Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 11.5 Control on ecosys-
tems can come from (a) outside or (b)
inside the ecosystem. (a) At the scale
of the globe, patterns of temperature
and precipitation can predict biomes
(adapted from Whittaker 1975 ). (b) A
wide array of biotic and abiotic char-
acteristics of ecosystems change in
response to the invasion by zebra
mussels. In a synthesis of results from
many studies examining ecosystem
characteristics before and after zebra
mussel invasion, Strayer et al. (1999)
reported the percentage change in,
from left to right, microzooplankton,
phytoplankton, macrozooplankton,
unionid clams, macrobenthos, sus-
pended solids, dissolved inorganic
nitrogen (DIN), Secchi disk transpar-
ency, planktonic bacteria, and soluble
reactive phosphorus (SRP). The black
line represents the percentage change
in each of the variables in the Hudson
River and bars represent changes
described in other ecosystems.
(a)
-15
Arctic -
alpine
-10
Tundra
-5
Cold
temperate
0
Taiga
5
Temperate
forest
10
15
Warm
temperate
20
Tropical
Tropical
seasonal
forest
Tropical
rainforest
25
30
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
Mean annual precipitation, cm
(b)
100
50
0
-50
-100
 
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