Ecology: The scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment.

Biotic Factors Living organisms Dead organisms Organisms’ waste

Abiotic Factors Nonliving things in an ecosystem Ex.: Rocks, water, temperature, sunlight, oxygen, sand, climate

Biodiversity The number of different species in an area

Climate average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time determines kinds of species present

Climatograph

Abiotic factors affect biodiversity Temperature: very high or very low temp. limits biodiversity Water: amount limits biodiversity

Is high or low biodiversity better?

High biodiversity resists damage better! Ecosystem damage can come from –natural disasters (fire, flood, volcanic eruptions) –human impact

Human activities can lead to Habitat Destruction

Habitat The place where an organism lives

Competition Species sharing limited resources must compete

Invasive Exotic Species Species not native to a particular region. Can outcompete or prey on native species, threatening their survival Zebra mussels in Great Lakes

Kudzu in Alabama

Nutria in the Louisiana

Sericea lespedeza in Kansas

Cane Toads in Australia

Levels of Organization Species Population Community Ecosystem Biome Biosphere

Species: organisms that can breed and produce viable offspring.

Population: individuals of the same species in the same area.

Community: all populations of different species living together.

Ecosystem: all organisms in an area and their abiotic environment.

Biome: a region with specific communities and climate (temp. and precipitation).

Evolution: Process by which species change over time. Descent with Modification

Charles Darwin English Naturalist HMS Beagle Sailed around world gathering specimens and fossils and observing geology

Galapagos Islands

Darwin found unique animals Marine iguana Many other species that live no other place on earth.

Galapagos Island Finches

Darwin noticed that the finches on different islands were slightly different: Different beaks Different diets

Galapagos Tortoises Darwin noticed that the giant tortoises on different islands had different characteristic. How would Lamarck explain these differences? Galapagos tortoise closeup!

Why are the animals different? Each island has slightly different weather: lower islands are barren and dry, higher islands are wetter So, different islands have different vegetation, different habitat.

Tortoises with longer necks could reach the higher vegetation in drier areas, so they survived and reproduced, passing their long-necked genes to their offspring. Tortoises in wetter areas had plenty to eat and didn’t need long necks to survive and reproduce. Galapagos tortoise

Natural Selection: Individuals that have traits better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. “survival of the fittest” sppe_camoflage2.JPG

Darwin’s steps of natural selection : Variation –inherited variation in every population Overproduction – populations produce more offspring than can possibly survive (leads to competition for resources!) Selection – individuals with favorable traits leave more offspring Adaptation – over time, favorable traits become more common in a population

Evolution: A change in an inherited characteristic of a population over time. Individuals DO NOT evolve!

Adaptation: An Inherited trait present in a population because it helps individuals survive AND reproduce in a given environment. Individuals may have adaptations, but they DO NOT CREATE adaptations through use. (That’s Loser Lamarck!)

Macroevolution (forming new species) is a slowww process! It takes many generations to develop adaptations!!!

Microevolution is a change in the gene frequencies of a population. Can happen quickly Ex: antibiotic resistant bacterial colonies

Coevolution Two species develop adaptations in response to one another Disea nivea Orchid and fly

Darwin’s Artificial Selection When breeding livestock, humans choose the parents with traits they want in the offspring. Ex: dogs, cows, horses, pigeons

Resistance The ability of an organism to tolerate a particular chemical designed to kill it. Ex: pesticide resistance

Terrestrial Biomes Tropical - low latitudes, warm, water varies –rain forests - lots of rain –savannas - less rain, long dry season –deserts - little rain, lower biodiversity – es-of-a-tropical-biome/3205.htmlhttp:// es-of-a-tropical-biome/3205.html

Temperate - mid-latitudes, temp. varies grasslands - moderate water, cooler temps than savannas forests - plenty of rain, mild climate deserts - little rain, wide temp. range

High Latitude –taiga - forests in cold, wet climates –tundra - little rain, mostly frozen 5#focal=21f2731d ea9611a8694e4371&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.johndrew.com%2FAlaska%2520Image s%2FTundra%2520Approaching%2520the%2520Alaska%2520Range1.jpg

Aquatic Ecosystems Freshwater - lakes, ponds, rivers Wetlands - mix of land/water Estuary - fresh meets salt water Marine - salty water

Biosphere: the part of the world in which life can exist

Ecological Methods Observing – what, how many, what are they doing? Experimenting – test hypothesis Modeling – large problems or long time frames.