleteThere are countless species of plants and animals in the rain forest, and there are many more still to be discovered. There are many more species that we haven't found yet. This is important because we have a lot more to learn about. Some may not be safe and may contain poison or other diseases.
JANE W.
ReplyDeleteParasites (like wasps) can't handle extreme weather events as well as moths and butterflies (which leads to more damage caused by moths and butterflies on crops in regions affected by extreme weather events).
This is a very serious situation because right now the weather is getting over 100 degrees and the butterflies and wasps won't handle the weather that much longer.
LIZA B.
ReplyDelete1. Tempters rise toCo2 levels and to extreme tempters.
2. Climate change is big part to human life .People need to think more about how they treat this earth and have more respect to nature and animals so we don't have extreme weathers as much.
FIONA D-C.
ReplyDeleteThe rising temperature =rising CO2 levels and extreme weather. When all these elements are mixed together they decrease interaction diversity.
I think that people have to be careful of what they release into the air so that this problem doesn't get worse.
NICHOLAS Y.
ReplyDelete** Climate Change = rising temperatures, rising CO2 levels, and extreme weather... All combine to decrease interaction diversity = global change.
This is an important topic to me because if we do not take care of the environment then there will be great consequences. If we don’t try to help reduce the CO2, this will have many effects on the environment. The planet will become warmer and some animals will become extinct, if we do not try to minimize the CO2 levels. We can reduce the CO2 levels by car pooling, riding bicycles, using less electricity and hot water. We need to take care of the planet so that it will last for centuries to come.
ALYSSA W.
ReplyDeleteThe increased climate change really got me. The the climate changes too much, than the living things that have adapted to the former climate, might just be killed off because they might not adapt in time. This includes humans.
NICK M.
ReplyDeleteClimate Change = rising temperatures, rising CO2 levels, and extreme weather... All combine to decrease interaction diversity = global change This is important because it changes the world.
ALEX W.
ReplyDeleteExtreme weather increase = not more hurricanes but more intense hurricanes (etc.)
I feel this is interesting because it's saying that we are not getting more hurricanes, but we are getting more extreme ones. And those bigger hurricanes are the ones that are damaging our communities (not necessarily in California)
Parasites (like wasps) can't handle extreme weather events as well as moths and butterflies (which leads to more damage caused by moths and butterflies on crops in regions affected by extreme weather events).
ReplyDeleteInsects such as butterflies, moths, wasps, caterpillars, and bees play a very big role in our ecosystem. If they are not able to adapt to extreme weather, then our crops will be endangered. Farmers rely on insects such as bees and butterflies to to pollinate the harvest. Moths and caterpillars eat the leaves off of plants. Wasps hunt crop eating insects and this makes them a gardeners friend. Regions that depend on crops may face trouble because these insects are an essential part of keeping the plants healthy.
MIKAELA K.
ReplyDeleteClimate change = rising temperatures, rising CO2 levels, and extreme weather… All combine to decrease interaction diversity = global change
Climate change is extremely important because it plays such a big role on humans lives. This tells us we need to be cautious because of all of the weather changes and I think people need to be very careful of what they put in this world so it doesn't harm anyone. It can just make everything worse and could cause more weather changes and will affect nature.
RYAN H.
ReplyDeletewith climate change there is many things that can happen. One of the things are extreme weather conditions such as tornados. Climate change also can cause danger to animals.
STUDENTS,
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS SERIES OF BLOG POSTS REGARDING MY TRIP TO ECUADOR AND THE STUDY OF CLIMATE CHANGE. YOUR RESPONSES HAVE BEEN THOUGHTFUL AND FOCUSED. THANK YOU!
This blog post is now closed.