1. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Week of Sept. 8
Outdoor lab – dress for weather
Week of
Sept. 15
Active outdoor lab – dress for weather
Week of
Sept. 22
Indoor lab – bring caculator
Week of
Sept. 29
Oct. 3
Exam 1
Wet outdoor lab – wear closed-toed shoes

2. Environmental variability Applied Ecological Issues
Structure of course
Environmental variability
Organisms
Ecosystems
Populations
Species interactions
Communities
Applied Ecological Issues

3. Outline
Types of variation
Variability on a global scale - climate
Smaller scale variation
Consequences of variation in climate

4. Temporal variation - changes through time
Spatial variation - changes through space

5. Scale: the dimension in time or space over
which variation is perceived.
Scale of variation importance is a function of the organism

6. Scale of measurement affects perception of
variability
Too coarse
Too fine

7. Temporal and
spatial variation
are often correlated

8. Ecological scales
of variation

9. Outline
Types of variation
Variability on a global scale
- causes of variation in climate
- example of unpredictable variability
Smaller scale variation
Consequences of variation in climate

10. Why is it colder at the poles than in the tropics?
A. over the course of a year, the tropics
receive more hours of sunlight
B. sunlight is more intense on average
at the equator
C. the poles are farther from the sun than
the tropics

11. What is it warmer in the summer than in
the winter at high latitudes?
A. the summer has more hours of sunlight
B. the sun rises higher in the sky
C. both A and B

12. Why is the seasonal range in temperature greater in the northern latitudes than in the southern latitudes?

13. What is the main cause of winds?
A. the rotation of the earth around the sun
B. the rotation of the earth on its axis
C. the differential heating and cooling of
different geographical locations on earth

15. Rotation deflects Hadley cells to drive wind patterns

16. Polar desert

17. Hadley cells explain some patterns of precipitation

18. Winds and position of land masses drive ocean currents

19. Outline
Types of variation
Variability on a global scale
- causes of variation in climate
- example of unpredictable variability
Smaller scale variation
Consequences of variation in climate

20. Example of an unpredictable pattern of
climate variability
- El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events

21. ENSO index = difference between barometric
pressure in Tahiti (island in Pacific Ocean) and
Western Australia
Measures oscillation in pressure over Pacific Ocean

23. Ecological effects of ENSO events
Examples:
1. Australia - El Niño brings drought and
increased mortality of red kangaroos
2. Islands off of Peru - La Niña brings drought
and increased mortality of ground finches
El Nino brings rain, more food, and more
finches

24. 3. Zimbabwe - El Niño = drought = lower corn yield

25. Outline
Types of variation
Variability on a global scale
Smaller scale variation
- Example: elevation
Consequences of variation in climate

27. Suppose the earth were exactly like it is today, except that oceans covered the entire surface. Then,
the average temperature at the Equator would be less than the average temperature at the north pole.
b. the difference between the average temperature at the north pole and the average temperature at the Equator would be less than now.
c. wind speeds throughout the world would be greater than they are now.
d. temperature and wind speeds would be the same are they are now.

28. Outline
Types of variation
Variability on a global scale - climate
Smaller scale variation in climate
Consequences of variation in climate
- the biome concept

29. Outline
The biome concept
- terrestrial
- aquatic
Survey of the biomes
Variability in Connecticut

30. Biomes - categories of biological
communities based on dominant plant forms
- primarily used for terrestrial systems

31. Biomes of the world

32. Why are there distinct biomes?

33. Sugar Maple range map

34. Terrestrial biomes - defined by temperature
and precipitation

35. Aquatic systems - defined by physical
factors such as depth, temperature,
water flow

39. Outline
The biome concept
Survey of the biomes
Variability in Connecticut

40. Terrestrial biomes of the world

41. Biome :
Climate:
Vegetation: The dominant types
Animals: A few of the charismatic ones
Net Productivity: rate of plant biomass production
Diversity: # of plant and animal species

44. Biome : Tundra
Climate: Short, cool summers
Long, very cold winters
Permanently frozen soil (permafrost)
Vegetation: No trees
Very short vegetation
Animals: Caribou, lemmings, artic fox
Net Productivity: Low
Diversity: Low