RRMT 235 - Ecological Land Classification

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Questions and Answers

What is ELC?

Ecological Land Classification.

What kind of system is the ELC?

Hierarchical

What is the delineation of ELC based on?

Vegetation, climate, and soils.

Why do we classify ecosystems?

To facilitate sustainable, ecosystem-based land use planning and land management applications. Signup and view all the answers

What is PEM?

Predictive Ecosystem Mapping. Signup and view all the answers

What factors influence ecosystem expression?

Climate, physical site characteristics, biota, time. Signup and view all the answers

Ecosystems develop as a result of the interactions of _ with their _ environment.

Biota, abiotic Signup and view all the answers

What two factors in climate determine ecosystem expression?

Precipitation, temperature. Signup and view all the answers

What three physical characteristics determine ecosystem expression?

Topography, parent material, soil. Signup and view all the answers

What are four systems of ecosystem classification?

Biomes, ecoregions, bioclimatic zones, biogeoclimatic ecosystems classification (BEC). Signup and view all the answers

What is BEC?

Biogeoclimatic ecological classification. Signup and view all the answers

What are three systems of ecosystem classification broadly based on?

Regional climate, vegetation types, landforms. Signup and view all the answers

What are three different scales of ecological classification?

Global, national, regional. Signup and view all the answers

What is the global system of ecological classification?

Biomes. Signup and view all the answers

Which biome is the Yukon in?

Boreal forest/Taiga. Signup and view all the answers

What is the ecological classification of Canada?

Ecozones. Signup and view all the answers

What is the two ecological classification of the Yukon?

Ecozones and ecoregions. Signup and view all the answers

What is the major practical difference between the ecoregion classification and the biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification?

Ecoregion classification uses elevations, whereas BEC delineates altitudinal belts of ecological zones. Signup and view all the answers

_________ communities are used to characterize ecosystem units.

Plant Signup and view all the answers

Vegetation and soils are products of what?

Climate, organisms, topography, parent material, time. Signup and view all the answers

Why are plants and soil ideal for characterizing ecosystem units?

They integrate all ecosystem components. Signup and view all the answers

What three site attributes affect plant growth and community composition?

Climate, soil moisture, soil nutrients. Signup and view all the answers

What is the fundamental unit or Ecological Land Classification?

Site Association. Signup and view all the answers

Define a climax ecosystem.

Final, stable state of an ecosystem. Signup and view all the answers

A climax ecosystem is considered to be in ________.

Equilibrium Signup and view all the answers

Define equilibrium.

Structure and function are maintained until next large scale disturbance. Signup and view all the answers

What does a climatic climax reflect?

The development potential of the prevailing regional climate. Signup and view all the answers

What do edaphic climax ecosystems more strongly reflect?

Site conditions. Signup and view all the answers

When may alternate climax ecosystems occur?

After disturbance on ecologically equivalent sites. Signup and view all the answers

What do zonal ecosystems represent?

The average of all influencing conditions on the landscape. Signup and view all the answers

Zonal ecosystems best reflect what?

The regional climate of the area. Signup and view all the answers

The integrated influence of climate on the vegetation, soil, and other ecosystem components is most strongly expressed in those ecosystems LEAST influenced by...

Local topography or by physical and chemical properties. Signup and view all the answers

What are used to characterize bioclimatic units?

Zonal systems. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the axis of the edatopic grid.

Soil nutrient regime and relative soil moisture regime. Signup and view all the answers

In the absence of disturbance, the same plant communities will develop on _____ sites.

Ecologically equivalent Signup and view all the answers

What does ecological equivalence refer to?

The similarity in site conditions that are meaningful to plant growth. Signup and view all the answers

The same climax plant association will develop on _____ sites.

Ecologically equivalent. Signup and view all the answers

At the site unit, what is used to classify?

Soil moisture regime and soil nutrient regime. Signup and view all the answers

What is SMR?

Soil moisture regime. Signup and view all the answers

What is SNR?

Soil nutrient regime. Signup and view all the answers

A zone is a large geographic area with broadly similar type of _____

Climate. Signup and view all the answers

Zones are usually named after one or more of the _____ species in zonal ecosystems.

Dominant climax. Signup and view all the answers

Subzone names are derived from classes of ___ and _ or ___.

Relative precipitation, temperature, continentality. Signup and view all the answers

Variants of subzones receive what to their labels?

Short geographic labels. Signup and view all the answers

What is the site series or ecosite?

The operational unit for forest management decisions. Signup and view all the answers

What classification system is the base of forest management decisions?

Site series or ecosite. Signup and view all the answers

Why might an ecosite not have a characteristic climax plant association at a given time?

Because of disturbance and succession. Signup and view all the answers

If an ecosite does not have characteristic climax plant association, what else can be used?

Characteristic seral stages in site-specific chronosequences. Signup and view all the answers

In the face of climate change, what will remain stable?

Site component. Signup and view all the answers

What is likely to change within an ELC due to climate change?

Vegetation. Signup and view all the answers

What are changes that are likely to happen to a zone as a result of climate change?

Plant species, natural disturbance regimes, novel ecosystems could emerge. Signup and view all the answers

What are the five uses of ECL?

Communicating common language, predicting resources, disturbance management, understanding management options, silviculture. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Ecological Land Classification (ELC)

ELC stands for Ecological Land Classification, a system to categorize land based on ecological characteristics.
It operates on a hierarchical structure, mapping land units based on ecological similarity.

Delineation Factors of ELC

ELC delineations are based on three main factors: vegetation, climate, and soils.

Purpose of Ecosystem Classification

Facilitates sustainable land use planning and management applications.
Organizes ecological information for effective management.
Enhances understanding of ecosystems and their interrelations.
Provides a common language for land managers to describe ecosystems.
Supports Predictive Ecosystem Mapping (PEM).

Predictive Ecosystem Mapping (PEM)

PEM provides a framework for anticipating ecosystem attributes based on various data inputs.

Influencing Factors on Ecosystem Expression

Ecosystem expression is shaped by climate, physical site characteristics, biota, and the temporal aspect (time).

Ecosystem Development Interaction

Ecosystems develop from the interactions between biota and their abiotic environment.

Climate and Ecosystem Expression

Precipitation and temperature are the two critical climate factors influencing ecosystem traits.

Physical Characteristics Influencing Ecosystem Expression

Topography, parent material, and soil structure determine ecosystem expression.

Topographical Factors

Slope, aspect, and hydrology are specific topographical elements affecting ecosystem characteristics.

Ecosystem Classification Systems

Four primary systems include biomes, ecoregions, bioclimatic zones, and biogeoclimatic ecosystems classification (BEC).

Biogeoclimatic Ecological Classification (BEC)

BEC is a system that classifies ecosystems within biogeoclimatic zones based on regional climate and ecological factors.

Systems of Ecosystem Classification

Ecosystems are broadly classified based on regional climate, vegetation types, and landforms.

Scales of Ecological Classification

Ecological classifications can occur at global, national, and regional scales.

Global Ecosystem Classification

The global system is defined by biomes, which categorize large ecological areas.

Yukon Ecosystem Biome

The Yukon is primarily classified as a boreal forest or taiga biome.

Canada’s Ecological Classification

Canada's ecosystems are classified into ecozones, with the Yukon specifically having ecozones and ecoregions.

Ecoregion vs. BEC Classification

Ecoregion classification delineates geographical units based on elevation, while BEC focuses on altitudinal ecological zones.

Characterization of Ecosystem Units

Plant communities are crucial for characterizing ecosystem units due to their integration of ecosystem components.

Vegetation and Soils Composition

Vegetation and soil are influenced by climate, organisms, topography, parent material, and time.

Importance of Plants and Soil

Plants and soil are ideal for ecosystem characterization as they integrate ecosystem components, reflect functioning, and are easy to assess.

Site Attributes Affecting Plant Growth

Climate, soil moisture, and soil nutrients significantly influence plant growth and community composition.

Fundamental Unit of ELC

The fundamental unit in ELC is the "Site Association," referring to an assemblage of biota on ecologically similar sites.

Climax Ecosystem Definition

A climax ecosystem represents the final, stable state of an ecosystem at the end of a natural succession pathway.

Equilibrium in Ecosystems

Climax ecosystems exist in equilibrium, maintaining structure and function until a large-scale disturbance occurs.

Climate and Ecosystem Development

Climatic climax reflects the potential for development based on prevalent regional climate conditions.

Edaphic Climax Ecosystems

Edaphic climax ecosystems emphasize site conditions that influence their structure and functioning.

Zonal Ecosystems Representation

Zonal ecosystems symbolize the average conditions affecting the landscape, integrating climatic and topographic factors.

Bioclimatic Units Characterization

Zonal systems are used to define bioclimatic units, highlighting the regional climate's influence on ecosystem development.

Edatopic Grid Description

The edatopic grid's horizontal axis represents soil nutrient regimes, while the vertical axis depicts soil moisture regimes.

Ecological Equivalence

Ecological equivalence refers to similar site conditions relevant to plant growth, leading to similar plant associations.

Classifying Ecosystem Units

Ecosystem units can be classified based on soil moisture and nutrient regimes (SMR and SNR).

Zone Definition and Characteristics

A zone is defined as a large geographic area with homogeneous climate types.

Criteria for Naming Zones

Zones are named after dominant climax species and may include modifiers based on geographic or climatic attributes.

Subzone Naming Criteria

Subzone names are derived from classes of relative precipitation and temperature, alongside continentality.

Operational Units in Management

The site series or ecosite acts as the basis for silvicultural and forest management decisions.

Ecosite Characteristics

Ecosites may lack characteristic climax associations at times due to disturbances or succession patterns.

Climate Change Stability

Site components are expected to remain stable in climate change, reflecting relative SMR and SNR.

Anticipated Changes Due to Climate Change

Vegetation is likely to change, producing new absolute SMR and SNR conditions.

Likely Ecosystem Changes from Climate Change

Expected changes may include shifts in plant species, alterations in natural disturbance regimes, and the emergence of novel ecosystems.

Uses of Ecological Classification Language (ECL)

ECL serves to communicate, predict resources, manage disturbances, understand management options, and inform silvicultural practices.

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Description

Explore the fundamental concepts of Ecological Land Classification (ELC) in this set of flashcards. Learn about the hierarchical systems of ELC and how vegetation, climate, and soils help define and classify land units. Ideal for students aiming to grasp the essentials of ecological mapping.