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Ecology and Conservation TSWBAT: Demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationships between organisms, their environment, and man. Ecosystem • A community of interacting organisms and the abiotic factors that affect them – Community = all living organisms in a given area • Plants, animals, etc. Abiotic Factors • Nonliving characteristics of an ecosystem – Weather, temperature, rock/soil chemistry, rainfall • Influence the existence of the living organisms Biotic Factors • Living organisms that share the same ecosystem – will interact with each other, directly or indirectly. • They will form different types of relationships • Predator-Prey Relationships – One species (the predator) eats another species (the prey) • If # prey increases, the # of predators increases • If # prey decreases, the # of predators decreases Competition • 2 or more organisms need the same resource at the same time. • Within the same-species or between different species • The organisms typically occupy the same niche • Niche = the role of an organism within its habitat • Symbiosis – Species have coevolved Organism 1 Organism 2 Mutualism Benefits Benefits Commensalism Benefits Parasitism Benefits Neither benefits, nor is Harmed Harmed Example Stable Ecosystems • Stable = Healthy – The # of organisms fluctuates predictably – The amount of resources fluctuates predictably – Energy flow through the system is unchanging • Healthy ecosystems are productive Energy in Living Systems Biosphere • Part of the Earth that supports LIFE Life Requires Energy • Source of energy for life on Earth = Sun – The sun’s energy enters Earth’s ecosystems through photosynthetic organisms • Trees, plants, algae • Autotrophs – Photosynthetic organisms – Use sunlight to make food • Heterotrophs – Eat other organisms for food • Producers – Trees, plants, algae • Primary Consumers – Herbivores • Secondary Consumers – Omnivores – Carnivores – Detritivores Flow of Energy Models • Diagrams are used to show the direction energy goes between organisms – Food Chain: unidirectional – Food Web: multidirectional – Energy Pyramid: shows relative quantities • Though it may not always be included, for every food chain, food web, or pyramid, the SUN is the originating source of all energy Food Chain Food Web Energy Pyramid Secondary Consumers (least amount) Primary Consumers Producers (greatest amount) Life Is Always Changing • Organisms compete for energy – Plants try to “outgrow,” other plants • Succession is the process environments undergo as plants compete with each other for resources – Sunlight, soil nutrients, water, space Primary Succession • Bare rock is sloooooowly converted to soil – Soil is: absent, only rocky ground – Producers are: lichens & mosses • Pioneer species – Endemic Animals are: few, if any • Most are transient Secondary Succession • Green plants replace lichens; compete with each other – Soil is: present – Producers are: grasses, shrubs, fast-growing trees – Endemic Animals are: mostly small – Birds, mice, rats, lizards, snakes • Some larger species may visit – Deer, coyotes, wolverines Climax Community • Mature forest; changes little over time – Soil is: present, quality varies – Producers are: Large trees, few shrubs, mosses – Endemic Animals are: varied – Complex food webs are present Primary Succession Secondary Succession Mature Forest • Succession can also occur if part of a forest is disturbed – A tree falls, forest fire, land slide, logging • Plants immediately begin to compete to be the ones to get all the sun Biogeochemical Cycles Cycling of Matter • Living organisms need specific nutrients to survive. – These nutrients can be found in • • • • Food Water Rocks & Soil Air • All necessary nutrients are recycled in the biosphere. • 4 common biogeochemical cycles are: – Hydrologic cycle (water cycle) – Carbon cycle – Nitrogen cycle – Phosphorous cycle Water Cycle • Life needs water 1. Sky to Earth’s surface – Condensation: Cold temp. changes water vapor to a liquid – Precipitation: liquid water falls to the Earth 2. Earth’s surface to Sky – Transpiration: plants release water vapor as a product of photosynthesis 3. Earth’s surface to oceans – Percolation: water filters through soil 4. Oceans to Sky – Evaporation: Heat changes liquid water to a gas Carbon Cycle • Life needs Carbon – Used to make carbohydrates & lipids 1. Sky to Producer – Plants use CO2 gas to make glucose (C6H12O6) 2. Producer to Consumer – Consumers receive carbon by eating producers 3. Consumer to Sky – Exhale CO2 gas 4. Producer & Consumer to soil – Dead organisms are converted to fossil fuels 5. Soil to Sky – Burning fossil fuels releases CO2 Nitrogen Cycle • Life needs Nitrogen – Used to make proteins & nucleic acids 1. Sky to Producer – Lightning – Bacteria in soil convert unusable nitrogen from the air to a usable form 2. Producer to Consumer – Consumer received nitrogen by eating a producer 3. Consumer to soil – Consumer’s wastes contain nitrogen 4. Soil to Sky – Bacteria convert waste to nitrogen gas Phosphorous Cycle • Life needs Phosphorous – Used to make cell structures, energy (ATP) 1. Earth’s Surface to Lakes & Oceans – Mountain rock containing phosphorous is eroded by rain water – Fertilizer runoff ends up in lakes & oceans 2. Lakes/ponds to Producers – Producers absorb phosphorous through roots 3. Producers to Consumers – Consumer’s eat producers 4. Runoff, Producer & Consumer to Soil – Eroded rock, waste & dead organisms decay to form sediment 5. Soil to Mountains – Sedimentary rock is thrusted upward to form mountains Community Ecology Community Ecology • Ecosystems are made up of many different, interacting populations of organisms, and the abiotic factors that affect them – Plants & animals – Water, temperature Biomes • Large groups of ecosystems that share the same climate & have similar plants – Affected by annual rain fall, sunlight levels & temperature • Terrestrial Biomes – Jungles, deserts, tundra, grasslands • Aquatic Biomes – Rivers, ponds, lakes, oceans Community • Groups of interacting populations of different species found in the same area at the same time Population • A group of individuals of the same species found in a specific area. Habitat • Where a single organism, or a population of organisms lives. – Can be small: under a rock, in a tree – Can be large: a forest, an ocean Limiting Factors • Limiting factors are types of biotic & abiotic factors that control the size of a population. Density-Independent Factors • Limiting factors that affect a population, irregardless of the size of the population – Temperature, space, nutrient availability – Natural disasters; fire, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, drought • Example: Fish: water salinity (saltiness) – Too salty, can’t survive – Not salty enough, can’t survive Density-Dependent Factors • Limiting factors that affect a population, depending on the size of the population – Competition, disease, starvation, predation, • Example: White-tail Deer Vs. Wolves – Too many wolves, all the deer are killed – Too few wolves, the deer eat all their resources and starve Range of Tolerance • Limiting factors can vary between upper & lower extremes – What an organism can survive = tolerance • Organisms exist in the range between the two extremes End Ecology Unit Start Population Unit Chs 4 & 5 Population Density • The number of individual organisms in a specific area Spatial Distribution • How far apart organisms are from each other in an area. Wolves in Michigan Limiting Factors • Density-Independent Factors – Factors that impact organisms, no matter how many organisms exist in an area – Usually Abiotic • Density-Dependent factors – Factors that impact organisms depending on how many organisms exist in an area – Usually Biotic Population Change • To increase a population: – Increase # of births – Increase survival, decrease # deaths – Increase the # that immigrate • To decrease a population: – decrease # of births – decrease survival, increase # deaths – Increase the # that emigrate Reproductive Patterns • r-strategist species – Mature quickly – Produce many offspring – Offspring are precocial-require less parent care • k-strategist species – Mature slowly – Produce less offspring – Offspring are altricial-require more parent care Population Growth Patterns • Exponential Growth – Population increases slowly at first • lag phase – Population explodes and increases rapidly – If population surpasses carrying capacity, could crash • Logistic Growth – Growth is slow at first – Then growth speeds up – Then growth slows as it approaches the carrying capacity of the environment Carrying Capacity Human Population • Globally, the human population is exponentially growing – Positive Growth = # births or immigrants is greater than # deaths or emigrants – Zero Growth = # births or immigrants is equal to # deaths or emigrants – Negative Growth = # births or immigrants is less than # deaths or emigrants Demography • The study of human population size, density, distribution, movement, and birth and death rates. – Demographers use age structure charts to study population changes in countries around the world Age Structure Charts • Divide human populations into 3 groups: – 1: Pre-reproductive: 0-19yrs • Not usually contributing to growth, but will – 2: Reproductive: 20-44yrs • Currently contributing to growth – 3: Post-Reproductive: 45-80+yrs • Will no longer contribute to growth • Each country’s population changes, depending on the resources available in that country. Density-Dependent Factors • Increasing the number of people in an area, but not increasing the area leads to stress. – Stress is a physical and emotional reaction to unfavorable environmental conditions. • Stress can lead to emigration, disease outbreaks, or war and other antisocial behaviors. Density-Dependent Factors • Disease: – disease outbreaks are more likely to occur when human-to-human contact increases. • • • • • Bubonic plague Small pox Influenza Ebola Cholera-current problem in Haiti Biodiversity & Conservation Biodiversity • The variety of species of plants and other organisms in a specific area – More variety = increased biodiversity Biodiversity Contributes to… • Stable Ecosystems: – Different species may share the same niche, thus no 1 species is solely responsible for a specific purpose. • If that species no longer thrives, other species can replace it’s function • Genetic Diversity: – # of genes & alleles affects species survival & development • Having a greater variety of genes ensures that organisms will have a greater ability to survive ecosystem changes Natural Resource Usage • Renewable Resources – Organisms, or products of organisms, that can be replaced as fast as they are used. • Bamboo, r-strategist species (rabbits, mice) • Nonrenewable Resources – Organisms, or products of organisms, that can not be replaced as fast as they are used. – Will run out if we do not change how we use them. • Fossil fuels, k-strategist species (Panda, Leopard) Biodiversity & Medicine • Scientists continue to find new medicines from plants and other organisms that are used in the treatment of human diseases. Anti-Tuberculosis Loss of Biodiversity • Weakens Ecosystems: – Ecosystems become dependent on just a few species. – If these species are lost, then the entire ecosystem could be lost. Without Biodiversity • Our water will become dirtier – No fishing, no swimming • Our forests will become smaller – no wood, no paper • Our parks will become quieter – No birds • Our world will become emptier Threats to Biodiversity • How to lose an Ecosystem: – Poorly controlled use of natural resources – Overdevelopment of land – Over hunting of animals – Pollution – Natural Disasters Pollution & Conservation Pollution • Non-natural chemicals that damage natural biogeochemical cycles – Can sicken or kill living species – Can degrade abiotic factors Common Pollutants • Sewage, fertilizers, pesticides, industrial waste – Rich in phosphorous & nitrogen – May contain mutagens or carcinogens • Gases produced from burning fossil fuels – Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, CFCs • Litter Acid Rain • Sulfur & Nitrogen gases are released by burning fossil fuels – These gases combine with water in the atmosphere and form nitric acid and sulfuric acid – These acids precipitate towards Earth, damaging plants, and water bodies Eutrophication • Excess phosphorous & nitrogen from farm runoff & sewage enter the waterways • Causes algae to multiply. – The algae use up the oxygen in the water for cellular respiration. – Other oxygen-dependent organisms suffocate A Manitoba, Canada Picture A: Circa 1975 B Picture B: Circa 1994 After nearly 19 yrs of phosphorous pollution. Biological Magnification • Pollutants and toxins become more concentrated, further up a food pyramid – Producers receive the least amount of poison – Top consumers receive the most amount of poison Conservation Efforts • Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Best way to prevent waste from entering an ecosystem is by not making any to begin with. • Clean Ups – Global efforts to fix polluted areas – Super Fund: US $ set aside for cleaning polluted areas • Laws – Environmental Protection Agency Bioremediation • Use of living organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, or plants, to detoxify a polluted area. Biological Augmentation • Sometimes, species from other countries enter the US, and out-compete local species for resources. • Predators of these nonnative species are then introduced in order to remove the damaging species, and return balance to our native ecosystems Responsible Stewardship • People are going to use natural resources. • If these resources are used wisely, then they can last a very long time and without polluting. • We ALL need to work together to make sure future generations have a healthy planet.