Transcript Principles of Ecology

Ecology
Chapters 2, 3, 4 & 5
Ecology….
is the study of the interactions
living things with each other
and with their environment
of
BIOTIC FACTORS/COMPONENTS –
living or once living things
ABIOTIC FACTORS/COMPONENETS –
the physical, nonliving environment
In this scene,…
What is biotic?
What is abiotic?
Biotic or Abiotic?
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Feathers
Rocks
Soil
Water
Grasses
Fungi
Bones
Temperature
Habitat and Niche
habitat – address of organism; where an
organism lives
niche – job of an organism; role(s) it plays in
its environment
What is the
niche and habitat
of each bird?
Indigo Bunting
Is it the same
for each?
Eastern Bluebird
Scarlet Tanager
In a field ecosystem
what are some….
biotic factors?
abiotic factors?
niches?
habitats?
Levels of Organization - Hierarchy of Life
• Organism: (simplest level): a single living things
SPECIES - structurally similar organisms that naturally
interbreed and produce fertile offspring
• Population: all the members of a single species in a given area
• Community: all the different living things in a given area
• Ecosystem: composed of all the biotic and abiotic factors
in an area
• Biome: ecosystems having a characteristic climate and
characteristic organisms
• Biosphere (broadest/largest level): includes all areas of the Earth
where life exists
BIOSPHERE
All areas
of the
Earth
where life
exists
Community Interactions
(interactions between the species living in an area)
• Competition
• Predation
• Symbiotic Relationships (symbioses)
– Mutualism
– Commensalism
– Parasitism
COMPETITION
• Results from niche overlap
• Organisms compete for food,
water, mates and habitat
• Competitive Exclusion may
occur: where one species is
eliminated
What would these zebra compete for?
PREDATION
Results when…..
• 1 individual kills another (predator)
• 1 individual is killed (prey)
• One way that natural selection occurs
Examples…
hawk  snake
lion  gazelle
fox  rabbit
Anti-Predator Adaptations
Almost all organisms are vulnerable to predation , therefore,
developing adaptations that serve as defenses are an
advantage…
Defenses against predators include…
– Camouflage
– Mimicry
– Warning Coloration
– Protective Coverings
– Secondary Compounds
CAMOUFLAGE
coloration or patterns that help
an animal to appear to blend in
with its surroundings
MIMICRY
a defense in which a harmless species resembles a
venomous or distasteful species
Warning Coloration a bold, distinctive pattern of
color characteristic of a poisonous or unpalatable organism – it
serves to warn off potential predators
Protective Coverings a covering that is
intended to protect from damage or injury
Secondary Compounds
substances (chemicals) produced by plants as a
byproduct of metabolism; usually poisonous,
irritating, or distasteful
Example: poison ivy
Types of Symbioses…
Mutualism….symbiotic relationship where both
organisms benefit
Commensalism….symbiotic relationship where one
individual benefits and the other is unaffected
Parasitism….symbiotic relationship where one
individual is harmed (HOST) and the other individual
benefits (PARASITE)
PARASITISM
ECTOPARASITES - live outside the host
– ticks, fleas, lice
ENDOPARASITES – live inside the host
– bacteria, protists, worms
• Hosts have evolved defenses against
parasites: skin, tears, saliva, mucus, ….
• Parasites have evolved ways to compensate:
tegument, anticoagulants, anesthetics, ….
What type of symbiosis?
Examine the following slides….is it?
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism
Acacia Plant
and Ants
• Ants protect
acacia from
grazing
herbivores
• Acacia provides
ants with a place
to live and nectar
at the base of leaf
stalks
Moray Eel with
Cleaner Shrimp
• Moray Eel gets….
a clean mouth
• Cleaner Fish gets….
a meal
Flower and Bumble Bee
• Flower gets
pollinated
by the bee
• Bee gets
nectar and
pollen from
the flower
Silverfish and
Army Ants
some species of silverfish inhabit the nests of
army ants and live by scavenging on the refuse
of their hosts, but without affecting the ants
Cape Buffalo with Egrets
• Cattle stir up
insects as they
eat grass and
move around
• Egrets hang
around and eat
insects from
cattle and
surroundings
Tapeworm and Human
• Worm infects the human body…..
Lichen : Fungus and Alga
• Fungi support and
protect the algae,
allowing it to live
in areas usually
unsuitable to the
algae
• Algae provide
food through the
process of
photosynthesis
Birds Nesting in a Tree
Vampire Finch and Other Birds
The vampire finch supplements
it s diet by feeding on the blood
of other birds by pecking at the
skin until they draw blood
Clown Fish with Anemone
Clown fish gets
protection
from it
predators
Sea Anemone
gets ?
What symbioses is this?
What symbioses is this?
Heart Worms
What symbioses is this?
Embedded Tunga fleas
What symbioses is this?
What symbioses is this?
How Living Things Meet
Their Energy Needs
The energy source for most living things is….
AUTOTROPHS (producers) – can
produce their own food and
meet their own energy needs
auto = “self”
troph = “feeder”
Autotrophs can be ….
photoautotrophs or chemoautotrophs
Photoautotrophs (plants, algae, some bacteria)
perform….Photosynthesis – which uses light
energy to produce carbohydrates /food/fuel
Chemoautotrophs (some bacteria) perform….
Chemosynthesis – uses chemical energy to
produce carbohydrates/food/fuel
Plant Responses (Tropisms)
• Phototropism =
response toward light
• Geo/Gravitropism =
response toward
gravity
• Thigmotropism =
response to pressure
or touch
HETEROTROPHS (consumers) – cannot produce their
food and must consume other living things
hetero = “other”
troph = “feeder”
There are many different kinds of
heterotrophs including….
Herbivores – feed on plants
Carnivores – feed on animals
Omnivores – feed on plants and animals
Detritivores – feed on detritus (dead organic matter)
includes…worms, beetles
Decomposers – break down organic matter and
recycle nutrients - includes…bacteria and fungi
Energy Flow through an Ecosystem
THE SUN
producers
consumers
energy flows in ONE DIRECTION in an
ecosystem – from producers to consumers
Food Chain
a series of steps
in which
organisms
transfer
energy by
eating and
being eaten
Food Web
the interrelated
food chains
within an
ecosystem
TROPHIC LEVEL
(“feeding” level)
each step in a food chain or food web is
called a trophic level
a trophic level indicates an organism’s
position in the sequence of energy
transfers
most ecosystems have only 3 or 4 trophic
levels
Is this a food chain
or a food web?
How many
trophic levels
are in
the diagram?
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producers –
primary (1st order) consumers –
secondary (2nd order) consumers –
tertiary (3rd order) consumers –
quaternary (4th order) consumers –
Trophic levels can be represented with an
ECOLOGICAL PYRAMID which shows the
relative amounts of MATTER AND ENERGY
contained within each level
Ecological Pyramids
used to represent the relative amounts of
energy or matter contained within each
trophic level
ENERGY PYRAMID
BIOMASS PYRAMID
PYRAMID OF NUMBERS
Energy Pyramid
• shows the relative amount of energy available
at each trophic level
• only about 10 % of the energy available at
each level is transferred to the next
• about 90% of the energy at each level is lost
as heat or is used in life processes ….
–such as digestion, running, eating, respiration,
maintaining temperature, sleeping,….
Biomass Pyramid
represents the amount of biomass (living
organic matter) at each trophic level
represents the amount of potential food
available for each trophic level
typically, the greatest biomass is at the bottom
of the pyramid
Pyramid of Numbers
represents the relative
number of individual
organisms at each
trophic level
Biogeochemical Cycle
(bio=life, geo=earth, chemical cycle)
elements, chemical compounds and other
forms of matter MUST BE RECYCLED and are
passed from one organism to another and
from one part of the biosphere to another
through a biogeochemical cycles
The Water Cycle
(also called the hydrologic cycle)
Is the movement of water between the ocean,
the atmosphere and the land
Evaporation – water changes from liquid to gas
Transpiration – water loss (evaporation) from plants
Perspiration – water loss (evaporation) from animals
Condensation – formation of liquid water from water vapor
Precipitation – water returns to Earth’s surface as
rain, snow, sleet or hail
IMPORTANCE OF WATER…
Carbon(& Oxygen) Cycle
the cycling of carbon and oxygen between the various
components of the biosphere –
organisms, air, water, land,…
Important processes in this cycle….
• Decomposition • Combustion • Respiration Importance of carbon and oxygen - key ingredient in all living
things C, H, O, N
Nitrogen Cycle
the cycling of nitrogen between the atmosphere, living things
and large bodies of water
Nitrogen Fixation – conversion of nitrogen gas into ammonia –
performed by some bacteria
Denitrification – conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas –
performed by some bacteria
all organisms require N to make amino acids which
in turn are used to make proteins (in protein synthesis)
Phosphorus Cycle
the cycling of phosphorus between living organisms, rocks, soil
and ocean sediments
unlike water, carbon, oxygen and nitrogen - phosphorus
does not usually enter the atmosphere
phosphorus is essential to living things because it is
an important component of DNA and RNA
Communities
Limiting Factor - biotic or abiotic factor that
restricts the numbers, reproduction, or
distribution of an organism
Examples of limiting factors…
food, water, habitat, disease, fire and other
natural disasters,….
Ecological Succession
the changes in a community that occur over time
• occurs when a new land area is exposed
or when an existing land area is disturbed
Succession usually culminates in a climax community.
Climax Community….
• the end result of succession
• the final (stable) community to inhabit an area
The climax community
of Baja, California
is a desert.
Primary Succession
occurs on new land areas or where no soil exists –
EXAMPLES - volcanic islands, bare rock, glacier melting,…
Pioneer Species – the first species to inhabit an area – usually
mosses and lichens
What is a lichen?
Secondary Succession
occurs when an existing community had been disturbed and
regrowth occurs
Latitude effects climate
• Latitude = the distance of any point on Earth
from the equator.
• Climate is directly affected by receiving
unequal solar radiation
CLIMATE
the average year to year
conditions of temperature
and precipitation in a
particular region
What is our climate?
What is Alaska’s climate?
WEATHER
the day to day
conditions of the
Earth’s atmosphere at
a particular time and
place
What was the weather
on Thanksgiving
Day?
Greenhouse Effect
A natural phenomenon that occurs when heat is
retained (TRAPPED) by the atmosphere
Helps to keep the planet warm and life on Earth
possible
Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor and other gases
in the atmosphere trap heat
The atmosphere acts like an insulating blanket around
the planet
Some scientists believe that an …..
ENHANCED GREENHOUSE EFFECT =
GLOBAL WARMING
In summary…
Latitude  determines climate
Climate  determines weather
Weather  determines precipitation
Precipitation  determines flora (plant life)
Flora determines fauna (animal life)
Do you see the relationship?
BIOME
large geographical area having…
characteristic temperature range and precipitation
characteristic plants and animals
TERRESTRIAL (land) BIOMES
TUNDRA
TAIGA or BOREAL FOREST or CONIFEROUS FOREST
TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST
TEMPERATE RAIN FOREST
TEMPERATE GRASSLAND
TROPICAL GRASSLAND OR TROPICAL SAVANNA
DESERT – hot or cold
TROPICAL RAIN FOREST
Tundra
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Cold & treeless
Covers 1/5 of world’s land
Little precipitation (mostly frozen)
Flora: Small, slow growing plants (grass, moss, sedge)
Fauna: caribou, arctic fox, snowy owl, musk oxen
Permafrost: permanently frozen layer of soil under
surface
• Summer can cause boggy ponds & different fauna
Tundra
Taiga (or Boreal Forest or
Coniferous Forest)
• south of the tundra; in the N hemisphere
• Flora: cone-bearing, evergreen trees - CONIFERS
(pines, hemlocks, spruces, junipers, firs)
• Fauna: moose, grizzly bear, wolf
Taiga (or Boreal Forest or Coniferous Forest)
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Temperate Deciduous Forest
• Trees that lose their leaves are found here =
deciduous trees
• Warmer winter, longer summers = temperate
• Flora: birch, oak, maple, beech, dogwood, &
some evergreens
• Fauna: fox, squirrel, WT deer, raccoon, black
bear, coyote
*you live in this biome
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Temperate Grassland
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Also known as prairies (“the bread basket”)
Dominated by grasses
Less rainfall, so not too many tall trees
Rich, fertile soil
Flora: corn, wheat, potatoes, many other cereal grains
Fauna: coyote, gopher, grazing animals (bison, antelope,…)
Tropical
Grassland
or
Tropical
Savanna
Tropical Grassland or Tropical Savanna
• can be in tropical or subtropical regions
• Flora: Mainly grasslands with scattered trees & shrubs
• Fauna: lots of herbivores (zebra, giraffe, gazelle) as well
as carnivores (lions, leopards, cheetahs)
Desert
HOT AND COLD
• Less than 10 inches (25 cm) rainfall per year
• Can be cold because of the low humidity (moisture)
• Sparse vegetation that have adaptations for the dry conditions
– waxy coating, water storage, transpire @ night, thorns on
exterior for protection
• Flora: cacti, Joshua trees, creosote,…
• Fauna: kit foxes, snakes, lizards, road runners,…
Animals
Tropical Rainforest
most productive biome –
GREATEST BIODIVERSITY
BIODIVERSITY = the variety of
living things in an area
3 kinds of biodiversity
species, ecosystem, genetic
• most of world’s species live here
• warm year round
• little variation in temperature
Tropical Rainforest
• Canopy - formed from a
continuous layer of treetops
that shades the forest floor
• Precipitation: 100 + inches per
year; rains almost daily
• Flora: lilies, orchids, vines,
broad-leaved trees, ferns,…
• Fauna: sloth, birds, monkeys,
beetles, butterflies…
scarlet macaw
marmoset
Aquatic/Water Ecosystems
are determined by water chemistry (pH, salinity, dissolved
oxygen,…) depth, flow and temperature
Aquatic Ecosystems
SALTWATER
- includes marine areas and salt lakes
- these areas contain a higher percentage of dissolved salt
Marine areas include…oceans, coral reefs, bays, gulfs, seas
• these areas make up 97.5% of water on Earth
Aquatic Ecosystems
FRESHWATER AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
- contain little dissolved salt
- Include rivers, streams, lakes, ponds,…
- make up only 2.5% of water on Earth
- most freshwater is “tied up” in glaciers and polar ice caps
GROUNDWATER…
water found under ground
There are transitional aquatic
ecosystems where saltwater and
freshwater merge….
wetlands and estuaries
Estuary - wetlands formed where rivers
(fresh water) meet salt water
• these areas are
affected by the
rise and fall of
tides
• are usually shallow
• serve as spawning
and nurseries
for many aquatic
species
Population Density
The number of individuals in a given area
Factors that may affect
population density….
Density independent factor – affects a
population regardless of the density of the
population – usually abiotic; weather
events…
examples
Density dependent factor – affects a population
on the basis of the number of organisms –
predation, competition, parasitism, disease,…
More population density factors…
• Immigration – movement of individuals
into an area
• Emigration – movement of individuals
out of an area
Carrying Capacity – the number of
individuals that can be supported by a
given area (even a grocery bag has a carrying capacity)
Human population growth is
causing…
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severe overcrowding in areas
An increase in energy demands
A need for increased food supply and waste disposal
very rapid ecological change (habitat destruction,
overhunting, introduction of diseases)
* The population tripled from 1930-2000 and is
expected to double again from 2000-2050