Transcript Climate

Ekofizyoloji
Ecophysiology
Eco-Physiologogy
Willmer, Stone & Johnston. 2005. Environmental Physiology of
Animals 2nd edition, Blackwell Science. ISBN1-4051-0724-3.
.
Ecophysiology
• Ecophysiology is the study of how the
environment, both physical and biological,
interacts with the physiology of an
organism.
• It includes the effects of climate and
nutrients on physiological processes in
both plants and animals, and has a particular
focus on how physiological processes scale
with organism size.
Study of
physiological
responses to
the
environment
Interface between ecology and physiology:
Ecology provides the questions
Physiology provides the ‘tools’
Why does a particular species live where it
does?
How does it manage to grow and reproduce
successfully and why is it absent from other
environments?
What is the environment?
Physical
Environment
(light
intensity,
temperature,
gravity, etc.)
Living
things
Biotic Environment (soil organisms,
competition for space and other
resources, herbivory, allelopathy, etc.)
Chemical
Environment
(H2O, CO2, O2, N2,
minerals, toxins,
etc.)
Eco-Physiologogy
Study of interactions between organisms and
their physical environment.
Emphasizes individuals, not groups like
populations or communities.
The intersection between ecology and
physiology (study of how organisms function).
Also mostly equivalent to "ecophysiology."
Eco-Physiologogy
Two themes:
1. Homeostasis – maintenance of constant
internal conditions in varying environments
2. Adaptation of organisms to specific
environments
Animals have many needs and these can be investigated.
Three big problems
1. Obtaining energy and nutrients
2. Maintaining temperature
3. Obtaining and holding onto water
Energy
All organisms require energy to live and reproduce
Heterotrophs – acquire energy from organic material, live or
dead
most animals feed on living organisms
decomposers (fungi, some animals) feed on dead
organisms
Energy
All organisms require energy to live and reproduce
Heterotrophs – acquire energy from organic material,
live or dead
most animals feed on living organisms
decomposers (fungi, some animals) feed on dead
organisms
Autotrophs – acquire energy from sunlight or
chemicals in the environment.
1. Chemosynthetic autotrophs:
obtain energy from inorganic chemicals like methane or
hydrogen sulfide.
sea-vent bacteria.
2. Photosynthetic autotrophs:
combine energy from sunlight and CO2 to make sugars
many bacteria, some protists (algagae), and nearly all
plants.
Organisms presences
• All living things.
• Studied at many levels.
Environment
•
Abiotic Factors: non-living factors.
Ex: Temperature, Light, Water
Nutrients
•
Biotic Factors: effect of other organisms.
Ex: Competition, Predation
Abiotic Factors
1. Temperature
2. Water
3. Sunlight
4. Wind
5. Rocks and Soil
6. Disturbance
Temperature
• Effects biological processes.
• Ex:
– Cold – cells will rupture if they expand
while freezing.
– Hot – many proteins denature above 45
oC.
• Point – life can only exist over a fairly
narrow temperature range.
Sunlight
• Provides energy for Photo-synthesis,
which drives most food webs.
• Plants often compete for light because of
shading or absorption of light by deep
columns of water.
Wind
• Effects temperature and water
conditions for many organisms.
• May carry abrasive particles that limit plant
growth by killing the SAM areas.
Rocks and Soil
• Physical structure, pH, mineral
composition of rocks and soil limit where
plants can grow.
• Ex. Se soils.
• Plants limit what animals can be found in
an area.
Disturbance
• Disturbance is often an important
part of an environment.
• Allows organisms to re-colonize an
area.
• Ex: Fire
Humans
Wind
Climate
• Shapes environments and what organisms
can live in a particular area.
• Climate is the average weather in a place
over many years. While the weather can
change in just a few hours, climate takes
hundreds, thousands, even millions of
years to change(But NOW???)
Climatic Factors
• Solar Radiation and Latitude
• Changes the amount of light and energy delivered
per surface area
• Axis Tilt/Seasons
• Air/Water Circulation Patterns
Global Air Patterns
• Air rises when heated,
sinks when
cools.
• Zones of rising/sinking are created.
• Earth's rotation causes zones to "twist”.
Result
• Air circulation patterns.
• Rainfall patterns.
– rising air: wet areas
– descending air: dry areas
Biomes
• Broad geographical regions with
characteristic communities of organisms.
Biomes Controlled by:
• Temperature
• Water
• Geography
Tropical Forests
• Areas covered with dense growth of
trees and vines.
• Climate:
– Warm temperatures.
– Constant day length.
– High water.
Tropical Forests
Tropical Forests
• Have the greatest diversity of species of
any area on Earth.
• Soil is usually very infertile. Most of the
nutrients are in the plant life.
• One of the most endangered Biomes.
Savanna
• Grasslands with a few trees.
• Climate with three growing seasons:
– Cool and dry
– Hot and dry
– Warm and wet
Savanna
• Rich in herbivores and predator species.
• Only major biome not found on North
America.
Desert
• Characterized by plants adapted to dry
growing conditions.
• Climate:
– Dry (<30cm/yr).
– May be cold or hot.
• Often found in areas of descending air
masses.
• Low productivity, but still fairly diverse
in species.
Chaparral
• Characterized by spiny evergreen shrubs.
• Climate:
– Mild rainy winters
– Hot summers
• Ex: Southern California
Chaparral
• Maintained by fires.
• Plants adapted to periodic fires by seeds
or re-growing from the roots.
Temperate Grasslands
• Grasses and other herbs are the dominant
vegetation.
• Climate:
– Intermediate water
– Relatively cold winters
Grasslands
• Very productive for agriculture. (wheat,
corn)
• Need disturbance (fires) to keep trees
out.
• Come in several types:
– Tall grass
– Short grass
Temperate Forests
• Deciduous trees dominate.
• Climate:
– Relatively high rain
– Cold winters
• Very little natural area left.
• Good diversity of species.
Taiga
• Coniferous trees dominate.
• Climate:
– Long cold winters
– Short wet summers
– Long summer daylength
Taiga or Boreal Forest
• Relatively low species diversity.
• Being logged at an alarming rate.
Tundra
• Grasses and sedges dominate.
• Climate:
– Very cold and dry
– Low light in winter
Tundra
• Permafrost present.
• Plants low in height.
• Poor species diversity.
Altitude and Latitude
• Mirror each other.
Their Biomes
are similar because the environments are
similar.
• Ex: Alpine = Tundra
Aquatic Biomes
Fresh water Biomes
• Have <1% salt concentration.
• Strongly influenced by temperature and
light.
• Classification – based on water flow
patterns.
Marine Biomes
• Cover 3/4 of the Earth's surface.
• Average 3% salt.
• Controlled by light and the distance to the
shore.
Light Zones
• Photic - Enough light for Photosynthesis. Red light lost rapidly as
depth increases.
• Aphotic - Lacks enough light for
Photosynthesis and depends on food
made in photic zone for energy. Part
of the most extensive biome on the
planet.
Marine Biomes
1. Estuaries
2. Intertidal
3. Coral Reefs
4. Pelagic
5. Benthos
Estuaries
• Where a
freshwater river
meets the ocean.
• Salinity variable.
• Very productive
Biome.
Coral Reef
• Characterized by
coral.
• Found in shallow
warm waters.
• Very productive.
• High species
diversity.
Benthos
• Bottom area.
• Usually fed by nutrients drifting down from
upper levels.
• Fairly rich in life.
Ecology factors
• Know what is involved with the study
of “Ecology”.
• Know the major factors of planet
Earth that shape climate.
• Know the major terrestrial biomes and
the factors that control them.