1. What is Ecology? Chapters 3-1, 4-3, 4-4
Ecology Notes 1
What is Ecology?
Chapters 3-1, 4-3, 4-4

2. 1. What is Ecology?
ECOLOGY is the study of how living organisms interact with their environments and with each other.
A particular environment being studied is called an ECOSYSTEM.

3. 1. What is Ecology?
Ecosystems consist of all of the BIOTIC and ABIOTIC factors that an organism might encounter in an environment.
Biotic Factor – LIVING organisms in an environment
Examples include ALL PLANTS & ANIMALS
Abiotic – NONLIVING factors (physical and chemical components) in an environment
Examples include WATER, SUNLIGHT, TEMPERATURE …
Abiotic factors are not constant.
An organism must be able to respond (acclimate or evolve) to changing abiotic factors or remove itself (death or migration) from an ecosystem

4. Abiotic vs. Biotic Factors
Abiotic Factors
ECOSYSTEM
Biotic Factors

5. 2. Current Issues in Ecology
Some of the major earth-wide concerns at this time include:
POPULATION GROWTH - The human population is rapidly increasing. From 1930 to 2000 the population tripled in size to approximately 6 billion people worldwide. Overpopulation leads to:
DESTRUCTION OF HABITAT SPACE
WASTE BUILD UP
FAMINE
SPREAD OF DISEASE

6. 2. Current Issues in Ecology
In an ecosystem, no organism is ever isolated—survival depends on INTERDEPENDENCE of organisms, a key theme in biology.
Any disturbance in an ecosystem will likely affect every organism living there.

7. 2. Current Issues in Ecology
Some of the major earth-wide concerns at this time include:
6th MASS EXTINCTION - The fossil records show periods of extinction throughout Earth’s history. It is estimated that in this current extinction period we could lose up to 20% of current living species within the next 100 years or so.
OZONE DEPLETION - As chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) make their way up in the atmosphere, the radiation from the sun causes Chlorine atoms to become reactive. The Chlorine atoms steal Oxygen atoms from Ozone (O3) and poof! There goes our protection from UVB radiation!

8. Historic Mass Extinctions
Millions of Years Ago
Name of Extinction Episode
% of Families That Died Out
440
Late Ordovician %
360
Late Devonian %
250
End of Permian
50 %
213
Late Triassic % 66
Late Cretaceous
15 %
NOW
Holocene ?

9. 2. Current Issues in Ecology
Some of the major earth-wide concerns at this time include:
GREENHOUSE EFFECT - A natural heating process on Earth. CO2 and water vapor are able catch some of the heat reflected off of the earth and keep it in the atmosphere to keep the planet warm. Burning fossil fuels releases more CO2 into the environment, and with the rain forests rapidly disappearing CO2 is building up and trapping more heat on the planet than normal.

10. 3. Healthy Ecosystems Healthy ecosystems exhibit the following traits:
High in BIODIVERSITY
Biodiversity – The number and variety of organisms in a specific place at a specific time
Producers and decomposers are stable and work together
PRODUCERS – Organisms that provide food and energy for the environment
Examples: PLANTS, PHOTOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA
DECOMPOSERS – Organisms that feed on decaying material in the environment
Examples: SCAVENGERS, DETRITIVORES

11. 3. Healthy Ecosystems Healthy ecosystems exhibit the following traits:
PROPER FLOW OF ENERGY & CYCLING OF NUTRIENTS

12. 3. Healthy Ecosystems Healthy ecosystems exhibit the following traits:
Few environmental stresses like:
CLIMATE CHANGE – Shift in normal temperatures and weather patterns
Examples: GLOBAL WARMING, DESERTIFICATION
HUMAN ACTIVITY – Any human interference with an area
Examples: POLLUTION, OVERPOPULATION, LAND USE
OVERPOPULATION – Organisms must maintain a balance in population numbers to be sure that there are adequate resources in an area to support the population
NON-NATIVE SPECIES– Organisms that are not native to an area can cause serious ecological damage by taking over habitat and food resources that the existing species rely on
Examples: See

13. Zebra Mussel
~2 months

14. Purple Loosestrife
1968
1978

15. Ecological Hierarchy biosphere ecosystem community population organism

16. 4. Organization in Ecology
BIOSPHERE – all inhabitable space on the planet (the Earth!)
BIOME – Large, recognized land ecosystems consisting of several smaller ecosystems
Contain specific plant and animal life
Determined by an area’s climate (can see biome patterns at different latitudes)
Organisms in biomes have characteristic adaptations

17. 4. Organization in Ecology
ECOSYSTEM – all biotic and abiotic factors in an area
COMMUNITY – All populations of organisms living in an area
Example: Hart High School community = all living things here

18. 4. Organization in Ecology
POPULATION – All members of a particular species in an area
Example: All of the squirrels on campus
SPECIES – Specific type of organisms capable of reproducing with others like itself

19. Organization in Ecology

20. Biome Videos
Biome Video 1

21. Biome Videos
Biome Video 2

22. 5. Major Ecosystems of the World
Biomes are primarily characterized by a region’s average TEMPERATURE & PRECIPITATION
In addition, a biome is recognized by the PLANT & ANIMAL life that inhabits the area

23. 5. Major Ecosystems of the World
There are (according to your text anyway…) ten major terrestrial (land) biomes:
TROPICAL RAIN FOREST
TROPICAL DRY FOREST
TROPICAL SAVANNA
DESERT
TEMPERATE GRASSLAND
TEMPERATE WOODLAND & SHRUBLAND
TEMPERATE FOREST
NORTHWESTERN CONIFEROUS FOREST
BOREAL FOREST/TAIGA
TUNDRA

24. 5. Major Ecosystems of the World
Ten Major Biomes
Biome
Precipitation
Temperature
Soil
Diversity
Trees
Grasses
Tropical Rain Forest
high
hot
poor
dense
sparse
Tropical Dry Forest
variable
mild
rich
moderate
medium
Tropical Savanna
clay
Desert
low
Temperate Grassland
summer hot
absent
Temperate woodland and Shrubland
summer low, winter moderate
Temperate Forest
summer moderate, winter cold
Northwestern Coniferous Forest
summer mild, winter cold
rocky, acidic
Boreal Forest
summer mild, winter cool
poor, acidic
Tundra
summer mild, winter cold

25. Biomes

26. Biomes

27. 5. Major Ecosystems of the World
Tropical rain forest
Temperate grassland
Temperate forest
Tundra
Northwestern
coniferous forest
Tropical dry forest
Desert
Mountains and
ice caps
Tropical savanna
Temperate woodland
and shrubland
Boreal forest
(Taiga)

28. 5. Major Ecosystems of the World
There are several aquatic biomes too:
MARINE
Intertidal zone (tide pools), neritic zone (shallow waters), and oceanic zone (deep ocean)
FRESHWATER
Streams, rivers, lakes, ponds
ESTUARY
Regions where salt and freshwater environments contact
These regions are known to have amazing diversity of abiotic and biotic factors and can support high biodiversity

29. Marine Biomes