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Transcript
1 Ecology • Is the study of the relationship between organisms and their physical surroundings • Is present within all ecosystems Ecosystems • Are communities composed of varying organisms interacting in a manner which allows for the flow of energy and conduction of other biological processes Ecosystems • Are established over long periods of time, with the impacts of climate, elevation and topography playing key roles • Are present within all biomes on earth Ecosystems • Are composed of various components, including: • • • • • habitats niches producers consumers vertical stratification Habitat • Is a concentrated area with abundant populations of one plant, animal or other living organism Habitat • Is vital for the survival of all organisms • Can be localized and adapted to by versatile organisms Niches • Are unique relationships developed over time by organisms needing to adapt to various ecosystems within their habitat Niches • Are also defined by an organism’s response to: • fluctuations in resources • predation • disease Producers • Are living organisms whom produce food or biomass Producers • Produce food and biomass through the process of photosynthesis and are also known as primary producers • photosynthesis is the conversion of sunlight into sugar which can be utilized as an energy source • Include: • plants • algae Consumers • Are organisms who obtain food and energy through the consumption of other organisms or organic matter Consumers • Include: • primary consumers • herbivores • consumers of only • secondary consumers • omnivores • consumers of both plants and animals • carnivores • consumers of only animals plants Producers & Consumers • Includes the following relationships: • plants and animals • predator-prey Plants & Animals • Interact with each other within the environment • Includes the following: • plants benefitting from animals • animals benefitting from plants Plants Benefitting From Animals • Through the following: • • • • herbivores or omnivores dispersing seeds while grazing bees, insects, birds pollinating flowers animals aerating the soil animal droppings fertilizing the plants Animals Benefitting From Plants • Through the following: • plants producing oxygen • plants providing protection and shelter from severe weather • plants providing food and nutrition for herbivores and omnivores Predator-Prey • Is the relationship between an organism known as a predator who eats another organism known as the prey • Evolve together, for example: • prey continue to evolve to prevent being eaten by a predator • predators continue to evolve to whatever is necessary in order to eat the prey Predator-Prey • Includes the following examples of evolution: • predators become immune to the prey’s poison • prey becomes faster and more camouflage to hide from the predator • predator or prey’s sense of smell, sight or hearing increase in order to detect one another Ecosystem Types • Are determined by the biomes they are present in, among other factors Ecosystem Report: Biomes are large communities constituting all regions of earth. Ecosystem Types • Include: • • • • aquatic forest grassland wetland Aquatic • Is an ecosystem within a body of water • Includes two main types of ecosystems • freshwater • marine Aquatic • Freshwater • defined by a low concentration of salts • include: ponds, lakes, streams, rivers and wetlands • Marine • defined by a high concentration • include: oceans, coral of salts reefs and estuaries Aquatic • Species include: • crustaceans (including fiddler crabs and squat lobsters) • fish (more than 30,000 different species, including rainbow trout and lampreys) • turtles (including Galapagos and loggerhead turtles) Forest • Is an ecosystem dominated by trees and thick, woody vegetation • Includes various ecosystems types: • tropical • temperate • boreal (taiga) Forest • Boreal (taiga) • are the northernmost forests with long winters and short summers • Temperate • include deciduous and coniferous forests • Tropical • the most diverse of all ecosystems, tropical forests lack a true winter Forest • Species include: • bears (including brown bears and American black bear) • pine trees (including Cuban and Turkish pine) • vines (including Boston Ivy and Dutchman's pipe) Grassland • Is an ecosystem dominated by grasses • Includes various ecosystem types: • temperate grassland • tropical grassland (savanna) Grassland • Temperate • are present in climates with varying temperatures and are completely devoid of trees and shrubs • Tropical • are always found in warm or hot climates and have regions of scattered trees Grassland • Species include: • wild cats (including Malayan tigers and Jaguars) • fruits (including wild melon and common guarri) • grasses (including Bermuda and elephant grass) Wetland • Is an ecosystem dominated by semi-aquatic vegetation and wildlife • Include various ecosystem types: • bogs • marshes • swamps Wetland • Bogs • are small ponds known for heavy accumulations of organic matter • Marshes • form close to ponds and lakes with reeds and grasses dominating the area • Swamps • are extremely damp areas with heavy foliage Wetland • Species include: • • • • birds (including egrets and red-winged blackbirds) weedy grasses (including cattails and pickerelweed) insectivorous plants (including sundews and pitcher plants insects (including dragonflies and mosquitos) Nutrient Cycles • Are the exchange or conversion of nutrients from one form to another through biological and chemical elements • nutrient • chemical substance required by an organism for growth, reproduction and maintenance • nutrient cycling • use, transformation, movement and reuse of nutrients in ecosystems Energy Flow • Is facilitated in all ecosystems through a variety of biogeochemical processes • biogeochemical processes are natural processes which provide for the cycling of chemicals between living and non living (biotic and abiotic) factors including: • water (H2O) • oxygen (O2) • carbon (C) • nitrogen (N2) • phosphorus (P) • sulfur (S) Energy Flow • Is conducted within the biosphere • the biosphere is the sum of all ecosystem on earth Water Cycle • Is the continuous movement of water throughout the biosphere, also known as the hydrologic cycle • Utilizes evaporation to continually pull water into the lower atmosphere and then release it once again as precipitation Ecosystem Report: Evaporation is the transformation of water into gas. Oxygen Cycle • Is the continuous movement of oxygen throughout the biosphere • Is possible through the release of oxygen during photosynthesis and the photodisassociation of water vapor, which is a chemical reaction Carbon Cycle • Is the continuous movement of carbon throughout the biosphere • Is possible through the exchange and release of carbon between the atmosphere and various sources within the biosphere Nitrogen Cycle • Is the continuous movement of nitrogen throughout the biosphere • Is possible through the process of nitrogen fixation which is conducted by legumes (such as peanuts), algae and some forms of bacteria Phosphorus Cycle • Is the continuous movement of phosphorus throughout the biosphere • Is primarily conducted within soil, as plant roots absorb phosphorus and pass it on through various food chains Sulfur Cycle • Is the continuous movement of sulfur throughout the biosphere • Is possible through the release of sulfur from the earth’s crust due to a variety of causes Energy Flow • Is also conducted through the utilization of food webs • food webs are constitutions of food chains present within every ecosystem Food Webs • Consist of many organisms orchestrating the flow of matter from one level to another • Include the following: • • • • • • producers primary consumers secondary consumers tertiary consumers apex predators decomposers and detritivores Food Webs • Begin with producers creating food and being consumed by primary consumers • for example: • kelp growing in an aquatic environment may serve as a food source for clams, who are then established as a primary consumer and utilize the energy the kelp created through photosynthesis Food Webs • Continue with primary consumers being consumed by secondary consumers • for example: • a field mouse who has consumed grasses as a primary consumer in a savanna may be consumed by an Adder snake, who then serves as the secondary consumer Food Webs • Continue with secondary consumers being consumed by tertiary consumers • for example: • an Egret in a wetland may consume a water snake who feeds on small amphibians as a secondary consumer, thereby placing the Egret as a tertiary consumer Food Webs • Continue with tertiary consumers being consumed by apex predators • for example: • a brown bear in the forest may consume a salmon, who serves as a secondary consumer, but also may consume tertiary consumers if they are present; since the brown bear has no natural enemies aside from humans, he is the apex predator Food Webs • Conclude with all living parts of the food web being consumed by decomposers and detritivores • for example: • the remains of a decaying oak tree may be consumed and broken down by various forms of fungi who serve as decomposers; while a dead bobcat in the desert may be scavenged by a vulture who serves a detritivore