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An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere
Chapter 50 Notes An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere
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The Scope of Ecology The interactions between organisms and their environments determine the distribution and abundance of organisms - Why are there no malaria-carrying mosquitoes in Minnesota? - Why are there so many deer in Ohio?
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The Scope of Ecology What factors limit the geographic range, or distribution, of a species? What factors determine the abundance of a species? The environment of any organism will include both biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) components.
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The Scope of Ecology Ecology can be divided into four increasingly comprehensive levels of study Organismal ecology: concerned with the morphological, physiological, and behavioral ways in which organisms meet the challenges of biotic and abiotic environments
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The Scope of Ecology Population ecology: concentrates on factors that affect how many individuals of a particular species live in an area Community ecology: deals with interacting species in a community
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The Scope of Ecology Ecosystem ecology: emphasis is on energy flow and the cycling of chemicals among biotic and abiotic components Biosphere: the global ecosystem; the sum of all the earth’s ecosystem
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
Darwin and Wallace began to recognize broad patterns of geographic distribution Biogeography: the study of the past and present distribution of individual species
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
Species dispersal contributes to the distribution of organisms ex. Why are there no Kangaroos in North America? - one way to determine if dispersal is a key factor limiting distribution is by observing when humans have transplanted a species
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
- if a transplant is successful, then the potential range is larger than its actual range - if a transplant is unsuccessful, meaning it is unable to survive and reproduce, then we need to determine if biotic or abiotic factors exclude it from this area
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
Problems with introduced Species ex. African Honeybee - the African honeybee was brought to Brazil in 1956 to produce more honey in the tropics. - many escaped in 1957 and have been traveling about 110 km per year ever since.
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
- beekeepers are worried that the African bee will damage the established honeybee industry - will the colder Northern winters prevent them from moving north?
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
Abiotic factors affect the distribution of organisms Temperature - affects biological processes - most organisms are not able to regulate internal body temps.
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
Water - availability affects the location of organisms - aquatic life must balance water levels Sunlight - provides the energy that drive most ecosystems - distribution on land and in the water
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
Wind - amplifies the affects of environmental temperatures on organisms - contributes to water loss Rocks and soil - physical structures, pH, and mineral composition of rocks limit the distribution of plants and animals
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
Temperature and water are the major climatic factors determining the distribution of organisms Climate: the prevailing weather conditions at a locality Biomes: major types of ecosystems that occupy broad geographic regions
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
- rainfall and temperature are reasonable means that correlate with biomes - climographs are used to measure these factors
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
Global Climate Patterns - the suns affect on the atmosphere, land, and water establish temperature variations - the tilting of the earth on its axis causes seasonal variation in the intensity of solar radiation
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
Tropics: regions between 23.5o north latitude and 23.5o south latitude - receive the least seasonal change - intense solar radiation initiates global circulation of air, which creates precipitation and winds
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
Local and seasonal effects on climate - the proximity to water and topographic features such as mountain ranges create climate patchiness - ocean currents influence the climate along the coasts of continents - seasonal changes in wind patterns produce variations in ocean currents
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
- with seasonal changes, turnover will occur in lakes and ponds - turnover: brings oxygenated water from the surface of lakes to the bottom and nutrient-rich water from the bottom of lakes to the surface - microclimate: climate on a very fine scale
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Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms
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