Unit 11 – Organization of Life Ecology – study of the interactions between organisms and their environment

Ecosystem Structure Biosphere – part of the Earth in which life exists including land, water, air and atmosphere Ecosystem – different communities and their non-living environment Community – different populations living in the same area Population – many members of 1 species living in the same area Species – group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring Organism – 1 member of a species Which is the biggest or broadest? Which is the smallest or most specific?

Species, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biosphere?

Species, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biosphere?

Species, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biosphere?

Species, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biosphere?

Factors in Ecosystems Ecosystems are influenced by biological and physical factors. Biotic Factors (Biological) Living organisms that influence an ecosystem Ex Predator and Prey Abiotic Factors (Physical) Non-living factors that influence an ecosystem Ex Soil, Water, Temperature, Sunlight

What is an ecosystem composed of? Living & Non-Living Together Mountain, clouds, water & rocks Non-Living ONLY Abiotic Factors Biotic Factors Living ONLY Trees, bird, grass, rabbit, & moose ECOSYSTEM Living & Non-Living Together

Roles in Ecosystems Niche – an organisms role in its ecosystem - full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions If an organism dies, another organism will take over its niche Your niche right now is being a student Habitat – the environment in which an organism lives Your habitat is your house

Relationships - SYMBIOSIS Symbiosis – organisms that live together 3 types Mutualism – both organisms benefit Ex bee and flower Commensalism – one organism benefits and the other is not hurt Ex bird nest in a tree Parasitism – one organism benefits and the other is harmed Mistletoe growing on a tree

Parasite Example Cuckoo Egg! The cuckoo lays eggs in other species of bird’s nests. It hatches first and pushes out the other bird’s eggs. Then the mother bird raises the cuckoo rather than her own babies!

Land Biomes Biome = large group of ecosystems that share the same climate and have similar types of communities

What determines the different types of biomes? Latitude – distance of any point on the surface of the Earth north or south from the Equator Impacts weather and climate

Climate vs. Weather Climate – average weather conditions in an area including temperature and precipitation Weather – condition of the atmosphere at a specific place and time We listen to the weather report everyday on the news

Why we have different seasons and different biomes

Different Land Biomes Tundra Boreal Forest Temperate Foreest Temperate Woodlands/ Shrubland Temperate Grasslands Desert Tropical Savanna Tropical Seasonal Forest Tropical Rain Forest

Tundra Just below the polar ice caps No trees Soil only thaws a couple of cm during the spring/ summer, so it is impossible for tree roots to grow Permanent layer of frozen soil Called PERMAFROST

Boreal Forest South of the tundra Evergreen forest Also called Coniferous Forest or Taiga

Temperate Forest Directly south of the Boreal Forest Covers most of southern Canada, the eastern US, most of Europe, Asia and Australia We live in this biome Composed mostly of DECIDUOUS trees Trees that lose their leaves in the fall

Temperate Woodland/ Shrubland Also called the Chaparral Open woodlands (trees) and shrubs (small plants that have woody stems)

Temperate Grassland Also called the prairie, pampas, savannah Drought, grazing animals and fires keep the grassland from becoming forests Fertile soil

Desert Exist on every continent except for Europe Any area in which the rate of evaporation is greater than the rate of precipitation Very little precipitation Coldest Desert – Polar Ice Caps

Tropical Savanna Grasses, scattered trees, get less precipitation than other tropical areas Africa, South America, Australia

Tropical Seasonal Forest Has a dry season and a rainy season During the dry season, the trees drop all of their leaves Like the jungle

Tropical Rain Forest Warm temperatures, large amounts of rainfall throughout the year Found in Central and South America, Africa, Asia, Australia Most diverse of all biomes

Aquatic Biomes

Aquatic Biomes Two Types – Marine (Salt) and Freshwater Cover more than 75% of the biosphere 97% of water on earth is salt water 3% of water on earth is fresh water

Freshwater Biomes Ponds and lakes Rivers and streams Wetlands

Ponds and Lakes If they don’t have a connecting river, they were formed by glaciers. Life: Plankton, Algae, Insects, Fish, Crustaceans (crawfish), floating aquatic plants Climate can vary depending on Geographic location

Rivers and Streams Bodies of flowing water, moving in one direction

Wetlands Areas of standing water that support aquatic plants Also called Marshes, Swamps, Bogs

Marine Biomes Coral Reefs Oceans Estuaries

Coral Reefs Warm, shallow waters Usually barriers around continents or islands Very many different species of plants and animals

Oceans Largest biome of the world

Estuaries Where freshwater streams or rivers meet the ocean Higher salt concentration than freshwater, but less than marine biomes

Population Ecology

Population Characteristics 1) Population Density 2) Spatial Distribution 3) Population Range

Population Characteristics - Population Density is the number of organisms per unit of area

Population Characteristics Spatial Distribution – also called Dispersion – pattern of spacing of a population within an area Uniform – black bears are spaced out pretty evenly Clumped – animals found in herds - cattle Random – deer – found clumped and uniform – no predictable pattern

Population Characteristics Population Ranges – can be affected by temperature, humidity, rainfall, or sunlight. Also can be affected by predators, competition, parasites, threats to survival Abiotic Factors Biotic Factors

Things that Effect a Population Predation - Predators: as the number of prey increase, the number of predators will too Disease Outbreaks occurs when population density is high Disease is transmitted easier Parasites Similar to disease, when population density is high, parasites are transmitted easier Competition - Individuals compete for: Food, water, shelter, & space

Population Limiting Factors Two Types Density-Independent Abiotic Factors Density-Dependent Biotic Factors

Density-Independent Factors Any factor in the environment that does not depend on the number of members in a population. Usually abiotic – weather events

Before After

Density-Dependent Factors Any factor in the environment that depends on the number of members in a population Usually biotic factors – predation, disease, parasites, competition

Predation – what happened to the moose population as the wolf population increased?

Disease – when the density of a population is too high, diseases are transmitted more easily than a low-density population

Competition – Competition increases when density increases Parasites – populations can be limited by parasites

Population Growth Rate Growth Rate, Emigration, Immigration, Exponential Growth, Logistic Growth, Carrying Capacity

Population Growth Rate Definition – explains how a population grows Formula to calculate growth rate Births – Deaths = Growth Rate Time

Factors Effecting Growth Rate of a Population Natality – number of births Mortality – number of deaths Emigration – leaving or exiting a population Immigration – moving into a population

Types of Growth in a Population Logistic – population level balances out Births < deaths and/ or… Emigration > immigration

Types of Growth in a Population Exponential Births > Deaths and/ or… Emigration < Immigration

Carrying Capacity Definition – Maximum number of individuals in a species that an environment can support for the long term.

Carrying Capacity

What type of growth is this?

Human Population Growth Rate