1. Chapter 4: Ecosystems and Communities

2. Chapter 4-1: Climate

3. Daily Objectives Differentiate between weather and climate.
Identify the factors that influence climate.

4. Weather vs. Climate
Weather is the day-to-day condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place.
Climate refers to the average, year-after-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region.

5. The Greenhouse Effect
Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and a few other atmospheric gases trap heat energy and maintain Earth’s temperature range
These gases allow solar radiation to enter the biosphere but slows down the loss of heat to space

6. Latitude
As a result of differences in latitude and thus the angle of heating, Earth has three main climate zones: polar, temperate, and tropical.

7. Climate Zones
Polar - cold areas where the sun’s rays strike Earth at a very low angle.
Temperate - sit between the polar zones and the tropics.
Tropical - receive direct or nearly direct sunlight year-round, making the climate almost always warm

8. Heat Transport in the Biosphere
The unequal heating of Earth’s surface drives winds and ocean currents, which transport heat throughout the biosphere.
The upward movement of warm air and the downward movement of cool air create air currents, or winds, that move heat throughout the atmosphere, from regions of sinking air to regions of rising air.

9. Ocean Currents

10. Chapter 4-2: Niches and Community Interactions

11. 4-2 Section Objectives
Identify the interactions that occur within communities.
Identify the three types of symbiotic relationships in nature.

12. Habitat The area where an organism lives is called its habitat.
A habitat includes biotic and abiotic factors.

13. Squirrel in a Tree

14. Fish in a Stream

15. Niche A niche is an organism’s role or job in an ecosystem.
Ex: an organisms place in the food web.
(Fungi-decomposer)
Habitat is to address as niche is to occupation

16. Competition
Organisms of the same or different species attempt to use ecological resources in the same place at the same time.
Direct competition in nature often results in a winner and a loser—with the losing organism failing to survive.
Competitive exclusion principle - No two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time.

17. Dividing Resources
By causing species to divide resources, competition helps determine the number and kinds of species in a community and the niche each species occupies.
Ex. Different birds at different levels of same tree

18. Symbiosis Any relationship in which two species live closely together.
Mutualism – Both species benefit
Ex: Bee and flower
Commensalism - One species benefits and the other is neither hurt or benefits.
Ex: Barnacles on whale
Parasitism – One species benefits and the other is harmed
Ex: Fleas on dog

19. Mutualism

20. Commensalism

21. Parasitism