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Lecture 3
1
Learning Outcomes
copyright cmassengale 3
What is Ecology?
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What is Ecology?
Species- groups of organisms that resemble each other
in appearance, behavior, chemistry and genetic
makeupable to reproduce
Other animals
281,000
Insects
751,000
Fungi
69,000
Prokaryotes
4,800
Known
species Plants
248,400
1,412,000 Protists
57,700 5
Have you thanked the insects today?
Species- groups of organisms that resemble each other
in appearance, behavior, chemistry and genetic
makeupable to reproduce
Pollinators
Eat other insects
Loosen and renew soil
Reproduce rapidly, and can rapidly develop new traits
Very resistant to extinction
According to E.O. Wilson, if all insects disappeared, parts of the life
support systems for us and other species would be greatly disrupted.
5 Levels of Organization
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Earths Life Supporting Systems
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The Earths Life-Support System
Has Four Major Components
1. Atmosphere envelope of gas that surrounds the earth.
Troposphere, extends to 17 km (11 mi) at tropics, 7 km (4
mi) at poles.
78 % N2, 21 % O2, and 1 % water vapor, CO2 and CH4
Stratosphere, from 17-50 km (11-31 mi)
Lower portion contains ozone (O3)
2. Cycling of matter
or nutrients
3. Gravity - holds on to the atmosphere and enables the movement and cycling
of chemicals through the air, water, soil, and organisms. 11
BIODIVERSITY
Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth and the
essential interdependence of all living things
2 Major Categories:
Terrestrial Ecosystems: land-based
Forests, deserts, grasslands, tundra classified by climate and
species adapted to it.
Aquatic Ecosystem water-based
Fresh water (lakes, streams, etc.)
Marine Life Zones (coral reefs, deep ocean, etc.)
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Major Biomes
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Abiotic and Biotic Ecosystems
Abiotic
Water
Air
Nutrients
Rocks
Heat
Solar energy
Biotic
Living and once living biological componentsplants animals
and microbes.
Dead organisms, dead part of organisms, and waste products
of organisms.
Components of Ecosystems
Abiotic
chemicals
Photosysthesis
Producers
(autotrophs)
Consumers
(heterotrophs)
Aerobic
Respiration
Decomposers
Photosynthesis: Producers
the process by which green plants and some other organisms use
sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.
Limiting Factor Principle: too much or too little of any abiotic factor can
limit or prevent growth of a population, even if all other factors are near or
above optimum.
What are the Limiting factors?
Marine Ecosystem
types of ecosystem
Types of Ecosystems
1. Forest Ecosystems
Tropical Rainforest- contain more
diverse flora and fauna than ecosystems in
any other region on earth. In these warm,
moisture-laden environments, trees grow
tall and foliage is lush and dense, with
species inhabiting the forest floor all the
way up to the canopy.
Temperate Forest-may be deciduous,
coniferous or oftentimes a mixture of both,
in which some trees shed their leaves each
fall, while others remain evergreen year-
round.
Boreal Forest - located in the far north,
just south of the Arctic. It is also known as
taiga and features abundant coniferous
trees.
types of ecosystem
Types of Ecosystems
2. Grassland Ecosystems
Grassland ecosystems are typically found in tropical or temperate
regions, although they can exist in colder areas as well, as is the case
with the well-known Siberian steppe.
Grasslands share the common climactic characteristic of semi-aridity.
Trees are sparse or nonexistent, but flowers may be interspersed with
the grasses. Grasslands provide an ideal environment for grazing
animals.
Types of Ecosystems
3. Desert Ecosystems
Common Feature: low precipitation (<25 cm/yr or 10 in/yr)
Not all deserts are hot desert ecosystems can exist from the tropics to
the arctic, but regardless of latitude, deserts are often windy.
Some deserts contain sand dunes, while others feature mostly rock.
Vegetation is sparse or nonexistent, and any animal species, such as
insects, reptiles and birds, must be highly adapted to the dry conditions.
types of ecosystem
Types of Ecosystems
3. Tundra Ecosystems
- are treeless regions found in the Arctic and on the tops of
mountains, where the climate is cold and windy and rainfall is
scant. Tundra lands are snow-covered for much of the year, until
summer brings a burst of wildflowers.
types of ecosystem
Types of Ecosystems
4. Freshwater Ecosystems
They are subdivided into two classes: those in which the water is nearly
stationary, such as ponds, and those in which the water flows, such as
creeks.
Freshwater ecosystems are home to more than just fish: algae,
plankton, insects, amphibians and underwater plants also inhabit them
types of ecosystem
Types of Ecosystems
5. Marine Ecosystems
Marine ecosystems are the most abundant types of ecosystems in the
word. They encompass not only the ocean floor and surface but also
tidal zones, estuaries, salt marshes and saltwater swamps, mangroves
and coral reefs.
Marine ecosystems differ from freshwater ecosystems in that they
contain saltwater, which usually supports different types of species than
does freshwater.
Earths Major Biomes
Biome
A large, relatively distinct terrestrial region with a similar climate soil, plants, and
animals, regardless of where it occurs in the world
Location of each biome is primarily determined by:
Temperature (varies with both latitude and elevation)
Precipitation
Biomes can also be defined by
Winds, rapid temperature changes, fires, floods, etc.
Tundra
Treeless biome in the far north with
harsh, cold winters and extremely short
summers
Precipitation
10-25 cm/yr
Temperature
Short growing season
50-160 days
Nutrient poor soils with little organic
material
Permafrost present
Low species richness
Veg is mostly grasses and sedges
Very simple food web
Low primary productivity
Boreal Forests
(Taiga)
A region of coniferous forests in the
northern hemisphere
Just south of tundra
Covers 11% of earths land
Growing Season
A little longer than tundra
Precipitation
~ 50 cm/yr
Soils are acidic and mineral poor
Vegetation comprised of drought
resistant conifers
White spruce
Balsam fir
Eastern larch
Mostly small animals and migrating birds
Some large animals are present
Wolves, bear, moose
Temperate
Rainforest
Coniferous biome with cool weather, dense
fog and high precipitation
Ex: Northwest US
Precipitation
> 127 cm/yr
Heaviest in winter
Temperature
Winters are mild
Summers are cool
Soils are nutrient-poor, but high in organic
material (dropped needles)
Cool temperatures slow decomposition
Dominant Vegetation
Large evergreen trees
Old-growth forest
Variety of cool climate animal life
Very high species richness
Heavily logged
Temperature
Deciduous Forests
Forest biome that occurs in temperate
areas with a moderate amount of
precipitation
Topsoil is rich in organic material and
underlain by clay
Precipitation
75-150 cm/yr
Temperature
Seasonality
Hot summers and cold winters
Vegetation is primarily deciduous
Oak, maple, beech
Animals
Deer, bear and small animals
Most of this biome land area has been
regenerated after farming & timber
harvest
Grassland
Grasslands with hot summers, cold winters
and too little precipitation to support trees
Precipitation
25-75 cm/yr
Tall grass prairies
Short grass prairies
90% of this biome has been lost to farmland
Soil has thick,
organic
material
rich organic
horizon
Periodic fires
keep the dominant vegetation grasses
Animals
Once covered with bison- no longer true
Smaller animals
Chaparral
Also called a Mediterranean Climate
Ex: Southern California
Ex: Greece
Temperature
Mild, moist winters
Hot, dry summers
Frequent fires
Soil is thin and often not fertile
Vegetation
Dense growth of evergreen
shrubs
Lush during the growing season
Animals
Mule deer, chipmunks, many
species of birds
Deserts
Biome where lack of precipitation
limits plant growth
Temperature
Can very greatly in 24-hr period, as
well as yearly (based on location)
Precipitation
< 25 cm/yr
Soils low in nutrients and high in
salts
Vegetation sparse
cactus and sagebrush
Animals are very small to regulate
temperature
Savanna
Tropical grassland with widely scattered
trees
Temperature
Varies little throughout the year
Precipitation
Seasons regulated by precipitation, not
temperature
76-150 cm/yr
Soil low in nutrients due to leaching
Vegetation
Wide expanses of grass
Occasional Acacia trees
Have fire adaptive characteristics
Animals
Herds of hoofed animals
Large predators- lions, hyenas, etc.
Tropical Rainforest
Lush, species-rich biome that occurs
where climate is warm and moist
throughout the year
Precipitation
200-450 cm/yr
Very productive biome
Most species-rich biome
Ancient, weathered, nutrient-poor soil
Nutrients tied up in vegetation, not soil
Vegetation
3 distinct canopy layers
Animals
Most abundant insect, reptiles and
amphibians on earth
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Energy Flow in Ecosystems
Food chains: the sequence of
organisms food sources
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The Phosphorus cycle
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