Download Chapter 50: An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere

Chapter 50:
An
Introduction
to Ecology
and the
Biosphere
Define ecology. Identify the
two features of organisms
studied by ecologists.
 Ecology
is the study of interactions
between organisms and the environment
 Distribution and abundance
Describe the relationship
between ecology and
evolutionary biology.
 Environmental
factors interacting with
variation within populations could cause
evolutionary change
Distinguish between abiotic
and biotic components of
the environment.
 The
environment of any organism includes
abiotic, or nonliving, components—
chemical and physical factors such as
temperature, light, water, and nutrients—
and biotic, or living, components
Distinguish among organismal ecology,
population ecology, community ecology,
ecosystem ecology, and landscape
ecology.
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Organismal ecology concerns how an organism′s
structure, physiology, and (for animals) behavior
meet the challenges posed by the environment.
Population ecology concentrates mainly on
factors that affect how many individuals of a
particular species live in an area
Community ecology deals with the whole array of
interacting species in a community
Ecosystem ecology, the emphasis is on energy
flow and chemical cycling among the various
biotic and abiotic components
Landscape ecology deals with arrays of
ecosystems
Between
Organisms
and the
Environment
Affect the
Distribution
of Species
Define biogeography.
 the
study of the past and present
distribution of individual species, in the
context of evolutionary theory
Describe the problems caused
by introduced species and
illustrate with a specific
example.
 Species
introduced to new geographic
locations often disrupt the communities
and ecosystems to which they have been
introduced and spread far beyond the
area of intended introduction
 Example: kudzu introduced for erosion
control
Explain how habitat selection may
limit distribution of a species within
its range of suitable habitats.
 even
when the habitats are suitable, their
distribution may be limited by habitat
selection behavior
 Example: Female insects often oviposit
(deposit eggs) only in response to a very
narrow set of stimuli, which may restrict
distribution of the insects to certain host
plants.
Describe, with examples, how biotic
and abiotic factors may affect the
distribution of organisms.
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In many cases, a species cannot complete its
full life cycle if transplanted to a new area.
This inability to survive and reproduce may be
due to negative interactions with other
organisms in the form of predation, parasitism,
disease, or competition.
Or survival and reproduction may be limited
by the absence of other species on which the
transplanted species depends
 Presence
or absence of food resources,
parasites, diseases, and competing
organisms can act as biotic limitations on
species distribution
List the four abiotic factors that
are the most important
components of climate.
 Temperature
 Water
 Sunlight
 Wind
Explain, with examples, how a body of
water and a mountain range might
affect regional climatic conditions.
 Ocean
currents influence climate along
the coasts of continents by heating or
cooling overlying air masses, which may
then pass across the land
 Mountains have a significant effect on the
amount of sunlight reaching an area, as
well as on local temperature and rainfall
Angle of incidence/intensity
Planetary Tilt/Seasonality
Convection Currents/Banding
Aquatic and
Terrestrial
Biomes
Describe the characteristics of the
major aquatic biomes: lakes, wetlands,
streams, rivers, estuaries, intertidal
biomes, oceanic pelagic biomes, coral
reefs, and marine benthic biomes.
Explain why the following statement is false:
“All communities on Earth are based on
primary producers that capture light energy
by photosynthesis.”
Describe the characteristics of the major
terrestrial biomes: tropical forest, desert,
savanna, chaparral, temperate grassland,
coniferous forest, temperate broadleaf
forest, and tundra.