* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Conservation of Matter & Energy
Conservation biology wikipedia , lookup
Biogeography wikipedia , lookup
Biodiversity wikipedia , lookup
Latitudinal gradients in species diversity wikipedia , lookup
Molecular ecology wikipedia , lookup
Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project wikipedia , lookup
Reconciliation ecology wikipedia , lookup
Biodiversity action plan wikipedia , lookup
Ecological resilience wikipedia , lookup
Habitat conservation wikipedia , lookup
Ecological succession wikipedia , lookup
Island restoration wikipedia , lookup
Pleistocene Park wikipedia , lookup
Renewable resource wikipedia , lookup
Human impact on the nitrogen cycle wikipedia , lookup
Restoration ecology wikipedia , lookup
River ecosystem wikipedia , lookup
Natural environment wikipedia , lookup
Ecosystem services wikipedia , lookup
Ecosystems Introduction Species (be…specific!) – Bear: not good – American Black bear: great – Ursus americanus: amazing Population Community Ecosystem Habitat Niche All ecosystems have two sets of components. Biotic – Living things – How they interact – Relationships Abiotic – – – – – – – – – – – – Light Temperature Soil Turbidity Wind speed Dissolved oxygen Slope Salinity Flow rate Elevation pH Wave action How do you measure biotic components? Identify the species – Use a dichotomous key Estimate the abundance of organisms – Percent cover – Percent frequency Estimating biomass – The mass of living material – It’s easiest for plants, but it’s destructive How do you measure biotic components? We focused mostly on plants. Animals are harder to measure, why? There are some simple ways for smaller organisms. For larger organisms, the Lincoln Index is the easiest way. Lincoln Index Scientists capture a sample of individuals, mark them, and release them. Scientists then return, capture another sample, and estimate the total population Calculating Lincoln Index 25 birds caught, tagged, released. 30 birds caught second time, 18 were marked. Calculating Lincoln Index 8 elephants caught, tagged, released. 9 elephants caught second time, 6 were tagged. Calculating Lincoln Index 200 ants caught, marked, released. 185 ants caught second time, 57 were marked. Calculating Lincoln Index 20 blugill caught, tagged, released. 30 bluegill caught second time, 3 were marked. Lincoln Index Assumptions Population must be closed, no immigration or emigration Time between samples must be small compared to the lifespan Marked organisms must mix with the population after marking Lincoln Index Setbacks Capture can injure animal Mark/tag may harm animal Mark/tag may be removed Mark/tag may increase/decrease predators Different individuals are more/less “capturable” Individuals may become trap-happy or trap-shy But it’s not just about HOW MANY living things are in an area. Diversity is very important as well and is a measure of the health of an ecosystem. The lower the diversity, the lower the health. Why do you think this is? Simpson’s Diversity Index Ecosystem 1 15 rats 13 squirrels 8 moles 6 mice 5 chipmunks Ecosystem 2 0 rats 10 squirrels 3 moles 4 mice 25 chipmunks Ecosystem 3 16 rats 0 squirrels 7 moles 0 mice 32 chipmunks Ecosystem 4 3 rats 24 squirrels 2 moles 4 mice 5 chipmunks Ecosystem 5 10 rats 10 squirrels 7 moles 9 mice 0 chipmunks Ecosystem 6 85 rats 0 squirrels 0 moles 0 mice 0 chipmunks Ecosystem 7 3 rats 13 squirrels 0 moles 0 mice 5 chipmunks Ecosystem 8 0 rats 13 squirrels 0 moles 0 mice 22 chipmunks Ecosystem 9 15 rats 15 squirrels 15 moles 0 mice 9 chipmunks Pyramid of Numbers Shows the number of organisms at each level. Good for comparing changes Bad because numbers can be too great to represent and difficult for organisms at multiple trophic levels Pyramid of Biomass Shows the amount of biomass at each level Difficult to measure biomass, biomass varies over seasons Pyramid of Productivity Shows the amount of energy flow through an ecosystem (rule of 10 - each level is about 10% of the previous level) Good because ecosystems can be compared Bad because the data is hard to get and species can be at multiple trophic levels. Gross Primary Productivity The amount of energy produced or amount of mass produced by producers Net Primary Productivity The amount of energy or mass that is stored by producers The amount of energy available to consumers Gross Secondary Productivity The total amount of energy consumed by consumers Net Secondary Productivity The total amount of mass gained by (primary) consumers The data in the table below relate to the transfer of energy in a small clearly defined habitat. The units in each case are in kJ.m-2.yr-1 Trophic Level Gross Production Respiratory Loss Loss to decomposers Producers 60724 36120 477 Herbivores 21762 14700 3072 First Carnivores 714 576 42 Top Carnivores 7 4 1 Respiratory loss by decomposers Calculate the Net Productivity for – – – – Producers Primary Consumers (Herbivores) Secondary Consumers (First Carnivores) Tertiary Consumers (Top Carnivores) 3120 Calculations: NPP of Producers:60724 - (36120+477) NSP of Herbivores:21762 =24127 kJ.m-2.yr-1 -(14700+3072) =3990 kJ.m-2.yr-1 NSP of Primary Consumers:714 -(576+42) =96 kJ.m-2.yr-1 NSP of Secondary Consumers:7 =2 kJ.m-2.yr-1 -(4+1) NSP of Decomposers: (477+3072+42+1) -3120 =472 kJ.m-2.yr-1 ENERGY FLOW MODEL R=36120 60724 Producers R=576 R=14700 21762 Herbivores 714 3072 1st. Carnivores R=4 7 Top Carnivores 42 477 1 Decomposers R=3120 Trophic Level Gross Production Respiratory Loss Loss to decomposers Oak Tree 61724 37120 497 Caterpillars 16700 2972 Robins 558 49 Hawks 3 1 Respiratory loss by decomposers 3120 Trophic Level Gross Production Respiratory Loss Loss to decomposers Phytoplankton 75126 41320 322 Krill 35221 17900 766 Fish 11900 4103 3247 Penguins 88 61 12 Respiratory loss by decomposers 2792 Measuring abiotic components Marine Ecosystems: – – – – – Salinity pH Temperature Dissolved Oxygen Wave Action Measuring abiotic components Freshwater ecosystems – – – – – Turbidity Flow Velocity pH Temperature Dissolved Oxygen Measuring abiotic components Terrestrial ecosystems – – – – – – Temperature Light intensity Wind speed Slope Soil moisture Mineral content Measuring abiotic components Best method: – Count the organisms Next best method: – Capture-MarkRelease-Recapture – (Lincoln Index) Population Curves S Curve – Reaches carrying capacity and stabilizes J Curve – Unchecked population growth Survivorship r- strategists – – – – – Short generation time Mature quickly Small size Many offspring Little parental care Adapted to unstable/ unpredictable environments Survivorship K- stragetists – – – – – Long life/generation time Mature slowly Large size Few offspring Parental care Predictable/stable environments where population stays near carrying capacity Population Regulation Density dependent inhibition – Population is regulated by negative feedback – Crowding – Competition Population Regulation Density independent inhibition – Weather – Disturbances Succession A natural increase in the complexity of the structure and species composition over time A lifeless area becomes an ecosystem Bare surface A lifeless abiotic environment becomes available for pioneer species Usually r-selected species Seral Stage 1 Simple soil starts Pioneer species adapted to extreme conditions colonize Seral Stage 2 Species diversity increases Organic material and nutrients in soil increases Seral Stage 3 Larger plants colonize K-selected species become established r-selected species unable to compete get fazed out Seral Stage 4 Fewer new species Narrower niches develop, K-selected species become specialists Climax Community Stable and selfperpetuating ecosystem Maximum development under temperature, light, precipitation conditions. Secondary Succession Soils are already established and ready to accept seeds blown in by the wind Zonation How an ecosystem changes along an environmental gradient Ex: – Mountain sides – Sea shores – Sea zones