Transcript Abiotic Conditions of an Ecosystem

What are Ecosystems
• Interacting biotic and abiotic components
occupying a particular space.
– Biotic- Living Organisms
– Abiotic- Non-livng
• Organization of energy in ecosystems
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Relationships
• Predator-Prey Relationship:
– Any relationship where one organism feeds on
another organism
– Predator: organism that does the feeding
– Prey: organism that is fed on
• Host-Parasite Relationship:
– One organism becomes intimately associated with
their” prey” feeding for an extended period of time
without killing the host
– Parasite: organism that does the feeding
– Host: organism that is fed on
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• Mutualism
– A relationship where both organisms benefit
• Ex) flowers and insects
• Symbiosis
– Two species living together in close union (no
benefit or harm)
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Organization of the Environment
• The biosphere is the part of the Earth that
supports life.
– Scattered throughout the biosphere is a wide
range of habitats– dry deserts, lush rainforests,
even dark caves.
• Each of these areas, called biomes, has its own
unique geography and climate.
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Competitive Relationships
• Habitat: a place defined by the biotic and
abiotic environment that allows for a species
to biologically adapt and survive
– Competition is limited because each species tends
to be specialized and adapted to its own habitat or
niche
• Ecological Niche: refers to what, when, and
where the animal feeds, where it finds shelter,
and how it responds to abiotic factors.
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Resource Partitioning
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Abiotic Resources of an Ecosystem
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Water
Chemical Nutrients
Light
Oxygen
Spacial needs (ie. Hole in tree)
• Can become objects of competition
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Optimum, Zones of Stress, and Limits
of Tolerance
• For every factor in an ecosystem, there is an
Optimum Range at which organisms thrive
– At higher or lover levels organisms don’t do as well
• Range of Tolerance: the entire span that allows
any growth at all to occur
• Limits of tolerance: the points at the high and low
ends of the range
• Zones of Stress: location between the optimum
range and high and low limits of tolerance
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Law of Limiting Factors
• Limiting Factors:
– Any one factor being outside the optimal range
will cause stress and limit the growth,
reproduction, or survival of a population
– “Too much” or “Too Little”
• Example: plant survival during a drought
– What is the limiting factor?
– What will happen to the plants?
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Abiotic Conditions of an Ecosystem
• The two most
significant
abiotic
conditions
that influence
life in a biome
are
temperature
and
precipitation.
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• As the latitude, or distance away from the
equator, increases, average temperature tends
to decrease.
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 Latitude is measured in degrees north or south of
the equator.
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• As the altitude, or elevation from sea level
increases, average temperatures decrease.
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• In addition to changing altitude, the presence
of mountains has a major influence on the
distribution of precipitation.
– As warm, moist air travels up a mountain range,
the air cools (due to altitude) and the moisture
condenses.
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• As a result, the windward side of the
mountain facing the incoming air currents
receives disproportionately more
precipitation than the opposite, leeward side.
– This is called the rain shadow effect.
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Ocean and Lake Effects
• Biomes located near a large body of water
often have greater precipitation levels and
milder, more stable temperatures.
– Water gains and loses
heat much more slowly
than air.
– The nearby water
evaporates and fuels
incoming storm
systems.
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Vegetation map of the world. Source: NASA and NOAA.
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Climatographs
• A climatograph is a
combination
precipitation and
temperature graph
for a given biome.
– The average montly
precipitation for the
area is displayed as a
bar graph.
– The average
monthly
temperature is
displayed as a line
graph.
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