Question

Logging companies own significant amounts of land in the coastal ranges of California and typically hold onto their land for many decades. Their most important harvest is the redwood tree, which thrives, in moist, cool environments. The many small creeks that run through the coastal ranges support aquatic organisms including algae, fish, and invertebrates such as insect larvae and crustaceans. Because logging disturbs the soil, causing sediment to erode into the creeks, environmentalists have pushed for regulations preventing logging within a specified number of feet from all creeks. However, if the logging companies were given a choice, they would prefer to log the trees very close to the creeks.

1. Using the concepts of limiting factors and primary productivity, explain why the logging companies would like to be able to log next to the creeks.

2. Consider the effect that logging next to the creeks could have on the primary productivity within the creek. Explain two abiotic factors that could be changed by the logging and whether each of these changes would be expected to increase or decrease the primary productivity of the creek ecosystem.

Answer 1

Logging companies prefer to log near creeks due to the favorable conditions that increase redwood productivity. However, abiotic factors like increased sediment and altered light can decrease aquatic primary productivity, affecting organisms in the creek ecosystem.

Step-by-step explanation:

Logging Near Creeks and Its Impact on Primary Productivity

Logging companies may prefer to log near creeks due to the ideal growth conditions provided by the moist, cool environments, which are essential for the thriving of redwood trees. These conditions are closely tied to limiting factors which, if optimized, can increase the primary productivity of the redwoods, resulting in a more profitable harvest due to faster tree growth and shorter rotations between logging.

Abiotic factors that could be changed by logging include sediment levels and light availability. An increase in sediment from disturbed soil can lead to smothering of aquatic plants and a decrease in water clarity, thereby reducing primary productivity within the creek ecosystem. Conversely, increased light due to canopy removal may increase primary productivity temporarily until the sedimentation effects overshadow any benefits.

However, these actions can have detrimental effects on the aquatic organisms by altering their habitat and the quality of their environment. Specifically, increased sediment in the water can clog fish gills and decrease populations of species relying on clear water, while changes in light conditions could disrupt growth patterns of algae and other primary producers.

Answer 2

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