The Fish and the Forest
By Scott M. Gende and Thomas P. Quinn
- Salmon-catching bears fertilize forests with partially eaten carcasses of their favorite food.
- The fish turns bright red with a pale green head as they prepare to spawn in fresh water.
- Nutrients in salmon are 19g of Calcium, 800g of proteins, 20g of phosphorus, 120 of lipids, and 132g of nitrogen that equal to 200000 kilojoules of energy.
- 250m reach of stream in southeastern Alaska received more than 80kg of nitrogen and 11kg of phosphorus in form of chum salmon tissue in just over a month.
- Salmon life cycle - emerge from the gravel in streams or lakes in spring -> migrate to the ocean over various periods of time -> return to their natal streams to spawn and die after living at sea between 1 and 4 years. But most juveniles die at sea.
- Death of adult salmon produce a large net flow of nutrients and energy from the ocean to streams and lake ecosystem.
- The total amount of nitrogen and phosphorus provided by salmon carcasses equals or exceeds recommended concentrations of commercial fertilizer for plants in northern forests.
- Bears actually fertilize the forests, nourishing them by discarding partially eaten salmon carcasses.
- Average # of salmon killed by bears is 1,183/3,907.
- The uneaten portion of the fish furnish food for insects, birds, and small mammals and fertilize plants.
- Salmon are a crucial resource for the bears.
- Bears carry a carcass to the stream bank and not eat a bite after it's a male or female salmon that has already spawned her eggs.
- Bears consumed about 25% of each captures salmon, selectively eating only the parts highest in fat content, such as the eggs.
- 200kg female brown bear capture more than 40 chum salmon at a small stream in southeastern Alaska.
More than 50 species of terrestrial vertebrates nourished by salmon carcasses. 70% of nitrogen in the foliage of streamside shrubs and tress is of salmon origin. The bears are truly ecosystem engineers: they deliver marine-derived nutrients to the riparian system. Reduces the number of salmon or bears will affect the nutrient flow and the many creatures that depend on it. Because both of them are contribute to the ecosystem by providing the nutrients for the living organisms and especially, for water ( lakes, ocean, streams, etc.) Even dead salmons are very useful for providing nutrients to organisms.
I've never thought that salmons and bears are important species to the environment, even salmon carcasses. Without bears, there will not be enough remains of salmon to provide nitrogen, phosphorus and fats for other organisms, and without
salmon, there will not be any nutrients. In other words, we must protect these precious species as much as possible, don't let them extinct. They're two diamonds in our treasure, fortunately, we have them, so why don't we protect them?
So what?
- Bears and salmons are 2 species that real important to environment and still exist. Without them, there will be enable contribute for providing nutrients to living organisms and water such as lakes, oceans, streams, etc.
What if?
- ... bears and salmons extinct? There will be a huge effect on the organisms that live depend on nutrients that had provided by salmons and " engineer " bear.
Says who?
- Scott M. Gende and Thomas P.Quinn - authors of the article The Fish and TheForest
What does this remind me of?
- This remind me of the ocean acidification, because only small mistakes from people can strongly impact on the other living organisms lives. Action with caution!
- The fish turns bright red with a pale green head as they prepare to spawn in fresh water.
- Nutrients in salmon are 19g of Calcium, 800g of proteins, 20g of phosphorus, 120 of lipids, and 132g of nitrogen that equal to 200000 kilojoules of energy.
- 250m reach of stream in southeastern Alaska received more than 80kg of nitrogen and 11kg of phosphorus in form of chum salmon tissue in just over a month.
- Salmon life cycle - emerge from the gravel in streams or lakes in spring -> migrate to the ocean over various periods of time -> return to their natal streams to spawn and die after living at sea between 1 and 4 years. But most juveniles die at sea.
- Death of adult salmon produce a large net flow of nutrients and energy from the ocean to streams and lake ecosystem.
- The total amount of nitrogen and phosphorus provided by salmon carcasses equals or exceeds recommended concentrations of commercial fertilizer for plants in northern forests.
- Bears actually fertilize the forests, nourishing them by discarding partially eaten salmon carcasses.
- Average # of salmon killed by bears is 1,183/3,907.
- The uneaten portion of the fish furnish food for insects, birds, and small mammals and fertilize plants.
- Salmon are a crucial resource for the bears.
- Bears carry a carcass to the stream bank and not eat a bite after it's a male or female salmon that has already spawned her eggs.
- Bears consumed about 25% of each captures salmon, selectively eating only the parts highest in fat content, such as the eggs.
- 200kg female brown bear capture more than 40 chum salmon at a small stream in southeastern Alaska.
More than 50 species of terrestrial vertebrates nourished by salmon carcasses. 70% of nitrogen in the foliage of streamside shrubs and tress is of salmon origin. The bears are truly ecosystem engineers: they deliver marine-derived nutrients to the riparian system. Reduces the number of salmon or bears will affect the nutrient flow and the many creatures that depend on it. Because both of them are contribute to the ecosystem by providing the nutrients for the living organisms and especially, for water ( lakes, ocean, streams, etc.) Even dead salmons are very useful for providing nutrients to organisms.
I've never thought that salmons and bears are important species to the environment, even salmon carcasses. Without bears, there will not be enough remains of salmon to provide nitrogen, phosphorus and fats for other organisms, and without
salmon, there will not be any nutrients. In other words, we must protect these precious species as much as possible, don't let them extinct. They're two diamonds in our treasure, fortunately, we have them, so why don't we protect them?
So what?
- Bears and salmons are 2 species that real important to environment and still exist. Without them, there will be enable contribute for providing nutrients to living organisms and water such as lakes, oceans, streams, etc.
What if?
- ... bears and salmons extinct? There will be a huge effect on the organisms that live depend on nutrients that had provided by salmons and " engineer " bear.
Says who?
- Scott M. Gende and Thomas P.Quinn - authors of the article The Fish and TheForest
What does this remind me of?
- This remind me of the ocean acidification, because only small mistakes from people can strongly impact on the other living organisms lives. Action with caution!