* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download ecology - Moeller
Survey
Document related concepts
Ecological fitting wikipedia , lookup
Overexploitation wikipedia , lookup
Biodiversity action plan wikipedia , lookup
Restoration ecology wikipedia , lookup
Pleistocene Park wikipedia , lookup
Storage effect wikipedia , lookup
Habitat conservation wikipedia , lookup
Triclocarban wikipedia , lookup
Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project wikipedia , lookup
Biogeography wikipedia , lookup
Molecular ecology wikipedia , lookup
History of wildlife tracking technology wikipedia , lookup
Sustainable agriculture wikipedia , lookup
Renewable resource wikipedia , lookup
Transcript
ECOLOGY The study of living organisms in the natural environment How they interact with one another How they interact with their nonliving environment Levels of Organization Organisms/Species A single living thing that can breed/produce fertile offspring Population Individuals of the same species that live in the same area Community Different interacting populations that live together in an area Ecosystem Collection of abiotic and biotic factors in an environment Biome Biosphere Ecosystem with same climate and similar communities Earth with all the ecosystems Organisms/Species A single living thing that can breed/produce fertile offspring Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus Population Individuals of the same species that live in the same area The black-veined white butterfly (Aporia crataegi) mating Community Different interacting populations that live together in an area 7-spotted lady bird (Adephagia septempunctata) Bean aphids (Aphis fabae) Red ant (Myrmica rubra) and Broom plant (Cytisus scoparius) Ecosystem Collection of abiotic and biotic factors in an environment Abiotic and Biotic Factors Abiotic The non-living factors (physical and chemical factors) which affect the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce Examples-temperature, oxygen, moisture Biotic The living factors which affect the ability of organisms to survive and reproduce Examples-producer, primary consumer (grass, human, flower, lion) Biome Ecosystem with same climate and similar communities Biosphere Earth with all the ecosystems Levels of Organization Once More.. Remember Our Introduction? Which level did each direction correspond to? 1. Students will close their eyes and imagine an animal, anything they want as long as it lives in the wild and they know something about it. First have them think about their animal alone as an individual. What does it look like? How does it move? 2. Then imagine this animal interacting with others of its kind. Does your animal live alone or in a group? 3. Next think of other types of living things your animal might interact with. What does it eat? What eats it? Does it compete with other types of animals for food? 4. Next think of the non-living things that your animal interacts with. Where does it live? Where does it find water? What is the weather like where it lives? 5. Finally, think about your organism in relationship to the whole planet Earth. Imagine a picture of the Earth from space. Where on the planet does your animal live? How does its life affect the lives around it? Hoe does its life affect you? 1? INDIVIDUAL 2? POPULATION 3? COMMUNITY 4? ECOSYSTEM 5? BIOSPHERE Populations POPULATION ECOLOGY is the study of populations in relation to environment. Including environmental influences on population density and distribution, age structure, and variations in population size Population Density – number of individuals in a specified area of a habitat. Dispersion Describes how individuals in a population are distributed Dispersion patterns themselves are affected by the distribution of resources (including sunlight, nutrients, prey species, etc.) in the environment Types of dispersion patterns 1. Clumped - individuals aggregate in patches; may be influenced by resource availability & behavior Types of dispersion patterns 2. Uniform - individuals are evenly distributed; may be influenced by social interactions such as territoriality Types of dispersion patterns 3. Random - the position of each individual is independent of other individuals What can cause a change in population? births/natality deaths/mortality immigration emigration Population Growth Patterns Exponential growth - the individuals are not limited by food, disease, predation or competition. Results in J-shaped curve. This growth is not sustainable – short lived in nature. Population Growth Patterns Logistic growth – the individuals are limited by environmental factors. Carrying Capacity: the maximum size of a population that an environment can sustain indefinitely Results in S-shaped curve. Populations tend to attain an equilibrium in size which is determined by the available resources. Limiting Factors Limiting factors-Things that prevent a population from reaching its biotic potential Density-Independent Limiting Factors: affects all populations regardless of density Ex: weather, natural disasters, human activity Happen regardless of population size Limiting Factors Density-Dependent Limiting Factors: limits when population density reaches carrying capacity disease, competition, predation, resources availability, parasitism As more organisms crowd together, these factors cause more damage. Community Ecology COMMUNITY ECOLOGY – concerned with community structure & population interaction Symbiosis Symbiosis-two species live in a close, long term relationship Types of Symbiosis: Mutualism Both species benefit from the symbiotic relationship Ex: nitrogen-fixing bacteria on legumes, bees and flowers, Types of Symbiosis: Commensalism One organism is benefited and the other is unharmed Ex: barnacles on whales, orchids on tropical trees Types of Symbiosis: Parasitism One organism benefits, other is harmed Ex: athlete's foot fungus on humans, tapeworm and heartworm in dogs Habitat The characteristics of the type of environment where an organism normally lives. (e.g. a stoney stream, a deciduous temperate woodland) The place of an organism in its environment Niche- an organism’s use of the biotic and abiotic resources in its ecosystem • Some say an organisms “job” in the ecosystem Species A Niche represented by a 2-dimensional area Separate niches Species B Species A No overlap of niches. So coexistence is possible What happens if two niches overlap?!?! Overlapping niches Species B Species C Interspecific competition occurs where the niches overlap The Competitive Exclusion Principle G.F. Gause (1934) If two species, with the same niche, coexist in the same ecosystem, then one will be excluded from the community due to intense competition Which means….two species competing for the same limiting resources cannot coexist in the same place Competition Competition – organisms attempt to use an ecological resource in the same habitat *The more similar the requirements of the organisms involved, the more intense the competition. Predator/Prey Predation – the act of one organism feeding on another How to increase survival chance? camouflage, warning coloration and mimicry Succession Succession-community changes over time Two types: Primary succession Secondary succession Primary Succession Primary succession-occurs in area where no soil exists; starts with a pioneer species Secondary Succession Secondary succession-begins in an area where soil remains after a disturbance Energy and organisms Autotrophs (producers)– make their own food photosynthetic – use sunlight chemosynthetic – use inorganic materials Heterotrophs (consumers) – rely on others for food Types of Heterotrophs: Herbivore Only eats plants Carnivore Only eats animals Types of Heterotrophs: Omnivore Eats plants & animals Decomposers Cause decay Types of Heterotrophs: Detritivores Organisms who ingest dead organic matter. (e.g. earthworms, woodlice, millipedes) Earth worm (Lumbricus terrestris) Word Parts Autotroph auto=self troph=feeding Heterotroph Hetero-different troph-=feeding Trophic Levels Remember what troph meant?! FEEDING! So… A trophic level is a feeding level of one or more populations. Trophic levels make up……FOOD WEBS! Food Web A food web is a branching food chain with complex trophic interactions Food Web 1st Trophic Level (primary producers)-use sunlight directly 2nd Trophic Level (primary consumer)herbivores that feed directly on plants 3rd Trophic Levels are carnivores (secondary consumer) feeding on each other Food Chain A food chain represents passage of energy through populations in a community. Food Chain vs. Food Web Food Pyramid A food pyramid shows the energy content that is passed to each successive trophic level in a food web. What are all those arrows actually showing? ENERGY FLOW! Notice the arrows points towards the individual that is receiving the energy!!!! (The one doing the eating) Energy Flow ECOSYSTEMS – ENERGY FLOWS IN ONE DIRECTION THROUGH AN ECOSYSTEM First law of thermodynamics: energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be changed from one form of energy to another. Energy Flow Second law of thermodynamics: when energy is transformed from one form to another, there is always some loss of energy from the system. Energy Transfer Energy Transfer – ONLY 10% of energy is transferred up the trophic levels remaining energy is lost as heat Something to think about: Why are there more herbivores than carnivores? Biomass Biomass – total amount of living tissue in each trophic level; lower level has greatest Cycles of Matter To have a self-sustaining ecosystem, materials must be cycled among the organisms and the abiotic environment to be reused by different living organisms. Three main elements must move through an ecosystem: Water Carbon Nitrogen Water Cycle This cycle is made up of a few main parts: evaporation (and transpiration) condensation precipitation collection Carbon Cycle 1. Plant leaves take carbon dioxide from air 2. Plants store carbon in carbohydrates or starches (photosynthesis) 3. Plants & animals release carbon dioxide back into the air (cellular respiration) 4. Decomposers return carbon to environment (decomposition) Nitrogen Cycle N2 Fixation – bacteria/lightning/ volcanic action convert N2 gas into NH3 then convert it into nitrites/nitrates into soil for plants to use Denitrification – bacteria (decomposers) convert nitrates/nitrates from soil into N2 gas releasing into atmosphere Biomes Biome-Ecosystem with same climate and similar communities CLIMATE – is primary factor that determines communities and distinction between biomes Average yearly conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region Biomes Terrestrial Biomes: Temperate grassland (prairie) Tundra Taiga (coniferous forest) Deserts Temperate Deciduous Forest Savanna Tropical Rain Forest Polar Temperate Grassland Grasses w/ fertile soil Tundra Cold and Dry Permafrost - layer of permanently frozen soil Taiga In Northern areas/on mountains Evergreen trees Desert Hot in day, cold at night Low amounts of rainfall Plant species store water Temperate Deciduous Forest Deciduous trees Distinctive seasons Savanna Dry, short periods of heavy rain Plants – grasses Tropical Rainforest Hot and high levels of rain Great diversity of plants and animals Polar Very little plant growth Bitterly cold temperatures Aquatic Biomes Freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers, streams Marine – oceans Photic zone receives light Aphotic zone - not enough light for photosynthesis Environmental Issues and Human Influences What about excessive use of resources? There are 2 types—determined by how long it takes to renew Nonrenewable Resources cannot be replenished by nature within our lifetimes - are limited in supply - fossil fuels, metals, other minerals Renewable Resources energy sources that do not consume fuel reused and recycled materials – not unlimited if abused Sustainable Use – using natural resources at a rate that does not deplete them Resources aren’t the only things getting abused Land abuse causes soil erosion desertification – in dry climates, combination of farming, overgrazing and drought has turned productive areas into deserts deforestation Air and Water Pollution Acid Rain – burning of fossil fuels release N2 & S which combine with water vapor to form nitric and sulfuric acid Biological Magnification Biological Magnification – concentration of harmful substances increase in organisms as chemicals travel in the food web Biological magnification can cause…. Endangered species – endemic species that is highly vulnerable to extinction Habitat loss – physical reduction in suitable places to live Loss of biodiversityvariations of life at all levels of biological organization Ozone Depletion Layer of ozone (O3) is normally present in Earth’s upper atmosphere Prevents much of UV light emitted by sun from reaching Earth’s surface Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)– in polar atmosphere, CFCs act as catalyst that enable UV light to break apart ozone materials Why is this bad? This harmful UV radiation can now possibly affect humans, animals, and plants Greenhouse Effect Heat is retained by the layer of gases (CO2, CH4, etc) forming the atmosphere Global Warming Increase in average temperature of biosphere Over past 120 years, global temperature has risen .5o C Global Warming CAUSES – human activities have caused global warming by adding CO2 and other greenhouse gases to the atmosphere RESULT– atmospheric greenhouse gases retain more heat