Discussion
of Rimmer, C.C, J.M. Townsend, A.K. Townsend, E.M. Fernández, and J.
Almonte. 2005. Avian Diversity, Abundance, and Conservation Status
in the Macaya Biosphere Reserve of Haiti. Ornitologia Neotropical 16:
219–230.
Answers to
homework assignment:
1. Purpose of
the study (why)- Last part of the intro – document avifauna and habitat
- Targeted surveys for species of concern
- Evaluation protection needs for Macaya
- Feb. 2004, 2 sites in Macaya Biosphere Reserve
- Rak Bwa 18 19.45N 74 1.48W
- Plaine Boeuf 18 21.01N 73 59.42W
- Mist nets
- Vocalizations
- 37 species of birds
- Rak Bwa (36 species) and Plaine Boeuf (16 species) differ in diversity
- Rak Bwa has 2x number of birds
- More endemic species and indiv at Plaine Boeuf
- 1 – 5 from the last paragraph
We review
quizzes – latitude and longitude were the most missed, along with the 3 National
Parks = Macaya, La Visite, Citadelle
A national
park is an area of land protected by national laws.
Review the location
of the tropics – between Tropic of Cancer = 23˚ 27’N and the Tropic of
Capricorn = 23˚ 27’S.
Be able to
draw these on a map -
Tropic of
Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn
Latitude
& Longitude
Equator,
Prime Meridian, International Date Line
The
technical term for this is geographic coordinate system.
Geographic
positioning systems (GPS) are hand-held devices we can use to determine
latitude and longitude of our location, and how to navigate to other sites. We can also use maps that show the latitude
and longitude lines.
Why do we
need to know this? In scientific studies,
we report locations using latitude and longitude.
The closer
to equator, the more rain and less variation in daily and monthly temperature
we experience.
Latitude
- Imaginary horizontal lines
- that are parallel and
- equal distance from each other.
- Each degree of latitude is approximately 69 miles (111 km) apart.
- Lines are numbered from 0° at the equator to 90° at the north and south poles.
- The equator divides our planet into the northern and southern hemispheres.
Longitude
- Imaginary vertical lines
- that converge at the poles.
- They are widest at the equator where they are about 69 miles (111 km) apart.
- Zero degrees longitude is located at Greenwich, England (0°). This is the Prime Meridian.
- The Prime Meridian divides our planet into the western and southern hemisphere.
- From the Prime Meridian the lines are numbered to 180° east and 180° west where they meet and form the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean.
Degrees
- Divided into minutes (') and seconds (").
- There are 60 minutes in each degree.
- There are 60 seconds in a degree.
AUC is at
18°12'48"N 73°45'16"W
Altitude =
elevation as measured from sea level which is at 0 meters in elevation.
- Temperature decreases as altitude increases.
- Altitude affects the distribution of precipitation.
- Plant and animal species vary by altitude.
Sea level =
0 m
Pic Macaya =
2,347 m
We reviewed
the mountain ranges of Hispaniola.
RAIN SHADOW
= a dry area on the LEEWARD sides of mountain ranges. It is created due to an air mass rising up
the windward side of a mountain. As air
rises and cools, water condenses and comes out as precipitation. When this air mass passes over the mountain
it descends but has no moisture.
 |
| Rain Shadow - In Haiti this image would be reversed with the rain coming from the direction of the DR. (from Bariot at the English Wikipedia project) |
Windward – The
side facing into the wind - directly receives the wind. The upwind side.
Leeward – The
side facing away from the wind. The
downwind side.
We showed
how the mountain ranges on Hispaniola create a rain shadow over Haiti. The DR receives more rain than Haiti. The western valleys, along the Haitian border,
remain relatively dry, with less than 760 mm (29.9 in) of annual
precipitation, due to the rain shadow effect caused by the central and northern
mountain ranges.
Altitude
mimics latitude in temperature!
As an ecologist
you need to understand these weather patterns because you will find different
plants and animals at the top of a mountain than at sea level.
For example,
the bird Tody –
- Two species live in Haiti, both are endemic to Haiti
- Broad-billed Tody (kolibri, Todus subulatus) – Found at a maximum elevation of 1,700 m.
- Narrow-billed Tody (kolibri mon, Todus angustirostris) – Found at higher elevations of 900 – 2,400 m.
- They look very similar but have different voices. Where they overlap from 900 to 1,700 m you can differentiate them by voice.
As an agronomist
you need to understand these weather patterns because different crops need
different growing conditions.
High altitudes
– beans, cabbage, potatoes, yams, & coffee.
Coffee quality improves with elevation (and thus you can sell it for
more money, such as Jamaica’s Blue Mountain coffee)
Low altitudes
– bananas produce fruit sooner at warmer temperatures.
Likewise,
beans, cabbage, potatoes, yams grow well in northern US (higher latitude),
while bananas grow in Florida (lower latitude).
CONCLUSION -
Climate patterns give rise to different assemblages of organisms around the
globe!
LAB
Scientific
method = (these examples weren’t given during class)
- Make observations (We see mutated frogs in a pond)
- Ask questions (Is something in the pond causing the mutations?)
- Form hypothesis (tentative answer to the question) (Contamination in water cause the mutations.)
- Make predictions based on the hypothesis (We will find contamination in the pond with the mutated frogs, and none in the ponds without mutated frogs.)
- Test the predictions through observation or experiments (Collect water from both ponds and test for contaminates)
- Make conclusions based on the predictions.
Read Aubé,
M. and L. Caron. 2001. The mangroves of the north coast of Haiti -
A preliminary assessment. Wetlands Ecology and Management 9:271–278.
- In a 1 – 2 page paper, answer how the article addresses the 6 steps of the scientific method (write a short paragraph per step).
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