Southeastern US Ecosystem

Authors: Tanner Banks (Megacopta cribraria), Gavin Coats (Pueraria montana), Alexis Dixon (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha), Jamayiah Nmegbu (Rhizobium spp.), Anna Sandwell (Danaus plexippus), and Summers Floyd (Beauveria bassiana),

BIOL 102L-011, Ruize Zhang

September 20, 2022

Facts about the Southeastern US Ecosystem

  • In the more southern parts, it has more of a tropical ecosystem. In the more northern parts, it has more of a temperate ecosystem.

  • Extremely diverse- has the most extensive warm-water coral reef, the second largest estuary, and thousands of marshes.

  • (Fisheries, NOAA. 25 March, 2022)

  • The open forest creates ground for "many-flowered grass pinks, trumpet pitcher plants, Venus flytraps, lavender ladies, and pineland bogbuttons" to grow.

  • Highly endangered due to climate change, invasive pests, and rapid urbanization

  • ("Southern Forests")

Threats to the Southeastern US Ecosystem

  • Raised global temperatures are a key starting point for many of the issues that are affecting ecosystems around the world.

  • As a result, the sea level is rising, and precipitation patterns are changing along with it ("Ecosystems in the southeastern U.S.").

  • Another effect of the heat is that natural events like droughts and wildfires are more easily started and spread ("Ecosystems in the southeastern U.S.").

  • Aside from natural threats to the environment, large populations of people in the southeastern United States also negatively affect the environment they live in.

  • A few examples of human impact on ecosystems are light pollution, deforestation, runoff, overpopulation, increased carbon emissions, and many many more.

Introductions to our Group's Organisms

Megacopta cribaria: (Kudzu Bug) An Invasive insect species to soybeans where they tap Into the veins of plants to suck out the nutrients and moisture. The plant Is left In a dying state to where they are not able to recover from because of the nutrients that was extracted from them when they feed on the stems of the targeted plant. (Kudzu Bug, a new potentially devastating pest of soybeans. July 2, 2012)

Pueraria montana: (Kudzu) An aggressive vine familiar to most people across the southeastern United States. Kudzu consists of vines and leaflets growing along the ground can root every foot or so at the nodes and form new root crowns that can become independent plants. Mature stands may contain tens of thousands of plants per acre and can create mats up to 8 feet thick. (“History and Use of Kudzu in Southeastern United States - Alabama Cooperative Extension System.”, 2022)

Ophryocystis elektroscirrha: A protozoan obligate parasite that needs a host in order to survive and reproduce. It's host is the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus). It thrives in the abdomen of the Monarch. It has been the primary source of the decline of the Monarch population. (Grade 12, Danielle, 2012)

Rhizobium spp: (Nitrogen-fixing Bacteria) A prokaryotic bacteria that has a symbiotic relationship with leguminus plants such as peas and wheat. It relies on these plants to gain nutrients essential for survival. (“Rhizobium - Species, Nitrogen Fixation, Biofertilizer and Culture.”, 2021)

Danaus plexippus: (Monarch Butterfly) A eukaryotic insect with wings whose population is significantly impacted by the parasitic and fungal invasion by Ophryocystis elektroscirrha and Beauveria bassiana (Kane, 1999).

Beauveria bassiana: (White Muscardine Disease) This is a common fungal disease. It is the natural enemy of many insects. It is also found in a wide range of different areas. The insects that it most commonly infects are butterflies, moths, and beetles. (Guohua Xiao, Sheng-Hua Ying, Peng Zheng, et al. 2012)

Resources