Download Introduction to Ecology

Introduction to
Ecology
CP Environmental Science
Introduction, Biomes, and
Climatographs, and Habitats
2009-10
Ecology



Ecology is a branch of biology
The “study of organisms in their
habitat, and the interrelationships
between organisms and their
environment”
Environment
• Living: biotic
• Non-living: abiotic
Ecosystem - a functional unit

Definition (3)
• “a group of organisms that live together and interact
with each other and their non-living environment”

If no human interference, or natural disasters,
a SUSTAINABLE system
• But, not a constant – ecosystems slowly change over
near time and over long-term


Natural vs. Human created
Parts of an ecosystem
• Biotic
• Abiotic
Relationships Within an Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a group of organisms that live
together and interact with each other and their
environment.
The Biosphere (2-3)


That part of the earth that supports life
Parts of
• Atmosphere: max, 7 miles up
• Hydrosphere: to 12 miles below sea level,
deepest trenches in ocean
• Lithosphere: only upper few hundred feet;
soil and must below; could include caves!
What are the Key Characteristics of
Terrestrial Biomes?
Biomes

Factors determining biomes
• Average annual rainfall
• Average annual temperature
• SO, what factors for a large region, determine
rainfall and temperature
• Climatographs – analyze to determine average
rainfall and temperature, and changes
throughout year




Determine biome using a climatograph
KNOW: Names and locations of
• Forest Biomes (3)
• Major biomes in U.S. (5): tundra(arctic and
alpine); desert;grasslands; deciduous forest;
coniferous forest
Information on each biome
Map of worlds biomes
Analysis of Climatographs




Look at the climatographs on the
following pages.
Determine which biome or climate
region it represents
Climatographs of each biome
Explain why you think that the
climatograph represents to that region.
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
Precipitation (cm)
40
35
20
25
10
20
0
15
10
-10
5
-20
0
-30
Temperature (C)
#1 – Climate Region – Why?
40
30
30
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
Precipitation (cm)
40
35
20
25
10
20
0
15
10
-10
5
-20
0
-30
Temperature (C)
#3 – Climate Region – Why?
40
30
30
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
Precipitation (cm)
40
35
20
25
10
20
0
15
10
-10
5
-20
0
-30
Temperature (C)
#5 – Climate Region – Why?
40
30
30
40
40
30
30
20
Temperature (C)
Precipitation (cm)
35
25
10
20
0
15
-10
10
-20
5
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
-30
January
0
40
40
30
30
Temperature (C)
20
25
10
20
0
15
-10
10
-20
5
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
-30
February
0
January
Precipitation (cm)
35
#6 – Look at the 2
climatographs on
the left. Both
climatographs
represent cities
found at the same
latitude (39ºN),
why are their
climatographs
different?
Habitats


Why care about habitat?
Components of a habitat analysis
• Food
• Water
• Cover

What determines where an animal/plant
lives
• Temperature, soil (and, to some extent, type
of rocks), and moisture (precipitation)


Macroclimate
Microclimate
Habitats and Wildlife Requirements
Greatest threat to most species is habitat destruction
resulting in threatened, endangered, and often
extinct species
COVER
Define habitat (6)
Habitat triangle:
FOOD
WATER
Habitat fragmentation (8-9)- many species
require large, unbroken tracts of habitat
Edges (9)- definition and examples
The Good: Why often high species diversity?
The Bad: Temp changes, winds, predators,
highways
Community of Life



Community – all populations of
plants, animals, and other life in a
given habitat
Population- the total number of a
given species in a given habitat
Species – group of organisms that
interbreed to produce fertile
offspring
Species

Defining a species
• Sialia sialis - binomial nomenclature
• What is a hybrid?


Subspecies/variety/breed
Practical significance
• Endangered species act
• Breeding species, especially
endangered species

Why is difficult to define a species?
How have humans impacted
habitats and species?

A look at PA forests
Cavity Nests - (7)
Why did the bluebird decline?
Was its habitat destroyed?
Properly placed nesting
boxes like this one provide
much needed habitat for
Eastern bluebirds.
Although the cavity is now
too large, this old wooden
fence post has provided a
home for many bluebirds.
Now it may provide
protection for other cavity
nesters.
The Bluebird

Introduced Species
• Starlings
• House Sparrows
• Cowbirds


Insecticides
Bluebird numbers are recovering!
• Nesting boxes
• Reduction in pesticide use
Species Interactions Woodpeckers


Downy vs. hairy (6)
How can two such very close species
coexist?
• Resource partitioning
• Niches are different
Changes in the Neighborhood
Winners and Losers




Before colonists – PA extensive mature forests –
large trees, little understory
PA forests extensively cut in late 1700’s and
1800’s
As forests recovered – great habitat for deer,
grouse, turkey
What animals did not benefit and declined or
were extirpated?
•
•
•
•
Bobcat
Fisher
Black bear
Ruffed Grouse

Habitat – PA Game Commission (read habitat)
• White tailed deer (read habitat and management
Habitat Fragmentation



Creates edges– border between two
habitats
Some species thrive – eg., rabbits
Others need continuous forest
• What are some PA animals that need nonfragmented habitats?



Woodland songbirds
So, what is the “moral” of the story?
Rapid decline in many NA songbirds –
WHY?
Food Chains and Food Webs
(10.2)



Know all terms!
Given a list of animals, sketch a food
chain
Given a list of animals (focus on PA
animals) sketch a food web
Food and Energy Relationships –
terms (1.6)

Sun’s energy (25)
• What type of energy reaches the earth?
• What happens to that energy

Absorbed
• By plants
• By other materials


Reflected
How is that energy converted to
chemical energy by plants (25)
• Know photosynthesis formula
Laws of Thermodynamics (energy)

First Law of Thermodynamics
• “You can’t get something for nothing”

Second Law of Thermodynamics
• “..and you don’t even break even!”
Flow of energy (1.6)

Photosynthesis
• Producers always at base of pyramid- Why?

Biomass/energy pyramid (25-26)
• Why a pyramid shape?
• Where does energy go?

Contrast to numbers “pyramid” (26)
• Is it possible to not be in a pyramid shape
(fewer producers than 1st level consumers)?
Energy Enters the Ecosystem


First Law of Energy: Energy is
never created nor destroyed, but is
constantly being converted to
different forms
Photosynthesis: Light energy is
converted to what kind of energy?
CO2 + H2O + light
O2
Carbohydrates +
What happens to this chemical energy?
Food Web
Name the: scavengers;omnivore;carnivore; herbivores;
consumers; producers; detritus feeders;decomposers
Consumer levels - primary, secondary, tertiary
What kinds of parasites (and hosts) might be in this
ecosystem?
•Why does the biomass of organisms get smaller as move
through food chain?
•Think of second law of energy: “When energy is
changed from one form to another, amount of usable
energy is always decreased.”
•Where does energy go?
•Does the energy get recycled in the ecosystem?
Energy Pyramids
The 10% Rule
Productivity (27)




Define
What determines the productivity of
an ecosystem?
Contrast ecosystems- what are the
most productive natural ecosystems?
How do we increase productivity of
an agricultural ecosystem?