What is an Ecosystem?

1. What is an Ecosystem?

2. Ecosystem = a community of organisms interacting with their physical environment

3. Ecosystems include biotic (living) components: • Plants • Animals • Bacteria • Fungi • Algae

4. CO2 Ecosystems include abiotic (non-living) components: • Sun • Gases • Temperature • Wind • Water • Soil • Rock

5. Ecosystems include processes: • Respiration • Fire • Photosynthesis • Seed dispersal • Food web • Erosion • Deposition • Water Cycle • Evapotranspiration • Evaporation • Percolation

6. Ecosystems have no specific scale

7. Ecosystems are not static

8. Ephemeral Wetland

9. Ephemeral pond • Temporary pond • Cypress dome • Prairie wetland • Isolated wetland • Seasonal depression • Carolina bay

10. Dry Periodically

11. Biotic Components • Witchgrass • Maidencane • St. John’s wort • Sawgrass • Sundew • Pond cypress • Black gum • Predacious diving beetle • Green darner • Mole cricket • Least killifish • Eastern mosquitofish • Ornate chorus frog • Striped newt • Oak toad • Chicken turtle • Cottonmouth • Wood duck • Raccoon • White-tailed deer

12. Abiotic Components • Wind • Oxygen • Carbon Dioxide • Nitrogen • Temperature • Rain • Soil • Limestone • Sun

13. Processes / Interactions • Evapotranspiration • Evaporation • Photosynthesis • Respiration • Predation • Percolation • Erosion • Deposition • Run-off • Metamorphosis • Migration • Fire • Reproduction

14. Seasonal Changes • in water levels • Winter: high rainfall + little evapotranspiration (no leaves on trees) = water in the wetlands • Spring: little rainfall, trees leafing out (evapotranspiration), sun becoming stronger (evaporation) = wetlands dry • Summer: rainfall amounts are greater than evaporation, evapotranspiration – wetlands have water • Fall: little rainfall, evaporation and evapotranspiration high due to high temperature, strong sunlight, photosynthesis = wetlands dry

15. Climate Change • Changes in the timing and amount of rainfall will affect ephemeral wetland-breeding amphibian species. For example: • Flatwoods salamanders normally migrate to ephemeral wetlands to breed in October and November and lay their eggs at the edge of the dry wetland basin. December rains hydrate the wetland. When the water level reaches the eggs, the eggs hatch and the larvae grow up in the wetland. If rain doesn’t fall until February, the eggs would dry out before the wetland hydrates.

16. Ecological Succession • Many ephemeral wetlands are marshes. This means the vegetation is predominately herbaceous. Amphibians depend on herbaceous vegetation – they lay their eggs on grass blades, larvae use herbaceous vegetation for cover and they eat the algae that grows on the vegetation. • When there is no fire in the system or during times of drought, woody vegetation (tree seedlings and shrubs) moves in and changes the ephemeral wetland from a marsh wetland to a swamp. • Woody vegetation shades out the herbaceous vegetation and can reduce wetland water levels through evapotranspiration. Lower water levels mean less larval habitat and also increases the chance that wetlands go dry before larvae grow enough to metamorphose.

17. BIG CONCLUSION Ecosystem = a community of organisms interacting with their physical environment Ecosystems = biotic component + abiotic component + interactions/processes Ecosystems do not have a specific scale Ecosystems are not static – they can be impacted by seasonal variation, climate change, and ecological succession

18. Now it’s Your Turn Longleaf pine tree Pitcher plant bog Coral reef Pine flatwoods Lake Wales Ridge scrub Mangrove swamp Coastal beach A Florida springrun The Everglades Pine Rocklands