Ch. 52 Warm-Up 1. Name examples of biotic and abiotic factors in the environment surrounding PPHS. 2. Which biomes can be found in Colorado? 3. Define the following terms: population community ecosystem biosphere

CHAPTER 52 An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere

You Must Know  The role of abiotic factors in the formation of biomes.  Features of freshwater and marine biomes.  Major terrestrial biomes and their characteristics.

Ecology: the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the environment  “Richness of the biosphere”  These interactions:  Determine both the distribution of organisms and their abundance Where organisms are found and how many of them there are.

What is ecology?  Ecology is both observational/descriptive and experimental  Observational - what’s there and how does it change.  Experimental - rigorous due to mathematical modeling of populations and ecosystems which relies on innovative experimental design and statistical inferencing.  Changes in Ecological time (minutes, months, years) result in changes in Evolutionary time (decades, centuries, millenia +)  Predators eat prey, kills off individuals which lowers the population size (ecological effect) and changes the gene pool (evolutionary effect)

Environmental Factors  The ecological study of species involves biotic and abiotic influences.  Biotic = living (organisms – behaviors & interactions between organisms)  Abiotic = nonliving (temp, water, salinity, sunlight, soil)

Can you list 3 biotic and 3 abiotic components in this picture?

Biogeography Biogeography: geographic distribution of species  Factors:  Dispersal – movement away from area of origin  Behavior – habitat selection  Biotic factors – other species, food resources, competition, pollinators, predators  Abiotic factors – temp, water, oxygen, salinity, sunlight, rocks & soil

Dispersal  Dispersal - the movement of individuals away from their area of origin or from centers of high population density.  Natural range expansion  Cattle egrets  Early humans “out of Africa”  Different from migration.  Species transplants  Potential vs. actual ranges Where organisms could be versus where they are. Invasive/introduced species. Asian Carp in Mississippi threaten Great Lakes

Environmental Factors Example  Affect the Distribution and abundance Of organisms Tasmania Southern Australia has cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers. Climate in northern Australia is hot and wet, with seasonal drought. Red kangaroos occur in most semiarid and arid regions of the interior, where precipitation is relatively low and variable from year to year.

Environmental Factors Example From this figure, you can predict that kangaroos:  A. eat plants.  b. prefer a hot dry climate.  c. don’t like saltwater.  d. prefer to live in areas where people don’t live.  e. are more abundant in some years than in other years. Climate in northern Australia is hot and wet, with seasonal drought. Red kangaroos occur in most semiarid and arid regions of the interior, where precipitation is relatively low and variable from year to year. Southern Australia has cool, moist winters and warm, dry summers.

Heirarchy  Organisms/Species: group of interbreeding individuals that can produce fertile offspring  Population: group of individuals of same species living in a particular geographic area  Community: group of populations of different species in an area  Ecosystem: community of organisms + physical factors  Landscape: mosaic of connected ecosystems  Biosphere: global ecosystem

Climate: long-term prevailing weather conditions in a particular area  Climate = temperature + precipitation + sunlight + wind  Macroclimate vs. microclimate:  Macro: work at seasonal, regional or local level  Micro: small-scale environmental variation (eg. under a log)  Climate change: some species may not survive shifting ranges

Global Climate Patterns: Latitudinal Variations in Sunlight intensity Earth’s curved shape causes latitudinal variation in the intensity of sunlight Because sunlight strikes the equator perpendicularly, the most heat and light per unit of surface area are delivered there At higher latitudes, sunlight strikes Earth at an oblique angle, and thus the light energy is more diffuse on Earth’s surface

Global Climate Patterns: Air Circulation & Precipitation Patterns

Global Climate Change: Seasonal Variation in Sunlight Intensity

Global Climate Patterns: Ocean Currents

Global Climate Patterns: Mountains affect rainfall

Which side of the canyon has more plants? Why?

Biomes: major types of ecosystems that occupy very broad geographic regions

Climate and elevation determine biomes Figure Figure 34.7C

Climograph: plot of temperature & precipitation in a particular region

Tropical Forest distribution: equatorial precipitation: very wet temperature: always warm characteristics: many plants & animals, thin soil

Desert distribution: 30°N & S latitude band precipitation: less than 30 cm per year temperature: variable daily & seasonally, hot & cold characteristics: sparse vegetation & animals, cacti, succulents, drought tolerant, reptiles, insects, rodents, birds

Savanna distribution: equatorial precipitation: seasonal, dry season/wet season temperature: always warm characteristics: fire- adapted, drought tolerant plants, herbivores, fertile soil, between a desert and rainforest

Chaparral Distribution: little bit of most of the continents, coastal Precipitation: seasonal, drought common Temperature: very hot and dry., Characteristic: Most of the plants have small, hard leaves which hold moisture. Some of these plants are poison oak, scrub oak, Yucca Wiple and other shrubs, trees and cacti. The animals are all mainly grassland and desert types adapted to hot, dry weather. coyotes, jack rabbits, mule deer, alligator lizards, horned toads, praying mantis, honey bee and ladybugs.

Temperate Grassland distribution: mid-latitudes, mid-continents precipitation: seasonal, dry season/wet season temperature: cold winters/hot summers characteristics: prairie grasses, fire-adapted, drought tolerant plants; many herbivores; deep, fertile soil

Northern Coniferous Forest/ Taiga distribution: high- latitude, northern hemisphere precipitation: adequate to dry (temperate rain forest on coast) temperature: cool year round characteristics: conifers; diverse mammals, birds, insects, etc.

Temperate Broadleaf Forest distribution: mid-latitude, northern hemisphere precipitation: adequate, summer rains, winter snow temperature: moderate warm summer/cool winter characteristics: many mammals, insects, birds, etc.; deciduous trees; fertile soils

Artic Tundra distribution: arctic, high- latitude, northern hemisphere precipitation: dry temperature: cold year round characteristics: permafrost, lichens & mosses, migrating animals & resident herbivores

Alpine Tundra distribution: high elevation at all latitudes precipitation: dry temperature: cold year round characteristics: permafrost, lichens, mosses, grasses; migrating animals & resident herbivores

Marine/Aquatic Biomes intertidal coral reef benthos

Aquatic/Marine Biomes  Account for the largest part of the biosphere in terms of area  Can contain fresh (aquatic; less than 1% saline), brackish, or salt (marine; ≈ 3% saline) water  Oceans  Cover about 75% of Earth’s surface  Have an enormous impact on the biosphere Evaporation provides majority of Earth’s rainfall Ocean temperatures affect climate and wind patterns Algae and photosynthetic bacteria provide oxygen and consume CO2

Zonation  Are stratified into zones or layers defined light penetration, temperature, and depth  Thermoclines - Narrow vertical zone of abrupt temperature change.

Zonation  Photic Zone – sufficient light for photosynthesis  Aphotic Zone – little light penetration  Benthic Zone – bottom substrate composed of sand, organic, and inorganic materials (ooze)  Benthos – Organisms that live in the benthic zone  Detritus – dead organic matter that rains down from the productive photic zone.  In aquatic communities organisms are distributed according to:  water depth  light penetration  distance from the shore  open water versus benthic zone

Nutrient Turnover Lakes and other marine/aquatic biomes experience turnover.

Lakes Oligotrophic - nutrient poor, oxygen rich Eutrophic - nutrient rich, oxygen poor Periodic oxygen depletion; large amount of decomposition Biota - fish, invertebrates depending on O2 levels, phyto- and zooplankton.

Wetlands Inundated with water at least periodically Plants adapted to water- saturated soil Highly productive Important filters and breeding grounds Birds, carnivores, crustaceans, plants, reptiles.

Streams & Rivers Current with lots of aeration Aquatic plants and phytoplankton, fish, invertebrates, etc. Ex. Potomac and Anacostia rivers, Rock and Sligo creeks, Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Estuaries Transition between rivers and sea - brackish water with flow between the two. Variable salinity depending on temperature, depth, and tides. Worms, oysters, crabs, fish, etc. Highly productive and important in filtering water.

Intertidal Zones Periodically submerged and exposed. Physical environment varies vertically, so species range varies vertically. Oxygen and nutrients renewed tidally. Sea grass, algae, worms, crustaceans, crabs, etc.

Oceanic Pelagic Zone (Open Water) Open ocean, particularly deep water. Driven by currents - lots of light and oxygen. Large photic zone. Experience nutrient turn over - depends on temperature. 70 percent of world’s surface Phytoplankton and photosynthetic bacteria - makes our oxygen! Zooplankton, fish, cephalopods, marine mammals, etc.

Coral Reefs Formed from coral “skeletons” Photic zone - zooxanthellae need light for photosynthesis; sensitive to change in temperature Fringing reef --> barrier reef --> atoll island Unicellular algae, coral animals, fish and invertebrate diversity.

Marine Benthic Zone Below neritic (near, coastal) and pelagic (noncoastal, open water) zones. Deep benthic = abyssal zone; deep sea vents with chemoautotrophs. Shallow benthic - oxygen from algae and seaweed. Chemo- or photoautotrophs; worms, arthopods, echinoderms, etc.

Warm Up Questions  Dead organic matter that rains down from the productive photic zone.___________________  The movement of individuals away from their area of origin or from centers of high population density___________________________  Nutrient rich, oxygen poor lake.________________  Long term weather patterns on a global, regional and local level. ____________________________

Warm Up Questions  What are the 4 factors that affect aquatic communities distribution of organisms