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Ecology WHAT IS ECOLOGY? Ecology then means the Study of the “House” in which we live. WHAT IS ECOLOGY? Ecology then means the Study of the “House” in which we live. Study of the interactions between organisms and the nonliving components of their environment. WHAT IS ECOLOGY? Ecology then means the Study of the “House” in which we live. Study of the interactions between organisms and the nonliving components of their environment. (The Earth includes a tremendous variety of living things. Each organism depends in some way on other living and nonliving things in its environment.) WHAT IS ECOLOGY? Ecology then means the Study of the “House” in which We Live. Study of the Interactions between Organisms and the Nonliving Components of their Environment. (The Earth includes a tremendous variety of living things. Each organism depends in some way on other living and nonliving things in its environment. ) (Ecology involves collecting information about organisms and their environment, looking for patterns, and seeking to explain these patterns.) BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC FACTORS An Ecosystem possesses both LIVING COMPONENTS OR BIOTIC FACTORS and NONLIVING OR ABIOTIC FACTORS. The Nonliving Factors, called Abiotic Factors Physical and Chemical Characteristics of the environment. They include Solar Energy (Amount of Sun Light), Oxygen, CO2, Water, Temperature, Humidity, pH, and availability of Nitrogen. The Living Components of the environment are called Biotic Factors They include all the Living Things that affect an organism. Biotic Components are often categorized as Producers, Consumers, and Decomposer. All the things that go into an Ecosystem Earth's Biomes: very large geographical areas described by their climate, soil, flora, and fauna. Terrestrial Biomes/Land biomes Terrestrial biomes are described the by their average rainfall, temperature, and major plants and animals. Terrestrial Biomes/Land biomes Terrestrial biomes are described the by their average rainfall, temperature, and major plants and animals. Because environmental factors change gradually over a landscape, biomes seldom have distinct boundaries. Terrestrial Biomes/Land biomes Terrestrial biomes are described the by their average rainfall, temperature, and major plants and animals. Because environmental factors change gradually over a landscape, biomes seldom have distinct boundaries. As climate varies, one biome gradually changes into another. Terrestrial Biomes/Land biomes Terrestrial biomes are described the by their average rainfall, temperature, and major plants and animals. Because environmental factors change gradually over a landscape, biomes seldom have distinct boundaries. As climate varies, one biome gradually changes into another. Your textbook lists eight "major" biomes and their characteristics. (Scientists do not even agree on the number of terrestrial biomes represented on Earth.) Terrestrial Biomes/Land biomes Arctic Tundra is found across northern Alaska, Canada, and Siberia. This biome has long cold winters and short cool summers. The Arctic tundra has low precipitation (less than 10 inches per year) and dry winds. These conditions make the Arctic tundra a desertlike climate Tundra Tundra is dark green One unique characteristic of the Arctic tundra is permafrost Permafrost is ground that is permanently frozen Because the permafrost has no cracks or pores, nothing can penetrate it--neither plant roots nor water. The surface layer above the permafrost thaws each summer- active layer. Thickness of the active layer depends on its location in the tundra. The more northerly the location, the thinner the active layer is. Arctic Tundra: Animals Not many kinds of animals live year-round in the Arctic tundra. Most birds and mammals only use the tundra as a summer home. Arctic Tundra: Animals Animal adaptations Migration and hibernation are examples of behavioral adaptations used by animals in the Arctic tundra. The fact that many animals do not live year-round in the tundra means they leave or migrate for a length of time to warmer climates. Arctic Tundra: Animals Hibernation is a combination of behavioral and physical adaptations. For example, during the summer the brown bear's behavior is to eat just about anything it can find; then it hibernates, or sleeps, during the winter. The bear's physical adaptation allows the food eaten during the summer to be stored as a layer of fat underneath its skin. The layer of fat insulates the bear from the cold. While in hibernation the fat is slowly converted into energy that maintains life. A physical adaptation used by the Musk Ox A physical adaptation used by the Musk Ox is the growth of two layers of fur--one short and the other long. Air is trapped in the short layer of fur and is warmed by body heat. The warmed air, trapped close to the body, acts as insulation from the cold. The layer of long fur protects the Musk Ox from the wind and water. A physical adaptation used by the Musk Ox In addition to thick layers of fur, the Musk Ox relies on another physical adaptation to help it survive. The hooves of the Musk Ox are large and hard. During the winter months, this adaptation allows the Musk Ox to break the ice and drink the water underneath. Arctic Tundra: Plants Only plants with shallow root systems grow in the Arctic tundra because the permafrost prevents plants from sending their roots down past the active layer of soil. The active layer of soil is free from ice for only 50 to 90 days. Arctic Tundra: Plants Arctic plants have a very short growing season. However, in spite of the severe conditions and the short growing season, there are approximately 1,700 kinds of plants that live in the Arctic tundra. mosses, lichens, low-growing shrubs, and grasses--but no trees. "tundra" is a Finnish word which means "treeless". Arctic Tundra: Plant Adaptations Growing close together and low to the ground. This growing pattern helps the plant resist the effects of cold temperatures and reduce the damage caused by the impact of tiny particles of ice and snow that are driven by the dry winds. reindeer moss Cottongrass Labrador tea Reindeer on the tundra Tundra- the end Ol' MOSSY HORNS! He either neutered himself jumping over a fence or his privates never developed. Either way the end result was a very untypical growth of his horns. The imbalance in hormones seems to have prevented him from dropping his horns each season. Temperate Deciduous Forest Temperate Deciduous Forest Mid-latitude temperate forests have both a warm and a cold season. Precipitation ranges from 30 to 60 inches Much of the human population lives in this biome. Although evergreens are found in this biome, this biome is characterized by an abundance of deciduous trees. Temperate Deciduous Forest Just as the name implies, these deciduous trees shed their leaves each fall. Lying on the forest floor, the leaves decay. As the leaves decompose, the nutrients contained in the leaves are absorbed by the soil. The soils of this biome tend to be very fertile. Because this biome has fertile soil and a long, 5 to 6 month, growing season, many deciduous forests have been converted into agricultural regions. Temperate Deciduous Forest: Plants Temperate Deciduous Forest: Flora Deciduous" means to fall off, or shed, seasonally. Temperate Deciduous Forest Temperate Deciduous Forest Temperate Deciduous Forest: Animals A wide variety of mammals, birds, insects, and reptiles can be found in a temperate forest biome. Animal Adaptations While a wide variety of birds migrate, many of the mammals hibernate during the cold winter months when food is in short supply. Temperate Deciduous Forest: Animals Animal Adaptations Another behavioral adaptation some animals have adopted is food storage. The nuts and seeds that are plentiful during the summer are gathered by squirrels, chipmunks, and some jays, and are stored in the hollows of trees for use during the winter months. Cold temperatures help prevent the decomposition of the nuts and seeds. Fauna: Temperate Deciduous Forest North American herbivores include whitetail deer, gray squirrel, and chipmunk. Omnivores include raccoon, opossum, skunk, and black bear. Carnivores have been largely eliminated through the deliberate effort of humans but should include timber wolves, mountain lions, and bobcats. The coyote, native to the western grasslands and deserts, has recently dispersed east and taken over the niche of its departed cousin, the timber wolf. Fauna: Temperate Deciduous Forest Fauna: Temperate Deciduous Forest Animal Adaptations Migration and hibernation are two adaptations used by the animals in this biome. Temperate Deciduous Forest Desert or Desertscrub Depending on its geographical location, the annual precipitation in a desert varies from half an inch to as much as 15 inches. Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth’s surface Desert Deserts can be either hot such as the Australian Desert or cold such as the Gobi Desert Desert: Climates of the Earth Deserts of North America Mohave Desert Sonoran Desert Chihuahuan Desert Great Basin Desert Desert: Animals deserts are home to many reptiles, insects, birds, and small mammals Desert: Animal adaptations The most universal behavioral adaptation used by small mammals, reptiles, and insects to deal with high temperatures is staying in the shadow of plants or rocks These animals also seek shelter by burrowing into the ground. Another behavioral adaptation used by desert animals is to remain inactive during the hot daylight hours. They hunt at night when temperatures are cool and when there is less risk of losing precious body water- nocturnal. Some animals get all of the water they need from the insects, bulbs, and seeds they eat. Desert: Plants Short grasses, sagebrush, creosote bushes, and cacti Desert: Plant adaptations Because of the dry climate, plants have developed a number of different methods of capturing water. Some plants have developed long (20-30 foot) taproots that go deep into the ground and tap into groundwater sources. Horizontal root systems lie just below the surface and extend far beyond the plant canopy. When it rains the numerous tiny roots capture the water. Desert: Plant adaptations Another common physical adaptation is the ability of desert plants to store water in their roots, stems, leaves, or fruit. Plants that store water in this way are referred to as succulents, and they include cacti. Desert: Plant adaptations Desert plants retain moisture by limiting water loss through their leaf surface. Many plants accomplish this by adapting the size, sheen, or texture of their leaves. Small leaves or spines limit the amount of surface area exposed to the drying heat. Glossy leaves reflect the Sun's radiant heat reducing leaf temperatures and evaporation rates. Waxy leaves prevent moisture from escaping. Water escapes from leaves through the stomata, or leaf pores. A behavioral adaptation used by some plants is to only open leaf pores during the night when air temperature is cool and evaporation rate is low. Desert Desert Camel Spiders in the Desert of Iraq Tropical Forest The tropical rainforest is a hot, moist biome found near Earth's equator. Tropical rainforests receive from 60 to 160 inches of precipitation annually Tropical rainforests contain the greatest biodiversity in the world. 15 million species of plants and animals live within this biome. Tropical Rainforest: Animals One of the reasons for this great variety of animals is the constant warmth. Tropical rainforests also provide a nearly constant supply of water and a wide variety of food for the animals. monkeys, birds, snakes, rodents, frogs, and lizards are common in the tropical rainforest. Many of these animals and a multitude of insects never set foot on the ground. The animals use the tall trees and understory for shelter, hiding places from their predators, and a source of food. Tropical Rain Forest Toucans have adapted by developing long, large bill. This adaptation allows this bird to reach fruit on branches that are too small to support the bird's weight. The bill also is used to cut the fruit from the tree. Tropical Rainforest: Plants Although tropical rainforests receive 12 hours of sunlight daily, less than 2% of that sunlight ever reaches the ground. The tropical rainforest has dense vegetation, often forming three different layers--the canopy, the understory, and the ground layer. Tropical Rainforest: Plant adaptation Plant survival in a tropical rainforest depends on the plant's ability to tolerate constant shade or to adapt strategies to reach sunlight. Fungus is a good example of an organism that flourishes in warm, dark places created by the forest canopy and understory. Temperate Coniferous Forest or Taiga This is where you live!!! Temperate Coniferous Forest or Taiga boreal forest or taiga. The taiga biome is found in the northern hemisphere close to the polar region. This cold biome stretches across the northern portions of North America, Europe, and Asia. Temperate Coniferous Forest or Taiga Winters are long and cold, and the summers are short and cool. Precipitation is moderately high throughout the year with snow occurring during the winter months. Temperate Coniferous Forest or Taiga Taiga or boreal forest is home to thriving mosses Taiga: Animals moose, deer, and bears, bobcats, squirrels, chipmunks, ermine, and moles. Taiga: Animals Animal adaptations Most animals migrate to warmer climates once the cold weather begins. Some animals have adapted to life in the taiga by hibernating when temperatures drop. Other animals have adapted to the extreme cold temperatures by producing a layer of insulating feathers or fur to protect them from the cold. Taiga: seasonal change adaptation of a seasonal change in color of feathers or fur protects the animal from its predators The ermine, a small mammal, is a good example of this adaptation. Its dark brown summer coat changes to white in the winter. This adaptation helps the ermine blend into its surroundings and makes it more difficult for the ermine's predators to spot them. Taiga: Plants conifer-trees that have cones. Three of the common conifers are evergreens; spruce, fir, and pine. broadleaf trees- birch and aspen Temperate Coniferous Forest or Taiga Larch/Tamarack The fourth common conifer is the tamarack, or larch, a deciduous tree. Temperate Coniferous Forest or Taiga Plant adaptations Growing new leaves takes a lot of energy. By keeping their leaves, the evergreens are able to use that limited energy for structural growth rather than producing leaves. Temperate Coniferous Forest or Taiga Spruce-bog of the taiga. Typical glacial lake of the taiga Savanna A savanna is a rolling grassland scattered with shrubs and isolated trees, which can be found between a tropical rainforest and desert biome. Not enough rain falls on a savanna to support forests. Savannas are also known as tropical grasslands. They are found in a wide band on either side of the equator on the edges of tropical rainforests. Savanna Savanna Savannas have warm temperature year round. There are actually two very different seasons in a savanna; a very long dry season (winter), and a very wet season (summer). In the dry season only an average of about 4 inches of rain falls. Between December and February no rain will fall at all. Oddly enough, it is actually a little cooler during this dry season. But don't expect sweater weather; it is still around 70° F. Savanna In the summer there is lots of rain. In Africa the monsoon rains begin in May. An average of 15 to 25 inches of rain falls during this time. It gets hot and very humid during the rainy season. Every day the hot, humid air rises off the ground and collides with cooler air above and turns into rain. In the afternoons on the summer savanna the rains pour down for hours. African savannas have large herds of grazing and browsing hoofed animals. Each animal has a specialized eating habit that reduces compitition for food. Savanna Savanna Savanna There are several different types of savannas around the world. The savannas we are most familiar with are the East African savannas covered with acacia trees. The Serengeti Plains of Tanzania are some of the most well known. Here animals like lions, zebras, elephants, and giraffes and many types of ungulates(animals with hooves) graze and hunt. Many large grass-eating mammals (herbivores) can survive here because they can move around and eat the plentiful grasses. There are also lots of carnivores (meat eaters) who eat them in turn. Savanna Savanna Plants Savanna Animals Temperate Grasslands Temperate Grasslands Temperate Grasslands Temperate Grasslands Chaparral Chaparral The chaparral biome is found in a little bit of most of the continents the west coast of the United States, the west coast of South America, the Cape Town area of South Africa, the western tip of Australia and the coastal areas of the Mediterranean. Chaparral Chaparral Lay of the land: The chaparral biome has many different types of terrain. Some examples are flat plains, rocky hills and mountain slopes. It is sometimes used in movies for the "Wild West". Most chaparral areas formed where humans once destroyed forests and ruined soil. Because these forests could not regrow in the nutrient poor soil, chaparral plants took over. Most of the Macchia was formed this way. Although scientists believe that the Macchia probably always existed on the Mediterranean coast, it later took over inland regions and mountain slopes only after forests were destroyed by humans. More than 3,000 years ago as the Mediterranean became more populated, people started rapidly cutting down forests to use the land for grazing their animals. The land was eventually over-grazed the soil lost all of its nutrients. With no plants left to hold the soil together, it was easily eroded away by wind and rain. This was when the Macchia took over the thin, almost desert-like soil. Succession caused by humans put the Macchia right into the climax stage, where it thrives today. Chaparral Chaparral is characterized as being very hot and dry. As for the temperature, the winter is very mild and is usually about 10 °C. Then there is the summer. It is so hot and dry at 40 °C that fires and droughts are very common. Chaparral Fortunately, the plants and animals are adapted to these conditions. Most of the plants have small, hard leaves which hold moisture. Some of these plants are poison oak, scrub oak, Yucca Wiple and other shrubs, trees and cacti. Chaparral Plants Chaparral Animals The animals are all mainly grassland and desert types adapted to hot, dry weather. A few examples: coyotes, jack rabbits, mule deer, alligator lizards, horned toads, praying mantis, honey bee and ladybugs. Chaparral Animals Ocean Zones Marine regions cover about three-fourths of the Earth’s surface and include oceans, coral reefs, and estuaries. Marine algae supply much of the world’s oxygen supply and take in a huge amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The evaporation of the seawater provides rainwater for the land. Freshwater wetlands The end
