1. APES Ch. 6 – Ecosystems and Ecosystem Management
Terminology
Keystone species
Ecological community
Succession
Watershed

2. Levels of organization

3. Basic Characteristics of Ecosystems
1. Structure – living and nonliving a) living/biotic – ecological community which is a set of interacting species b) nonliving/abiotic – water, soil, local atmosphere etc.

4. Variations in abiotic factors within an ecosystem

5. Basic Characteristics of Ecosystems
Processes – cycling of chemical elements and flow of energy

6. Simple ecosystem

7. Basic Characteristics of Ecosystems
Change – through a process called succession

8. Succession The process of change in an ecosystem
Primary succession – where life has not existed previously
2) Secondary succession – begins with destruction or disturbance of an existing ecosystem

9. Keystone Species
Species whose role in an ecosystem is much more important than their abundance or biomass suggests

10. 4 Types of Keystone Species
1. Predator – Ex) Sea Otter – considered keystone if they control the density of ecologically significant prey species, or on overall community composition

11. Sea otter eating urchin

12. Types continued
Keystone Prey – their removal affects other species which are sensitive to predation and lead them to extinction thereby controlling the density of a predator
Example: Lynx and Snowshoe Hare

13. Types continued
Keystone mutualist – Banksia tree

14. Types continued
4. Keystone modifier – Ex) Beaver

15. Community-Level Interactions
when the interaction between two species leads to changes in the presence or absence of other species or to a large change in abundance of other species, then a community effect is said to have occurred
Example?

16. How do you know when you have found an ecosystem?
Vary greatly in structural complexity
Borders not easily defined
Differ in size, community composition, and relative proportions of their nonbiological constituents

17. Watersheds
All the land in a given landscape that drains into a particular stream, river, lake, or wetland
Largest watershed in the United States?

18. Elevation map New Jersey

19. Watershed Map New Jersey

21. Watershed Studies

22. Hubbard Brook Aerial View