1. Ecosystems and Communities
Chapter 4

2. Weather vs. Climate
Weather – daily atmospheric conditions in a specific region
Climate – yearly average conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region

3. What Affects Climate? Trapping of heat by the atmosphere Latitude
Transport of heat
Amount of precipitation
Energy of incoming sunlight
Presence of greenhouse gases

4. The Greenhouse Effect
Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and a few other gases trap heat energy and maintain Earth’s temperature range
The gases trap heat inside the atmosphere
Keeps Earth’s temperature within a range that is suitable for life

5. How Does Latitude Affect Climate?
Earth is tilted on its axis
Causes sunlight to strike regions on Earth at different angles

6. How Does Latitude Affect Climate?
Differences in latitude results in three climate zones:
1. Polar zone
Sun’s rays strike Earth at a very low angle
Located near the poles (high latitudes)
2. Tropic zone
Receives direct sunlight year round
Located near the equator (low latitudes)
3. Temperate zone
Angle of sun changes throughout year
Located at middle latitudes

7. How is Heat Transported?
Unequal heating of Earth’s surface drives winds and ocean currents
Transports heat through biosphere

8. Biotic and Abiotic Factors
Biotic – living
Plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, protists
Abiotic – nonliving
Rocks, sediments, water, precipitation, temperature, light

9. Community Interactions
Competition
Between organisms of same species or different species
Compete over resources
Predation
One organism captures and feeds on another organism
Predator – the one doing the capturing
Prey – the one being captured

10. Community Interactions
Symbiosis – a relationship between two organisms
Mutualism – both organisms benefit
Commensalism – one organism benefits, the other is neither helped nor harmed
Parasitism – one organism benefits, the other is harmed

11. Mutualism
Honeybee and flower
Crocodile and Plover

12. Commensalism
Whale and barnacles
Shark and Remora Fish

13. Parasitism Mosquito feeding on human blood Tapeworm living in
animal’s digestive system