0% found this document useful (0 votes)
28 viewsBio100L SamplePresentation
Kelp forests are highly biodiverse ecosystems located along cold, nutrient-rich coastal waters. They provide habitat for a large variety of organisms through their high rates of photosynthesis. Sea otters are a keystone species in kelp forests that have a disproportionate impact by controlling sea urchin populations. When sea otter numbers declined due to hunting, sea urchins increased and destroyed kelp forests, causing declines in other species. Recovery of sea otter populations has allowed kelp forests and dependent species to rebound.
Uploaded by
Dghdk NfksdnfCopyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
28 viewsBio100L SamplePresentation
Kelp forests are highly biodiverse ecosystems located along cold, nutrient-rich coastal waters. They provide habitat for a large variety of organisms through their high rates of photosynthesis. Sea otters are a keystone species in kelp forests that have a disproportionate impact by controlling sea urchin populations. When sea otter numbers declined due to hunting, sea urchins increased and destroyed kelp forests, causing declines in other species. Recovery of sea otter populations has allowed kelp forests and dependent species to rebound.
Uploaded by
Dghdk NfksdnfCopyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
/ 3
9/5/12
KELP FOREST BIODIVERISTY !
What is Kelp? !
Marine algae belonging to the Order Laminariales !
Kingdom: Chromalveolata!
NOT Plantae!
Priya Shukla ! Topic: Biodiversity (Week 12) ! September 4, 2012 !
Anatomy of Kelp !
Anatomy of a Kelp Forest !
Canopy Kelps oating canopies at oceans surface! Stipitate Kelps extend a few meters above the sea oor in dense aggregations! Prostrate Kelps lie along the sea oor! Benthic Algal Assemblage other algal species along the sea oor! Encrusting Coralline Algae cover the rocky substrate (sea oor)!
Kelp Forest Locations !
Occur in cold, nutrient-rich waters! Located all along the California coast! Can be found in Arctic and Antarctic Circles! Require light for photosynthesis, rarely found in waters deeper than 15-40 m! !
What does all this mean in terms of biodiversity? !
9/5/12
Kelp Forests Are Productive !
Lots of habitat for lots of organisms !
Kelp forests have high rates of photosynthesis and require lots of nutrients! This attracts A LARGE VARIETY of organisms!
Organisms in Kelp Forests !
All of these organisms are sustained by ONE very important organism !
Sea Otters: A KEYSTONE SPECIES !
Sea Otters !
KEYSTONE SPECIES: has a much larger impact on the ecosystem than its population numbers would suggest!
9/5/12
The Effect of Sea Otters !
In the 18th century, trappers began hunting sea otters for their fur ! By 1911, there were less than 50 sea otters along the California coast! As the sea otters declined, sea urchin populations increased! This caused kelp forests to DISAPPEAR, which caused several other organismal populations to decline!
Restoration of Sea Otters !
California sea otter populations have since recovered, with 3,000 individuals (there were 16,000 individuals prior to trapping) ! Since they have become more abundant, California kelp forests have recovered, allowing other populations to also recover!
Restoration of Sea Otters !
Without sea otters, kelp forests and the organisms that depend on them would cease to exist!
REFERENCES !
Estes,
J.A.,
E.M.
Danner,
D.F.
Doak,
B.
Konar,
A.M.
Springer,
P.D.
Steinberg,
M.T.
Tinker
and
T.M.
Williams.
2004.
Complex
trophic
interacKons
in
kelp
forest
ecosystems.
BulleKn
of
Marine
Sciences
74:621-638.
