Northern Appalachians and Atlantic Maritime Highlands

This ecoregion covers 82,865,628 acres and includes 523 rare species (ConservationByGeography). Additionally, the major abiotic features of this ecosystem are air, weather, water, soil, and altitude (5.1)(ConservationByGeography). The major biotic features of this ecosystem are plants, animals, humans, and decomposers (5.1)(Northern Appalachian Ecoregion). Throughout the different trophic levels, role/species include examples such as primary producer: trees, the primary consumer: squirrels, secondary consumer: fox, tertiary consumer: bears, and decomposers: fungi (5.1)(Northern Appalachian Ecoregion).

With 83% of this ecoregion consumed by forests, photosynthesis becomes a unique factor to this ecoregion due high quantity of carbon dioxide and the sun’s energy photosynthesis allows to be taken from the atmosphere (5.2)(ConservationByGeorgraphy). An abundance of plants and trees within this ecoregion furthers a larger manufacturer of food for primary consumers and an oxygen increase bi-product then allows a sustainable environment for diverse species to flourish, further benefiting the ecosystem (5.2).

The Northern Appalachian & Atlantic Maritime Highlands are located in the far northeast of the united states stretching from the Adirondack ranges of New York, through the Green Mountains of Vermont and White Mountains of New Hampshire, Maine, and to Maritime, Canada (5.3(LandScope). Due to the proximity to the shorelines of Maine and the Green and White Mountains, the ecosystem travels through numerous sub-regions sub as floodplains, marshes, tidal mudflats, rocky headlands, and more (5.3)(LandScope).

The Northern Appalachian & Atlantic Maritime Highlands tend to sustain a regulated ecoregion, due to the commonality of glaciated uplands of the northern parts of this ecoregion, the climate is cold to temperate( average annual temperatures ranging from 39°F to 48°)(5.4)(US EPA). Annual precipitation totals range from 35 to 60 inches, overall forcing adaptations within species such as antifreeze, a substance that keeps a liquid from freezing, have been developed by fish(5.4)(US EPA).

One of the largest ecosystem services within this ecoregion is Maine Lobster that in hand benefits the area's economical standing (2.1) (5.5)(). However, due to almost near whale extinction (approximately 340 left), lobsters are starting to be seen as “not sustainable” by conservational groups. This leads to an increase in the lobster population and decreases in fuel use in hopes of whale population conciseness, embodying sustainable practices with an overarching theme of stewardship (5.5)(1.4-Stewardship/1.2-Sustainability)(The Washington Post).

The community interaction of deer can be seen through an herbivory relationship between plants, as this is their primary food intake (mutualism due to droppings becoming fertilizer for future plants) (4.3)(Sage). Some of their predators include grey wolves, coyotes, bears, cougars, and mountain lions (predation)(4.3)(Sage). Lastly, as deer overgraze and damage forests, they remain unaffected as they produce feces that allows richer soil, attracting salamanders, which attract snakes (commensalism) (4.3)(NBC).

Displayed for the limits of moose population, deer is showcased rather than moose due to available information and overall pattern development. The deer population is in the southern part of Maine, below the Northern Appalachian & Atlantic Maritime Highlands (4.2). Limits, and environmental resistances, for deer, are depicted as food supply, hunting, and available habitat (4.2). Deer are becoming extinct primarily because of overhunting, and habitat loss but additionally the population growth of mankind (4.2)(World Deer).

The implications for management by humans are directly seen in the affect overhunting has on the deer population, resulting in different levels of threat and even extinction (4.5).

Written by Jamie Sayen, “Landscape-Scale Restoration: II. A Plan for the Northern Appalachians” focuses on the unusual opportunities that are provided by the overuse of the Appalachians in benefits through both nature and culture (Primary Literature)(Sayen). A major claim of Sayens focuses on restoration, restoration is not simply limited to the nature elements of an environment, but the cultural as well.

References

Animals in Maine. (n.d.). https://a-z-animals.com/animals/location/north-america/united-states/maine/

[Comment on the blog post "Biotic and Abiotic Factors"]. (n.d.). https://www.vedantu.com/biology/biotic-and-abiotic-factors

Ecology of White Tailed Deer. (n.d.). https://burkheadecologyprojet.weebly.com/role-of-natural-selection.html

Endangered Deer Species. (n.d.). World Deer. https://worlddeer.org/endangered-deer-species/

Grandoni, D. (n.d.). Maine lobster losing 'sustainable' label as 2 seafood guides warn against it. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/11/16/maine-lobster-right-whales-msc/

Marshall, J. (n.d.). High deer population may benefit forest critters. NBCnews. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna27366401

Northern Appalachian-Acadian Ecoregion. (n.d.). LandScope America.

Northern Appalachian Ecoregion. (n.d.). https://www.conservationgateway.org/ConservationByGeography/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/edc/reportsdata/terrestrial/ecoregional/nap/Pages/default.aspx

Northern Appalachian Ecoregion. (n.d.). https://www.conservationgateway.org/ConservationByGeography/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/edc/reportsdata/terrestrial/ecoregional/nap/Pages/default.aspx

Northern Appalachians Ecoregion - National Rivers and Streams Assessment 2013-14. (n.d.). EPA. https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/northern-appalachians-ecoregion-national-rivers-and-streams

Sage-Advices. (n.d.). https://sage-advices.com/what-symbiotic-relationship-is-a-deer/#:~:text=Deer%20have%20interactions%20with%20other%20animals%20in%20the,other%20animals%20humans%20might%20be%20there%20largest%20threat.

Sayen, J. (1993). Landscape-Scale Restoration: II. A Plan for the Northern Appalachians. Restoration & Management Notes, 11(1), 20–22. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43440102