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Ecology Notes 2012 Ecology: The study of interactions between organisms and their environment Levels of Organization Biosphere All parts of the planet that contain life Biome Group of ecosystems with the same climate and communities Ecosystem Living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) aspects that interact in a given area Community Different population that live and interact in a given area. Population Group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area and compete with each other for resources Organism One individual of a species Factors in the Environment Biotic Factors: Any living part of the environment Examples: bacteria, animals, plants, insects Abiotic Factors: Any non- living part of the environment Examples: hours of sunlight, type of soil, rainfall Niche • an organisms job in the environment Niche Niche Habitat • Where an organism lives African Elephant Great Black-backed gulls Biomes of the world Tundra 1/3 • Arctic Tundra cold year round, -34o to 12oC Permafrost – ground never thaws out dry, 12 to 20 cm per year • Alpine Tundra • long, cold winters with short, cool summers • a little rain, lots of snow • Mountainous – high altitude with no trees Tundra 2/3 • Location: northern N. America, Asia and Europe, polar ice caps • Climate -40˚C to 18˚C 15-25cm or less annual rain • Unique Characteristics • Coldest biome • Means treeless • Low biotic diversity Tundra 3/3 •Animals snowy owl, caribou, arctic fox, lemmings and small rodents Arctic: (N) polar bears, seals, insects, and mites (S) penguins •Plants ground-hugging like mosses, lichens, sedges, and short grasses •Arctic: (N) mosses and lichens Desert 1/3 • Hot/Dry: Am. West, Central and South Am., Africa, Australia, Mexico, Middle East • Semi Arid: West Coast of California, Russian steppes, Southern Europe, North Asia • Coastal: Chile Cold: Greenland Desert 2/3 • Makes up 1/5 of Earth’s surface • Plants and Animals are well adapted to the dry environment • Climate: Hot days (49oC) followed by cold nights (20oC) • Ann Precipitation: dry, less than 25 cm per year Desert 3/3 • Unique Characteristics • Variable temperatures • Soils rich in minerals but poor in organic material • Animals • Mountain lions, gray foxes, bobcats, antelopes, kangaroo, bats, owls, hawks, and roadrunners, ants, beetles, rattlesnakes and lizards • Plants • Cacti, creosote bush, other plants with short growing cycles Grassland • Covers ½ of Africa (5 million mi2) • Examples – Tropical Savanna Australia) – Temperate Europe) (E. Africa, S. Brazil, N. (C. Asia, N. America, Australia, C. Tropical/Savanna Climate: (20o to 25oC) -warm year round -seasonal rainfall -rich soil Ann. Precipitation: 50 to 125 cm/year Animals: lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, zebras, termites, pelicans, monitor lizards Plants: tall grass (savanna), tall deciduous trees, orchids, bromeliads (tropical) Temperate • Climate: winter (-4oC), spring, summer (38oC), fall -fertile soils • Ann. Precipitation: 50 to 90 cm/year rain and snow • Animals coyotes, badgers, wolves, grizzly bears, rabbits, bison, owls, snakes, grasshoppers • Plants lush, perennial grasses and herbs Tropical Rainforest 1/2 • Greatest species diversity • Found in areas near the equator, hot and wet yr round • Thin, nutrient-poor soils • Climate: warm year round (20o to 25oC) • Ann Precipitation: – 200 + cm/year Tropical Rainforest 2/2 • Animals sloths, jaguars, anteaters, monkeys, parrots, butterflies, piranhas, boa constrictors, anacondas • Plants ferns, large woody vines, orchids, bromeliads, climbing plants, broadleaved evergreen trees Temperate Forest (Deciduous) • 4 seasons, fertile soil • Climate: changes dramatically with the seasons (-30o to 30oC) • Ann. Precipitation: 75 to 150cm/year rain and snow • Animals: deer, black bear, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, turkeys • Plants: deciduous trees, some conifers, flowering shrubs, herbs, ground layer of mosses and ferns • Location: E. U.S., SE Canada, most of Europe, parts of Japan, China, and Australia Taiga(Boreal) Low temperatures High humidity N. Am., Asia, N. Europe Acidic, nutrient-poor soil Climate: short cool summers, long cold winters • Ann. Precipitation: 40 to 100 cm/year, mostly snow • Key Trait: Evergreen Trees • • • • • Aquatic • Freshwater – “sweet” water, able to drink • Marine – salt water, unable to drink, covers 3/4 of Earth’s surface Freshwater • Standing Water – Lakes and Ponds • Flowing Water – Rivers and Streams Marine (ocean) Photic Zone = Light penetrates Intertidal Zone -exposed to tides and air -snails, sea stars, sea urchins, seaweed, Coastal Ocean -plankton, kelp forests, sea otters, seals, whales, variety of fish Aphotic Zone = no light • Open Ocean • Ocean trench • Chemosynthetic autotrophs are only producers that survive Coral Reef Warm, shallow, water with diverse environments Estuaries Ecological Succession Succession • Changes that occur in a community over time Primary Succession New, bare land with no soil The first species to exist in the environment are the Pioneer species The ecosystem will continue to develop until a climax community has been reached A climax community is a mature, stable community Secondary Succession Occurs when there is a disturbance in the community (Examples follow) Natural Disasters Animals Abandonment Biotic Factors Flow of Energy 0.1% 1.0% 10% 100% Producers = Autotrophs Consumers = Heterotrophs Herbivores Carnivore Omnivore Humans are Omnivores Detritivore Decomposer Food Chains are a “unidirectional” flow of energy Each step in a food chain is called a trophic level Food Webs are linked food chains within an ecosystem Abiotic Factors Sun Source of all energy in an ecosystem Biogeochemical Cycles Connects the biological, geological, and chemical aspects of the biosphere Water Cycle Evaporation- land (liquid) to air (gas) Transpiration – plants (liquid) to air (gas) Condensation – air (gas) to liquid droplets Precipitation – falls from sky Carbon Cycle Biological Processes Photosynthesis – carbon dioxide in oxygen out Respiration – oxygen in carbon dioxide out Decomposition – carbon released into environment Geochemical Processes Erosion – movement of geological materials (like carbon) Volcanic Activity – volcanoes release gases (including carbon) Biogeochemical Burial/Decomposition – fertilizes (puts carbon into) the land and creates fossil (carbon based) fuels Human Actions Mining – releases carbon from ground Deforestation – cutting/burning trees and releasing their carbon Burning Fossil Fuels – releases carbon into the air Nitrogen Cycle Nitrogen is needed to produce amino acids to build proteins Nitrogen makes up 78% of Earth’s atmosphere Most nitrogen is in an unusable form and must be “fixed” by Legumes (bean type) plants and/or bacteria in order to enter into the cycle Phosphorus Cycle Major component of nucleic acids Not found in the atmosphere, only in the land Mostly absorbed by plants and then cycled through the ecosystems through food webs Symbiotic Relationships Symbiosis is a close relationship between two organisms Predation: one organism captures and feeds on another Parasitism: One organism lives on/in another causing it harm Commensalism: one organism benefits, the other is neither helped nor harmed Mutualism: both organisms benefit Competition: struggle for resources Scavenging: Feed off dead/decaying organisms Populations Group of organisms of the same species in same area Characteristics of a Population 1. Geographic Distribution: area inhabited by a population (range) 2. Population Density: # of individuals per unit area 3. Growth Rate: change in size of a population (+/-) Population Growth is Affected by: 1. Birth Rate 2. Death Rate 3. Immigration/Emigration Types of Population Growth 1. Exponential Growth • • • Individuals reproduce at a constant rate Under ideal conditions with unlimited resources, populations will grow without limit J-shaped curve 2. Logistic Growth -Occurs when population’s growth slows/stops following a period of exponential growth -Ceases once carrying capacity is reached Limiting Factors 1. Density Dependent • • Limits population growth based on population size Example: disease, competition, stress, predation 2. Density Independent • • Limits growth regardless of population size Example: temperature, extreme weather, floods, drought, natural disaster, habitat destruction