Biodiversity and Limiting Factors in Ecosystems

Biodiversity -measure of the number of different species presenting a given area. -i.e. classroom = 1 species

Biodiversity Check out the board to your right for the blanks on the Biodiversity diagram from your note Ecotone – transition zone between ecosystems where organisms from both ecosystems interact with each other

Energy and Food Chains - every organism in an ecosystem passes energy to organisms that eat them. - a food chain on it’s own is unstable because removal of one organism will destroy the chain. - the most stable ecosystems are those with the most biodiversity.

Energy and Food Chains (Higher Biodiversity --> more complex food webs--> many interconnections) *removal of one species will not have catastrophic effects. Example - stable ecosystem = Rain Forest (High Biodiversity) - less stable ecosystem = Arctic (Low Biodiversity)

Limiting Factors in Ecosystems population: all of the individuals of a species that live in a certain place at a certain time carrying capacity - the largest population size an ecosystem can sustain

Limits on Populations A. Biotic Potential - The max. number of offspring that a species could produce if resources were limited. Birth Potential – max number of offspring per birth Capacity for survival – number of offspring that reach reproductive age Procreation – number of times a species reproduces each year Length of reproductive life – the age of sexual maturity and the number of years the Individual can reproduce

Limiting Factors B. Limiting factors - any resources that limit the size to which a population can grow Decreasing oxygen supply low food supply disease predators limited space

Limiting Factors C. Carrying Capacity - the largest population size an ecosystem can sustain Stability is achieved when all of the population is in equilibrium (none of the population exceeds carrying capacity) Equilibrium - a stable, balanced, or unchanged ecosystem