Ecology

Sections 1. Ecosystems 2. Biomes 3. Biodiversity 4. Population Dynamics 5. Ecological Footprint 6. Human Impact On The Biosphere

Ecosystems

Biosphere Ecology is the study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment The biosphere is the portion of Earth that supports life

Abiotic Factors An abiotic factor is a non-living factor that influences an organisms environment Temperature Moisture Light Soil

Biotic Factors Biotic Factors include all living organisms who live in an environment Living things may depend on other living things for food

Populations A population is a group of organisms of the same species who interbreed and live in the same area May compete for the same food

Communities A community is a group of interacting populations in a certain time One population can affect the other population Hawks eating Mouse increase Mice decrease

Ecosystem An ecosystem is made of interacting populations in a community and the communities abiotic factors Contains physical surroundings

Levels of Organization Biosphere Ecosystems Communities Populations Organisms of the same species

Flow Of Matter When matter is consumed by an organism it flows through levels of an ecosystem (cycled) Food Chain-Shows how matter and energy move through an ecosystem

Food Webs Food webs show all possible relationships between trophic levels More realistic organisms depend on more than one type of food

Biomes

Biome A biome is a large group of ecosystems in the same climax community Terrestrial Biomes – On Land Aquatic Biomes - Underwater

Aquatic Biomes Marine Biomes-Contain saltwater. The type of organisms present is highly dependent on sunlight. Sunlight is needed for photosynthesis Photic Zone-Sunlight can penetrate, Photosynthesis can occur Aphotic Zone-Sunlight cannot penetrate

Terrestrial Biomes Latitude influences the climate of an area Some latitudes receive more direct radiation than others Temperature and precipitation have a huge affect on the climate of an area

Tundra The tundra is a treeless area in the Arctic circle that is consistently frozen Little vegetation because soil is often frozen (permafrost) Organisms: Weasels, oxen, polar bears, foxes, reindeer

Taiga Taiga-Lies below the tundra and is usually warmer and wetter Most of Canada, Northern Europe, Asia More trees than the tundra Grizzly Bears, squirrels, deer, moose

Desert Deserts are arid regions with high temperatures and little rainfall Little vegetation due to scarce rainfall Life includes cacti, coyotes, snakes, lizards, scorpions

Grasslands Grasslands contain rich soil, grasses and plants Dry summers  Little forests. 25-75 cm of precipitation Central Africa, Mid-Western United States Life includes: Deer Zebras Lions

Temperate Forests Temperate Forests – Primarily covered by trees in a mild climate Animals include: Squirrels Rabbits Deer Bears

Rain Forests Rain forests have high amounts of precipitation and high temperatures Near the equator, have a wide diversity of life Contains many species of life that are deadly and poisonous The rainforest is a very dangerous place

Biodiversity

Biodiversity Biodiversity is the variety and number of species in a specific area. Biodiversity increases closer to the equator and in mountainous areas

Importance of Biodiversity Plants and algae produce oxygen and remove CO2 Humans depend on other organisms for food Drugs in health are often formed from organic compounds

Exotic Species An exotic species is a species that is not native to a particular region Can threaten native species Native species don’t have defenses against exotic species

Value Of Biodiversity If a species is removed from an ecosystem it can have a drastic effect on the entire ecosystem Species is removed from food chain  All other species suffer

Extinction Extinction is the disappearance of a species Earth loses 1 species per year per million species due to human activity 40% of all prescription drugs are made from some sort of living thing  Humans will be affected if they go extinct

Ethical Reasons Many people believe that humans should be responsible for preserving biodiversity for ethical reasons Species and ecosystems have a right to exist and are valuable to nature If we lose biodiversity then we lose fascination and a reason to study the environment

Population Dynamics

Population Growth All organisms are members of populations Populations die and grow at steady rate based on the amount of resources available

Exponential Growth Populations experience exponential growth Initial increase in organisms is slow (small number of reproducing organisms) Population then sharply increases due to high amount of reproduction

Exponential Growth In exponential growth a populations rate of production grows Limitations: Availability of food Disease Predators Lack of space A populations carrying capacity is the number of organisms than an environment can support Births exceed deaths until resources run out

Density Density Dependent Factor-Factors that have a stronger effect with increasing population Disease Predators Parasites Competition for food Density Independent Factor-Affects the population regardless of density: Volcanic Eruptions Storms Temperatures Drought

Human Population Demography-Study of human population size, density and distribution United States Census is taken every 10 years

Human Population Human growth is different from other organisms because humans have the ability to change their environment Found cures for diseases Found methods to produce food Been able to provide clean water

Age Structure Age Structure-Proportions of the population that are in different age groups Age structure graph shows how many males and females there are in each age group

Ecological Footprint

Ecological Footprints Ecological Footprint is a measure of how much a person impacts their environment It measures the extent to which resources are used faster than they can regenerate

Ecological Footprint People in the west are more well developed and have a higher ecological footprint than people in the East

Ecological Footprint William Rees calculated that if developed nations worked together they could easily reduce their ecological footprint Don’t use cars when necessary Insulate homes Grow food Recycle

Reducing ecologic footprint Don’t drive whenever possible Ride bikes Burning gas gives off CO2 Ecologic footprint can be reduced by 20%

Reducing ecologic footprint Grow vegetables and don’t waste food Can reduce ecologic footprint by 11% Growing fruits and vegetables reduces wastes associated with refrigeration and packaging

Reducing ecologic footprint Make home energy efficient Insulation, double glazing Insulating homes will keep heat in and reduce the need for more energy. Will save money

Reducing ecologic footprint Turn thermostat down A decrease in 4 degrees can save 5% of a homes ecologic footprint If homes are well insulated then there will be no need to turn thermostat up

Reducing ecologic footprint Reduce, reuse, recycle Recycle items whenever possible Avoid over packaged products when shopping Donate unwanted items to charities

Human Impact On The Biosphere

Human Impact The human population is increasing at a rapid rate This can cause other species to go extinct Other species are disappearing 1000X faster than they ever have Humans deplete resources

Habitat Degradation Habitat degradation is damage to a habitat by pollution Acid Precipitation Ozone Depletion Water Pollution Land Pollution Human activity causes these environmental problems and it hurts other species

Habitat Loss 1970’s-1980’s Amazonian rain forests were cleared to create farmland. Land became worthless because rain forest soil has little use Clearing land erased habitats

Habitat Fragmentation Separation of wilderness areas from other wilderness areas Effects: Increased extinction Disruption of ecological processes Biodiversity is decreased

Hunting Unregulated hunting can lead to extinction American Buffalo were nearly hunted to extinction in the 1800’s Due to newly passed laws they have not been hunted and have now grown to almost 200,000 Poaching-Illegal hunting

Endangered Species in NC 1 out of every 5 species in North Carolina is either threatened or endangered Habitat Loss- People begin to build on undeveloped areas which kills habitats

Endangered Species in NC Reptiles-Loggerhead Sea Turtle Mammals-North Carolina Flying Squirrel Insects-Spruce-Fir Moss Spider Birds-Red-Cockaded Woodpecker

Human Needs It is important to preserve biodiversity but human needs can’t be ignored In developed countries protecting biodiversity often comes into conflict with people’s jobs Delicate balance between economy and the environment

Human Mitigation 1973-U.S. Endangered Species Act The US has established natural preserves and parks Yellow Stone National Park Big Cypress National Preserve Crater Lake National Park