Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Introduction to Ecology: Historical Foundations and Developing Frontiers Chapter 1 1 Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. Outline • • • • • Overview of Ecology Ecology of Forest Birds Forest Canopy Research Climatic and Ecological Change The Scope of Ecology 2 Overview of Ecology • • Ecology: Study of relationships between organisms and the environment. Simple definition does not convey the extreme breadth of this discipline. Ecosystem: Includes all organisms living in an area, and the physical environment with which these organisms interact. Biosphere: Highest level of ecological organization. 3 4 Ecology of Forest Birds • MacArthur studied ecology of five species of warblers in spruce forests in N.A. Theory predicted two species with identical ecological requirements could not coexist indefinitely. Studies found warblers coexisted by feeding in different zones of the same tree. 5 Warbler Feeding Zones 6 Stable Isotope Analysis • • Chemical elements have different atomic masses (isotopes) Proportions of isotopes vary across the environment and this is reflected in the body tissue of organisms Recent advances in ecology take advantage of this variation By examining body tissue, ecologists can determine food sources and habitat use 7 Forest Canopy Research • Due to heavy rainfall, many rainforest soils are nutrient-poor. Nutrient stores in rainforest canopies are associated with epiphytes. Epiphyte mats contain significant quantities of nutrients. Trees send roots up to epiphyte mats to access nutrients. 8 Climatic and Ecological Change • • Many environmental changes occur over large spatial or temporal scales. Davis monitored plant pollen deposited in lake sediments in the Appalachian Mtns. Documented large temporal changes to nearby plant communities. 9 Vegetation History from Pollen Sediments 10 The Scope of Ecology • Ecology: Study of relationships between organisms and the environment. Wide variety of approaches. Large temporal and spatial scales. Field Lab Observational Manipulative 11 Review • • • • • Overview of Ecology Ecology of Forest Birds Forest Canopy Research Climatic and Ecological Change The Scope of Ecology 12