Download Intro to Ecology

Ecology
The study of interactions between
organisms and the environment
(biotic and abiotic factors)
Ecology
What is the link between evolution
and ecology?
Ecology
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Evolution
Ecology
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Evolution
Interaction between
organisms and environment
Ecology
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Evolution
Interaction between
organisms and environment
Environment
selects for
fittest traits
Ecology
??
Evolution
Interaction between
organisms and environment
Environment
selects for
fittest traits
Ecology
Evolution
Interaction between
organisms and environment
Environment
selects for
fittest traits
Areas of Ecology
• Organismal Ecology:
studies impact of
environment on
organisms’ structure,
physiology and
behavior
– How does a
hammerhead select a
mate?
Areas of Ecology
• Population Ecology:
studies how
environment affects
population size and
why it changes over
time
– What factors affect the
reproductive rates of
giant pandas?
Areas of Ecology
• Community Ecology:
studies interactions
between different
species in area
– What factors influence
the diversity of the
rainforest?
Areas of Ecology
• Ecosystem Ecology:
studies energy flow
and chemical cycling
between organisms
and environment
– What factors affect
photosynthesis in a
grassland?
Areas of Ecology
• Landscape Ecology:
studies exchange of
energy, materials and
organisms between
ecosystems
– How to the trees lining a
riverbank contribute to
animal dispersal?
Areas of Ecology
• Global Ecology: studies
how regional exchange
of material influences
distribution of
organisms globally
– How does ocean
circulation affect the
global distribution of
crustaceans?
Biomes
• Life on Earth is
distributed into Biomes
• Biomes are determined
by particular
combinations of biotic
and abiotic factors
• Broken into two
categories
• Terrestrial vs Aquatic
Terrestrial Biomes
• Largely influenced by
climate patterns
• Climate: long-term,
prevailing weather
conditions
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Temperature
Precipitation
Sunlight
Wind
How Region Affects Climate
• Seasonality: does a region
have strong seasons?
• Bodies of water can
influence precipitation
• Mountains can influence air
flow over land
• In turn influences
precipitation
• Mountains influence
amount of sunlight
reaching an area
• In turn influences
temperature
Aquatic Biomes
• Very diverse and cover
most of the planet
• Less variation due to
climate
• Variation is due to depth
and amount to sun
available
• Temperature
• Variation due to
horizontal zones
• Soil components from
terrestrial biomes
How Species are Distributed in
Biomes
• Interactions between
organisms and the
environment limit
species distribution
• Biotic – biotic
interactions
• Biotic – abiotic
interactions
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Temp
Water and O2
Salinity
Sunlight
Composition of Rock and
Soil (pH, mineral comp,
physical structure of rock)