An Introduction To Ecology

Chapter 50

• Ecology – study of interactions between organisms and environment.

• Consists of abiotic (nonliving; i.e. temperature, light, etc) and biotic (living) factors.

http://www.apsnet.org/education/illustratedglossary/PhotosE-H/forestdecline.htm

• Population – group of individuals of same species living in an area.

• Community – all organisms of all species that live in an area.

• Ecosystem – above plus abiotic factors.

• Biosphere – sum of all ecosystems.

http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch8en/conc8en/img/biosphere.gif

• Distribution affected by temperature, water, sunlight, wind, and rocks and soil.

• Type of each will determine what can live there.

http://www.your-healthy-gardens.com/images/SoilTypes1.jpg

• Temperature and water are biggest factors.

• Biomes – major types of ecosystems.

• Determined by proximity to equator, closeness to ocean, mountains, etc.

http://z.about.com/d/geography/1/0/V/A/equator.jpg

Aquatic biomes

• 2 types – marine and freshwater.• Stratified vertically – photic zone

(light) and aphotic zone (little light).

• Bottom of aquatic is benthos – food is detritus that falls from above.

http://www.geo.arizona.edu/Antevs/nats104/00lect17lakeutrophic.jpg

• Freshwater – close to shore – littoral zone.

• Open water – limnetic zone.• ALakes classified by nutrients –

1eutrophic – shallow and nutrient-rich; 2oligotrophic – deeper and nutrient-poor.

http://kentsimmons.uwinnipeg.ca/16cm05/1116/50-19b-Eutrophic.jpg

Oligotrophic lake

http://www.spatial.maine.edu/~snoox/images/eutrophic_lake.jpg

Eutrophic lake

*

• BWetlands – area covered with water; supports plants.

• CEstuaries – area where freshwater meets ocean.

• Intertidal zone – land meets water.• DCoral reefs – dominated by coral.

http://www.usbr.gov/dataweb/assets/images/Wetlands.jpg

Wetlands

http://www.cop.noaa.gov/images/estuaries.jpg

Estuary

http://212.84.179.117/i/Coral%20Reef.jpg

Coral Reef

• EOceanic pelagic biome – away from shore.

• Abyssal zone – lowest part of benthos; deep-sea hydrothermal vents help chemoautotrophic organisms.

http://206.110.20.50/web/schuh/students/jonathan/Monsters/MonstersofthDeep/seaslug.JPG

Abyssal zone

Terrestrial biomes

• Defined vertically from the canopy at top to the permafrost at the bottom.

• ATropical forest – little light reaches ground because of deep canopy.

• Rainfall determines life in area.

http://www.hort.cornell.edu/mudge/bneimark/SC%202.jpg

Tropical Forest In Madagascar

• BSavanna – scattered trees and grasses.

• Fire helps increase diversity.• Has rainy season.• CTemperate grassland – seasonal

drought, fires prevent tree growth.• Most used for farming.

http://www.plantzafrica.com/vegetation/vegimages/savanna3.jpg

Savanna

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Laboratory/Biome/Images/picgrassland.jpg

Grasslands

• DDeserts – sparse rain, some are cold.

• Plants have structures to allow survival (i.e. water storage, alternative forms of photosynthesis)

• EChaparral – evergreen shrub; long, hot, dry summers with fires.

http://pangea.stanford.edu/~hsiao/desert.jpg

Desert

http://www.cpluhna.nau.edu/images/semiaridgrasslands92rw.jpg

Chaparral

• FTemperate deciduous forest – small mammals, leaves fall during autumn.

• GConiferous forest – cone-bearing trees, trees have needles.

• HTundra – permafrost covers ground, low diversity.

http://www.ccet.ua.edu/hhmi/images/Autumn.JPG

Deciduous forest

http://www3.newberry.org/k12maps/module_07/images/coniferous.jpg

Coniferous forest

http://photojunkie.ca/photoblog/tundra.jpg

Tundra

http://www.hesd.k12.ca.us/resource/biomes/Biome%20map.gif