Transcript Ecology - University of Maryland Extension

Ecology
Maryland Master Gardeners
University of Maryland Extension
Ecology – the study of how organisms interact with
each other and their environment
Photo by Sylvan Kaufman
Scale
Global
Landscape
Ecosystem
Community
Population
Global Processes
Climate change and sea level rise
Photo by Sylvan Kaufman
2006 flood at Adkins Arboretum in Ridgely, MD
Terrestrial Biomes
Image from www.somers.k12.ny.us
Maryland’s Physiographic Regions
Watershed
Image from www.dnr.state.md.us
Land Use in Maryland
Map from www.geog.umd.edu
Connections in the Landscape
Community and Habitat
• Community – The
assemblage of all the
species in a given area
• Habitat – The physical
space providing the
environment and
resources needed by a
population to survive
and reproduce.
Great blue heron on a wood duck house
Photo by Sylvan Kaufman
Niche
• Niche – all of the
specific environmental
conditions and
resources required for it
to maintain a viable
population.
Beans, swiss chard and alyssum
Photo by Sylvan Kaufman
Creating microclimates
• Microclimate – climactic variation on a scale
of a few miles to a few inches
Slope
Aspect
Elevation
Vegetation
Fallen logs
Boulders
Burrows
Water
Ground color
Photos by Sylvan Kaufman
Water
Energy and Nutrients
Photosynthesis
Carbon dioxide + water → sugar + oxygen
Monarch caterpillar on butterfly milkweed
Photo by Sylvan Kaufman
Physiology
• How organisms carry out physical or chemical
functions in the environment
Functional Groups
rabbits
Grouping by Interaction
Pollinators
Mycorrhizae
Dispersers
Parasite
Photos by Sylvan Kaufman and
from www.wikipedia.org
Native Pollinators
Photo by Sylvan Kaufman; other
photos www.wikipedia.org
Succession
Photos by Sylvan Kaufman
Disturbances
Photo from NASA
Photo from bugwood.org
What is a species?
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, red
squirrel
Sciurus caroliniensis,
Eastern grey squirrel
Sciurus niger cinereus,
Delmarva fox squirrel
Photos from
wikipedia.org
Evolution
Image from biologyonline.org
Natural Selection
• Variation in traits among individuals in a
population
• Characteristics are heritable - have genetic
basis
• Ancestors leave different numbers of
descendants based on interactions between
the traits of the individual and its
environment.
Genes
Image from exploringnature.org
Gene flow
Seeds
Pollen
Rhizomes
Photos by Sylvan Kaufman
Populations and Life History
Photo by Sylvan Kaufman
Plant Breeding
Photos from wikipedia.org
Straight species, cultivars, hybrids
Echinacea purpurea
E. purpurea
‘Magnus’
Echinacea ‘Art’s Pride’
E. purpurea x E. paradoxa
Echinacea paradoxa
Photos from Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Genetically modified organisms
(GMOs)
Ad for Roundup Ready corn for Phillipines from Pioneer.com
Rare Plants
Pink coreopsis, Coreopsis rosea
Photo by Sylvan Kaufman
Ecosystems
• Energy
• Water
• Biogeochemical – C and N
Energy flow through ecosystems
Food Webs
Image from exploringnature.org
Carbon Cycle
Image from physicalgeography.net
Human influences on C Cycle
Image from www.cmdl.noaa.gov
Consequences for Gardeners
• Initially more rapid plant growth until other
resources (water, nutrients) limit growth
• Greater production of ragweed pollen
• Greater toxicity in some plants like poison ivy
• Shifts in plant ranges
The Hydrological Cycle
Image from physicalgeography.net
Effects of Development on Water Cycle
• Increased surface area runoff (10 – 20% rural, 6070% urban)
•
•
•
•
Decreased groundwater recharge
Increased use of groundwater
More rainfall reaches the ground
provision of man-made drainage systems (e.g.,
storm sewers, channels, detention ponds).
The Nitrogen Cycle
Image from physicalgeography.net
Terms used in the N Cycle
• Nitrogen fixation – conversion of gaseous N (N2)
to solid forms of N (NH3) through biological
processes (bacteria), lightning, and chemical
processes
• Ammonification – conversion by bacteria of N
from decaying organisms into ammonia (NH3)
• Nitrification – conversion by bacteria of ammonia
(NH3) to nitrites (NO2) and nitrates (NO3)
• Denitrification – conversion of nitrate (NO3) to
gaseous N (N2) by anaerobic bacteria
Human influences on N Cycle
• Increase in fixed N through production and application
of chemical fertilizers and growing leguminous crops
(e.g. soybeans)
• Nitrogen enrichment of soils from atmospheric N
deposition, application of fertilizer, manure
• Increases in nitrate flow in streams and nitrous oxide
losses to atmosphere through land clearing,
deforestation
• Eutrophication (over-fertilization) of lakes
• Animal husbandry releases ammonium to atmosphere
• Release of nitrous oxides from oil and coal combustion
contributes to acid rain
Footprintnetwork.org
Biodiversity
The Highline in NYC converts an
old elevated railway to a native
plant garden and walkway
Photo by Sylvan Kaufman