Ecology

1. Ecology The first law of ecology is that everything is related to everything else. ~Barry Commoner

2. Warm-Up • Do this on your OUTPUT side! • Think of your favorite outdoor spot. • List all of the living things that exist there. • List all of the non-living aspects of your experience there.

3. The Biosphere Chapter 34

4. Concept 34.1 • The biosphere is the global ecosystem. • Key Terms • Ecology • Biotic factor • Abiotic factor • Population • Community • Ecosystem • Biosphere • Habitat

5. The Study of Ecology • Ecology • Study of interactions among organisms and their environments • Biotic vs. Abiotic

6. Ecological Relationships • Classified by broad levels: • Organisms • Populations • Communities • Ecosytems • Biosphere

7. Individual Organisms • Smallest unit of ecological study • Ecologists ask questions about the adaptations that enable individuals to meet the challenge of their environment

8. Populations • Group of the individual organisms of the same species living in a particular area • Ecologists often ask questions about factors that affect the size and growth of a population

9. Communities • All of the organisms inhabiting a particular area • Ecologists investigate interactions among all of the organisms in a community

10. Ecosystems • Includes the biotic and abiotic factors in an area • Questions at the ecosystem level may relate to the flow of energy and chemicals

11. Biosphere • Broadest of all levels of ecological study • Sum of all of the Earth’s ecosystems • Questions at the biosphere level involve global issues, such as investigating the effects of climate change on living things

12. Patchiness of the Biosphere • Differences in the abiotic factors of a location leads to a “patchy” appearance like a quilt • Each of these “patches” are different habitats for organisms to live in

13. Chlorophyll Concentrations

14. Sunlight Provides light and warmth and is an energy source for all ecosystems Water Essential to all life on Earth – all organisms contain water Temperature Life exists at a very narrow range of temperatures (0-50°C) Soil Product of abiotic forces and the actions of living things Wind Can affect the distribution and activities of organisms Severe Disturbances Naturally affect the ecosystems – fire, hurricanes, droughts, Key Abiotic Factors

16. Concept 34.2 • Climate determines global patterns in the biosphere. • Key Terms • Tropics • Polar zones • Temperate zones • Current • Microclimate

17. Uneven Heating of the Earth’s Surface • The angle that the sun’s rays hit the Earth causes different temperature gradients • Tropics • Polar Zones • Temperate Zones

18. Wind, Precipitation & Ocean Currents • Global wind patterns and Earth’s rotation create warm and cold surface currents in the oceans • These surface currents affect the climate on the continents

20. Local Climate • Local climate can be affected by: • Bodies of Water • Mountains

21. Microclimate • Climate in a specific area that varies from the surrounding climate region • Microclimates can be created by: • Shade • Snow cover • Windbreaks

22. Concept 34.3 • Biomes are the major types of terrestrial ecosystems. • Key Terms • Biome • Tropical rain forest • Savanna • Desert • Chapparral • Temperate grassland • Temperate deciduous forest • Coniferous forest • Tundra • Permafrost

23. What is a Biome? • Major types of terrestrial ecosystems that cover large areas of Earth • Biomes are characterized by communities of plants and other organisms that are adapted to its climate and other abiotic factors

24. Tropical Rainforest • Characterized by tall trees • Treetops = Canopy • Contain epiphytes • Don’t get enough sunlight at the floor of the rainforest • Often live on the branches of tall trees • Not parasitic because they make their own food

25. Tropical Rainforest • Highest species richness • 1 Hectare = 300 species • Temperate forest • 1 Hectare = 10 species • Animals: • Sloth, colorful birds, monkeys, snakes, and lizards • Maybe be 8 million species of beetles in the rain forest

26. Savanna • Tropical or subtropical grasslands with scattered trees and shrubs • Alternating wet and dry seasons • More rain than deserts • Less rain than rainforests

27. Savanna • Animals: • Zebras, giraffes, and gazelles • Lions, leopards, and cheetahs

28. Desert • Receive less than 25 cm of rainfall per year • Deserts are NOT hot all the time • Desert vegetation is often sparse and consists of plants that have adapted to the dry climate

29. Desert • Plant adaptations: • Waxy coating • Protective spines • Plants and animals have adaptations to conserve what little water they receive • Animals: • Kit foxes, snakes, and lizards

30. Chaparral • Dominated by dense evergreen shrubs • Dry climate consists of mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers

31. Chaparral • Chaparral’s dry, woody shrubs often ignite by lightning and are adapted to survive periodic brushfires

32. Temperate Grassland • Form in the interior of continents, at about the same latitude of temperate deciduous forests • Known by different names in different places: • Prairie = N. America • Steppes = Asia • Pampas = S. America • Veldt = Africa

33. Temperate Grassland • Because of its rich soil – grasslands have been transformed into farmland for crops such as wheat and corn • Very little undisturbed portions of the grasslands in the world

34. Temperate Deciduous Forest • Characterized by trees who lose their leaves in the fall • These regions have pronounced seasons, with precipitation throughout the year

35. Temperate Deciduous Forest • Animals: • Deer, foxes, squirrels, and raccoons • Large areas of temperate deciduous forests have been cut down for timber or cleared to make room for farms, towns, and cities

36. Coniferous Forest / Taiga • South of the tundra • Dominated by cone-bearing trees (pines, firs, hemlocks, and spruce) • Plants in the taiga are adapted to long and cold winters, short summers, and nutrient-poor soils

37. Coniferous Forest / Taiga • Typical animals: • Moose • Bears • Wolves • Lynx • Some animals stay in the forest year-long • Many species hibernate 6-8 months of the year

38. Tundra • Cold and largely treeless, surface covered with permafrost (permanently frozen soil) • Receives little precipitation

39. Tundra • Tundra plants are usually small and grow slowly • Grasses, sedges, and mosses • Animals • Caribou, musk oxen, snowy owls, artic foxes, lemmings, and snowshoe hairs

41. Concept 34.4 • Aquatic ecosystems make up most of the biosphere. • Key Terms • Photic zone • Phytoplankton • Aphotic zone • Benthic zone • Estuary • Pelagic zone • Intertidal zone • Neritic zone • Oceanic zone • Zooplankton • Hydrothermal vent

42. Aquatic Ecosystems • Water covers ¾ of the Earth and is home to a variety of organisms • Freshwater zones • Lakes and ponds • Rivers and streams • Estuaries • Ocean zones • Intertidal zone • Neritic zone • Oceanic zone

43. Freshwater Zones • Low levels of salt (0.0005% salinity) • Freshwater ecosystems include: • Lakes • Ponds • Streams • Rivers

44. Lakes and Ponds • Freshwater Lakes and Ponds support: • Otters, Muskrats, Birds (Ducks and Loons), and Fish • Eutrophic • Rich in organic matter and vegetation • Water is relatively murky • Oligotrophic • Very little organic matter • Water is much clearer, bottom is usually sandy or rocky

45. Lakes and Ponds

46. Rivers and Streams • Body of water that flows down a gradient towards its mouth • Water flows swiftly down steep gradients, organisms are adapted to withstand powerful currents • Brook trout face upstream to catch passing drifting invertebrates • Slow-moving rivers and backwaters are richer in nutrients and support more life • Rooted plants and fishes are adapted to weaker currents in slow-moving rivers

47. Rivers and Streams

48. Estuaries • Place where freshwater meets sea water • Examples: • Bays • Mud flats • Salt marshes • Inhabitants are adapted for frequent changes • Mangrove trees have salt glands that secrete salt from salt water

49. Estuaries

50. Ocean Zones • The ocean covers 70% of the Earth’s surface, with an average depth of 3.7 km • At the deepest parts the depth is 11km deep • Different Oceanic Zones • Aphotic – cold and dark, no sunlight • Photic – receives sunlight • Intertidal – along the oceanic shore, tides rise and fall • Neritic – relatively shallow, just beyond the intertidal zone • Pelagic – open ocean • Benthic – ocean bottom