1. Introduction to Ecology
© Amy Brown (Science Stuff) May 2012

2. What is Ecology? Ecology is the scientific study of:
interactions between organisms and the environment.
What is Ecology?
It is the study of the interactions between:
different groups of organisms.
It is the study of the interactions between:
organisms and the environment.
It is the study of the interactions that exists between:
the living and nonliving components of the environment.

3. These interactions occur on many levels, ranging from the __________ level to a _______ level.
organismal
global
The field of ecology was begun in 1866 by Ernst Haeckel, a German biologist.

4. What is the difference between weather and climate?
The Role of Climate
What is the difference between weather and climate?
1. Weather is the day-to-day condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place.
2. Climate refers to the average, year-after-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region.

5. Climate is the result of many different factors:
The trapping of heat by the atmosphere
The latitude
The transport of heat by winds and ocean currents
The amount of precipitation that occurs
5. The shape and elevation of the landmass

6. Problems we face: The State of Today’s Environment
Exploding Human Population
The Sixth Mass Extinction
Damage to the Ozone Layer
Climate Changes
Problems we face:

7. The Exploding Human Population
Between 1930 and 1999, the human population on earth tripled from:
2 billion to 6 billion.
By 2050, it is projected that the world’s population will be between:
7.8 billion and 12.5 billion.
An increasing population places great demands on the environment. A greater population requires more _______, more _________, and more ________ for the disposal of wastes.
The Exploding Human Population
One of the most significant environmental changes to occur on Earth is:
the exploding human population.
food
energy
space

8. The Sixth Mass Extinction
There is evidence in the fossil record of:
five mass extinctions in Earth’s past history.
A mass extinction is:
a brief period of time in which large numbers of species die out and disappear.
Many scientists are convinced that we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction.
Currently, species are disappearing faster than at any other time since the last mass extinction.
The last mass extinction occurred ______________ ago and included the disappearance of the _________. Scientists estimate that about _____ of the species in the world may ______________________.
65 million years
dinosaurs
1/5th
disappear in this century

9. The Damage to the Ozone Layer
Ozone is a molecule composed of:
three atoms of oxygen.
The ozone in the upper atmosphere:
protects and shields the organisms on Earth from ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s)
An abundance of ____________________________________ is causing damage to this protective layer of ozone.

10. The Damage to the Ozone Layer
CFC’s that are produced by __________________ react with ______, causing its ____________.
industrial chemicals
ozone
destruction
Because of the protective nature of ozone, only about:
1% of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation gets through the ozone shield to reach the Earth.
Even such a small amount of ultraviolet radiation is harmful in the form of ____________ and millions of cases of ______________ each year.
With the further depletion of the ozone layer:
more and more UV radiation will reach Earth’s surface.
sunburns
skin cancer

11. deep cold of outer space.
Climate Changes
Gases in our atmosphere:
such as carbon dioxide and water vapor, trap a portion of the sun’s energy, preventing it from escaping.
This has a ______________ on Earth.
The greenhouse effect is the mechanism that __________ our planet from the:
deep cold of outer space.
warming effect
insulates

12. The heat trapped by these gases has a warming effect on Earth.
The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon and life on Earth:
would not be possible without it.
The greenhouse effect is a natural occurrence in which heat is:
retained in the atmosphere by this blanket of greenhouse gases.
EARTH
Greenhouse gases allow solar energy to:
penetrate the atmosphere in the form of sunlight.
However, these same greenhouse gases do not allow:
the heat energy to pass out of the atmosphere.
The heat trapped by these gases has a warming effect on Earth.

13. burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) carbon dioxide
However, human activities are changing the _____________ of the atmosphere. The:
_________________________________________releases large amounts of ________________ into the atmosphere.
composition
burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)
carbon dioxide

14. It is estimated that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by ______ over the last ______ years. The addition of large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases has led to an increased greenhouse effect, causing greater than normal:
warming of the atmosphere.
25%
100
This increase in temperature may change global weather patterns and lead to rising sea levels as polar ice melts.

15. The Effect of Latitude on Climate
Because Earth is a sphere that is tilted on its axis, solar radiation strikes the surface of Earth at different angles. As a result of differences in latitude and the angle of heating, Earth has three main climate zones:
1. Polar zones
2. Temperate zones
3. Tropical zones

16. Polar zones are cold areas where the:
sun’s rays strike Earth at a very low angle.
These zones are located around the North and South poles.

17. The temperate zones are sites between the:
polar zones and the tropics.
This area is more affected by the _______________________ over the course of a year. Therefore, the climate ranges from ___________ depending on the season.
changing angle of the sun
hot to cold

18. The tropical zone is near the equator
The tropical zone is near the equator. The tropics receive direct or nearly direct sunlight all year long. This climate is almost always warm.

19. Heat Transfer in the Biosphere – Winds and Currents
The _______________ of Earth’s surfaces is the driving force behind:
winds and currents.
Winds and currents are responsible for _________________ throughout the biosphere.
unequal heating
transporting heat
Winds occur because:
warm air tends to rise and cool air tends to sink.
This creates air currents, or winds, that move heat through the atmosphere, from regions of sinking air to regions of rising air. The prevailing winds bring warm or cold air to a region, affecting its climate.

20. Heat Transfer in the Biosphere – Winds and Currents
Similar patterns of heating and cooling occur in Earth’s _______. Cold water near the poles ______ and then flows parallel to the ocean floor.
oceans
sinks
It eventually _____ again when it reaches warmer regions in a process called __________.
At the same time, winds are pushing the _____________ to new areas.
The temperature of the surface currents affects the weather and climate of nearby ___________.
rises
upwelling
surface water
landmasses

21. Levels of Ecological Organization
Scientists recognize a hierarchy of organization in the environment. Each level has unique properties that result from the interactions among its components.
From broadest to most specific, these levels are:
1. The biosphere
2. Ecosystems
3. Communities
4. Populations
5. Organisms

22. The Biosphere
The biosphere is the broadest level of ecological organization and includes all other levels.
The biosphere contains the combined portions of:
the planet in which all life exists, including land, water, and air.
All organisms are found within the biosphere.
The biosphere extends _________________ the Earth’s surface to the _________________________.
Life is not distributed evenly throughout the biosphere. Most organisms are found within:
a few meters of the surface of the land or ocean.
5 to 6 miles above
deepest parts of the ocean

23. Ecosystems
The biosphere is composed of smaller units called ___________.
An ecosystem is a collection of:
all the organisms that live in a particular place, together with their nonliving, or physical, environment.
ecosystems

24. As an example, consider a pond ecosystem.
What living organisms might live in this ecosystem?
Fish, insects, turtles, plants, algae, bacteria, protists, amphibians.
List some of the nonliving components of this ecosystem.
a) The level of oxygen and carbon dioxide dissolved in the water.
b) The supply of nitrogen and phosphorous.
c) The pH of the water.
d) The amount of sunlight received by the pond.
The interaction between the physical environment and the living organisms will affect their survival.

25. all of the living organisms found in a particular area.
Communities
A community is:
all of the living organisms found in a particular area.
A community may contain thousands of species.
A scientist who studies communities studies the interactions between these living organisms.
In the pond ecosystem used as an example above, the fish, insects, turtles, plants, algae, bacteria, protists, and amphibians make up a community.

26. Populations A population includes:
all the members of a single species that live in an area.
Communities are composed of many different populations.

27. Organisms This is the ________ level of organization in ecology.
An organismal scientist would concentrate on the adaptations that allow organisms to overcome the challenges of their environment.
simplest

28. No organism is ________.
The Theme of Ecology
No organism is ________.
isolated
All organisms interact with other ___________ in their surroundings and with the _______________ of their environment.
The survival of the organism depends on these interactions.
The theme of ecology is “_________________”.
organisms
interconnectedness
nonliving portion

29. There is “interconnectedness” in each ecosystem.
There is a network in which organisms are linked to other organisms and to the nonliving parts of their surroundings.

30. The theme is interconnectedness and interdependence.
There is ________________. The members of an ecosystem are dependent on one another for their _______. The plants depend on animals to give off ______________ so they can use it in ______________.
interdependence
survival
carbon dioxide
photosynthesis
The animals depend on the plants as a source of _____ as well as a source of _______ for _________________.
food
oxygen
The theme is interconnectedness and interdependence.
cellular respiration

31. Disturbances This balance is affected when “_____________” occur.
A disturbance is an event that:
changes a community by removing organisms from it or altering the availability of resources.
Disturbances might include:
Fires, floods, droughts, storms, or human activities.
disturbances
Disturbances

32. Ecosystems are affected by a variety of factors.
These factors are divided into two classes:
1. Biotic factors
2. Abiotic factors

33. These include every living thing an organism might interact with.
Biotic factors
Biotic factors are the _______ components of the environment and include all of the:
living things that affect the organism.
living
These include every living thing an organism might interact with.
Biotic factors affecting a bird might include:
Parasites
Pathogens
Tiny seeds the bird eats
The competition with other birds for nesting sites
A hawk that might prey on a smaller bird.

34. Abiotic factors
These are the nonliving factors that influence or affect the ecosystem.
Abiotic factors would include:
temperature
humidity pH
salinity
oxygen concentration
amount of sunlight
soil type
rainfall
climate
wind and precipitation.
Which two abiotic factors are the major determiners of the distribution of organisms?
Answer: Temperature and the availability of water.

35. Abiotic factors and biotic factors are __________ upon one another.
The growth of a plant is dependent on getting nitrogen from the soil.
The amount of nitrogen in the soil is affected by the plants that are absorbing the nitrogen.
dependent
Biotic and abiotic factors determine the survival and growth of the organisms and the productivity of the ecosystem.

36. Habitat -vs- Niche Habitat Niche An organism’s habitat is its address.
This woodpecker pecks the tree trunk to get insects for food. This is its niche.
An organism’s habitat is its address.
An organism’s niche is its occupation.

37. Habitat: A habitat is where an organism lives.
A habitat involves both _______________ factors.
biotic and abiotic

38. Niche:
The niche is….
…. a way of life or the role the species plays in its environment.
The niche is the full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions.

39. A niche includes: The range of conditions the organism can tolerate.
The number of offspring it has.
The organism’s place in the food chain.
The type of food the organism eats.
How the organism obtains its food.
The physical conditions the organism needs in order to survive.
When and how the organism reproduces.

40. No two species can share the ___________________________, but they can occupy niches that are very _______.
Three species of North American warbler live in the same spruce trees, but feed at _________________, and in _____________ of those trees.
Each warbler has a different ______ within the forest.
same niche in the same habitat
similar
different elevations
different parts
niche

41. The “specialists” have _______ niches.
As far as niches go, some organisms are called “__________”, while others are __________.”
generalists
specialists
The “generalists” are species with _____ niches. They can tolerate:
a range of conditions and use a variety of resources.
The opossum is a great example of a generalist. The opossum can live most anywhere in the United States, and it will eat whatever is available.
broad
The “specialists” have _______ niches.
The koala eats only one type of food – the eucalyptus leaves, and can survive on nothing else.
narrow