1. Ecosystems and Communities Ch. 4

2. What is Climate?
Temperature, weather (rain, snow, windy, etc…), amount of sunlight, etc…
Climate the average temperature/precipitation over long periods of time
What abiotic factors effect climate?
Greenhouse gasses CO2, CH4, and H2O help trap heat from the sun inside the Earth’s atmosphere
Latitude Earth spins at 23o angle, so northern and southern areas get less sunlight while near the equator the amount of sunlight is the same all year long

3. What is Climate? 3) Wind and Water Currents
hotter air at the equator and cooler air everywhere else creates wind currents that move heat around the Earth
Same effect in water; warm water rises and cold air sinks
Areas along these current paths gain warmer temperatures (more energy)

4. Niches and Community Interactions
What is a habitat?
Place an organism spends most their life
Organisms have a Range of Tolerance flexible conditions that it CAN survive
All habitats must fit somewhere in an organism’s range
What is a niche?
Specific way an organism interacts with the environment (gets recourses, reproduces, etc…)
What is the special rule about niches?

5. Competitive Exclusion Principle
No two species can have the same niche; competition will eliminate the weaker species
Intraspecific competition between same species
IntRA = same
Interspecific competition between different species
IntER = different
How do organisms limit the effects of competition?
Organisms get resources in many ways

6. Resources in Cycles
Predator-Prey relationship one animal (predator) eats another animal (prey); number of predators changes with the number of prey
Herbivore-Prey Relationships one animal (herbivore) eats producers; plants density changes with herbivore density
In both systems there is always a Keystone Species
Species, if removed, that would have the greatest effect on the ecosystem

7. Interactions Produce Symbioses
Symbiosis close interaction between two or more species
3 types:
Mutualism both animal benefit from relationship; ex. Clown fish and Sea anemone
Parasitism one benefits and one is weakened (not killed); ex. Tape worm
Commensalism one benefits and one is not affected; ex. Barnacles on Whales

8. Major Shifts in an Ecosystem
Ecological Successions:
Primary Succession first life (pioneer species) in an area of only freshly exposed land
Volcano forms an island
Secondary Succession after massive destruction, surviving life spreads quickly into new space
Growth after a forest fire
After a succession, populations grow until a Climax Community is obtained
Studying successions and climax rate tells scientists about the history of the ecosystem

9. Marine Ecosystems Oceans/Seas are divided into 3 zones:
Intertidal Zone: major temperature changes as waves move in and out with the tide; organisms live with lots of sunlight and air exposer
Costal Ocean: area between lowest tide and continental shelf (edge of continent); lots of life in nutrient rich water
Open Ocean: rest of the ocean; little life but common migration routes

10. Photic Zones
Open ocean can be divided into zones based on light exposure
Photic Zone: upper levels of ocean based on phytoplankton (single-celled organisms)
Aphotic Zone: lower levels of ocean too deep to receive light based on chemosynthetic primary producers
One of the last unexplored areas on Earth; contains thousands of new species

11. Homework Finish reading Ch. 4 and Start reading Ch. 5
Ch. 4 “Apply Vocab” and questions #1-18 on p all due Friday Morning
Presentations on 2 Biomes next Monday
How to present:
Everyone in your group speaks
Must have a good PPT:
Text is easy to read
NO PARAGRAPHS!
Use Pictures to help explain yourself
Good Presentations:
NO READING!
Speak clearly and loudly
Talk to the students, NOT to me!
STAY IN YOUR TIME LIMIT: 5 minutes!
If you go over your time, I will stop your group and you will lose points
YOU GET 1 CLASS TO DO THESE PRESENTATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!