Transcript 01 Intro and Biosphere combo 2010 2

Ecology
The study of the relationship between
an organism and its’ environment is
called Ecology
Quotes to Think About:
• We're in a giant car heading towards a brick wall and
everyone's arguing over where they're going to sit.
~David Suzuki
• Because we don't think about future generations, they
will never forget us. ~Henrik Tikkanen
• Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but
one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we
do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All
things connect. ~Chief Seattle, 1855
The components of our environment are broken
down into 2 main subgroups:
1) Biotic Factors
- factors in an environment created by the
presence and roles of living things
Examples:
vegetation, predators, prey
2)Abiotic Factors
- factors in the environment created by
non-living things
Examples:
sunlight, temperature, landscape,
minerals, moisture, air
The study of the relationship between all of
the BIOTIC and ABIOTIC factors in the
environment is known as:
ECOLOGY
ECOSYSTEM
– is an area or region in which specific biotic
and abiotic factors are linked and related
What can be considered an ecosystem?
All of the following can be classified as ecosystems.
Google Earth Demo
What changes?
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.062491,95.677076&spn=66.711008,158.027344&t=f&z=3&ecpo
se=37.06250381,-95.67706712,19119373.11,0,0,0
Earth
North America
Ontario
Cootes Paradise
Rotting log
All ecosystems are found in
the…
Biosphere
• While Earth is huge, life is found in a very
narrow layer, called the Biosphere.
If the Earth could be shrunk to
the size of an apple, the
biosphere would be no thicker
than the apple’s skin.
•The biosphere, like the human body, is
made up of systems that interact and are
dependent on each other.
Our Biosphere
The biosphere is a relatively thin layer of Earth
that has conditions suitable for supporting life.
• It is composed of all living things and the
physical environment that supports them.
The biosphere is made up of three interacting
abiotic components:
• the atmosphere – the gaseous portion
• the lithosphere – the solid portion
• the hydrosphere – the liquid portion
The Biosphere
The Lithosphere
The lithosphere is the solid portion of Earth,
composed of rocks, minerals, and elements.
Composed of the crust (8 – 70 km thick) and the
rigid upper mantle (25 km thick).
The lithosphere varies in thickness from 8 km under
the oceans to 100 km under the mountains found
on continents
The lithosphere is warmed mainly by the Sun’s
energy and to a lesser degree, by the molten
material in the mantle
Lithosphere = Crust + Upper most Mantle
The Hydrosphere
 The Hydrosphere is all the water on Earth, whether it is
present as liquid, water vapour, or ice.
 About 97% of the water is salt water, 3% is fresh water
The fresh water includes lakes, streams, snow and
glaciers
 Many organisms live in the water, but the vast majority of
organisms found in the atmosphere or lithosphere need
water to survive, so depend on the hydrosphere as well.
World’s Water Supply
(Fresh and Saline)
The Atmosphere
 The atmosphere rises over 500km from the surface of Earth,
and is mainly composed of a mixture of different gases:
 The main gases are:
Gas
Percent of Atmosphere by Volume
Nitrogen (N2)
78.08%
Oxygen (O2)
20.95%
Other Gases
0.97%
Gases in the Atmosphere
Quick Lab: Natural vs. Artificial
• Complete the activity on page 20 to determine the
differences between artificial and natural ecosystems
that you may find in your community.
Home Fun :
1. Read page 59.
a) Define invasive species.
b) Answer #4 on page 60.