Main Objectives 1). What is ecology, & what do ecologists do? 2). What are the four levels of organization of ecology? 3). What are four main factors that affect the distribution of organisms? 4). What is climate and what are the main factors that make it unique across the global? 5). What are 2 main variables that influence climate on regional/local scale in western US? 6). What is microclimate?

What is Biology??

Study of Life-from cells, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems

What is Ecology??

1 st defined in 1866 by Ernest Haeckel as the comprehensive science of the relationship of the organism to the environment. Most Recent Definition: 2 parts—1) the interaction between organisms and their environment; 2) the distribution and abundance of organisms

NEW DEFINITION COMBINED: Ecology is the study of how the distributions and abundances of populations (and species) are determined by the interactions of individual organisms with their physical and biological environment. What is Ecology??

What Does an Ecologist Do??

DESCRIBE before they EXPLAIN and make PREDICTIONS

FOUR LEVELS OF ECOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION

Organism Organismal ecology is concerned with the behavioral, physiological, and morphological ways individuals interact with the environment

Population A population is a group of individual organisms of the same species living together in a particular geographic area Population ecology examines factors that affect population size and composition

Community is a collection of all the populations of different species that inhabit a particular area. Community Community ecology examines the interactions between populations, and how factors such as predation, competition, and disease affect community structure and organization.

Ecosystem consists of the biological community and the physical, non-living or abiotic environment— the rocks, soils, water and climate in a certain area Ecosystem Ecosystem ecology examines the energy flow and cycling of chemicals among the various abiotic and biotic components.

What factors affect the distribution of organisms?

4 Factors

Dispersal

Behavior

Biotic

Abiotic * most powerful are temperature and moisture * At a certain point along this elevational gradient, the relative importance of the two limiting factors (temperature and moisture) changes * Two additional factors—soil characteristics, traceable to the parent rocks, and topography- greatly accentuate the differences in water stress at all elevations

Abiotic

Why do we have different climate patterns at the Earth’s surface? 1. insolation—solar radiation that is intercepted by Earth (surface and atmosphere) Influenced by: a) angle of incoming radiation b) length of time exposure

Shortwave Energy Budget

0 degrees 30 degrees 60 degrees H L Hadley Cell Westerlies Easterlies Polar Front Tropical Front H

30°N 30°S 0° (equator) 60°N Descending dry air absorbs moisture 60°S Ascending moist air releases moisture Descending dry air absorbs moisture Tropics Arid zone Arid zone 0° 30° 23.5° 30° 23.5°

(1) The Gulf Stream transports heat from the tropics to northern Europe. (2) North Atlantic Deep Water formation results from strong cooling. (3) Antarctic Bottom Water formation occurs due to sea ice production around Antarctica

REGIONAL/LOCAL Solar Radiation: Temperature: Precipitation: Wind: 2 Main Variables that influence Climate on regional/local scale in western US: 1). Water Bodies 2). Mountain Ranges

More evaporation, more albedo Less evaporation, less albedo Land/water influences insolation

SOLAR RADIATION-REGIONAL/LOCAL

Adiabatic lapse rate- change in temperature with altitude due to pressure

WINDWARDLEEWARD Rainshadow Dewpoint Chinook Winds Orographic Uplift

Pacific Ocean Wind direction Coast Range Sierra Nevada East

WIND-REGIONAL/LOCAL

CLIMATE-MICRO SCALE

Temperate grassland Tropical forest Desert Temperate broadleaf forest Coniferous forest Arctic and alpine tundra Annual mean precipitation (cm) Annual mean temperature (°C) –15

Temperate grassland Tropic of Cancer 30°N Tropic of Capricorn 30°S Equator Tropical forest Desert Savanna Key Chaparral Coniferous forest Temperate broadleaf forest Tundra High mountains Polar ice

Main Objectives 1). What is ecology, & what do ecologists do? 2). What are the four levels of organization of ecology? 3). What are four main factors that affect the distribution of organisms? 4). What is climate and what are the main factors that make it unique across the global? 5). What are 2 main variables that influence climate on regional/local scale in western US? 6). What is microclimate?