1. Ecosystems and communities
A closer look!

2. Ecological succession: by definition-due to
changes in a specific environment, there will be
changes to the biotic and abiotic factors.
Changes can be slow or sudden.
What could change the environment:
Human disturbances:
Natural disturbances:

4. Primary succession: If there are changes to an ecosystem, it will
recover.
Primary succession:
CHARACTERISTICS CAUSES
no soil volcano
only rock glaciers
What would this mean to the recovery process?
No growth=no producers

5. Primary succession
Bare rock
pioneer species
Secondary succession
Climax community

6. Primary succession
Secondary succession

8. Succession in a marine environment is just
as dynamic but very specific in its development
because of the ecosystem.
1. Death
Scavengers hagfish
Decomposers amphipods
2. Supports smaller aquatics
snails, crabs
Nutrients marine worms
sediment dwellers
3. Skeleton remains
heterotrophic bacteria
decompose oil in bones
appearance of
chemosynthetic auto-
trophs = food for
mussels, limpets, snails, crabs, clams on bones.

9. Climate Weather Year to year average day to day temperature
precipitation
amount of sun
wind
humidity
Controlled by:
Heat-radiation from sun
Latitude-equator 0, North pole 90 N, South pole 90 S
Winds
Ocean currents
Precipitation

10. The Greenhouse effect:
Has always existed.
A mixture of gases that insulate the earth and
maintains the temperature of earth.
Gases are CO2 , CH4, H2O, N2O3, and O3

11. Radiation: by definition, the movement of energy
through space as electromagnetic
waves.
Radiation from the sun is a result of
nuclear fusion-two hydrogen nuclei
come together to form helium. Excess
energy resulting from the fusion is
released and ultimately becomes our
source of heat.
Approximately 4 million tons of matter
is changed into energy every second.
It takes roughly 8 minutes for this
energy to reach earth

12. Latitude: the angular distance
of any object, namely the sun, from
the equator. Distance of the sun
from the equator is 0. Latitude will
change by 10 north and south of
the equator until the poles.

14. Winds: the movement of large masses of gases controlled
by the differences in densities of these masses.

15. Ocean currents: movement of cold water to warmer
regions result in convection currents
which can transport heat energy within
the biosphere.
Movement of currents play important
role in:
moving energy
mixing heat, nutrients, salt that help
maintain ecosystems

16. Precipitation: phases of water that are moved from
ground to atmosphere or atmosphere to
ground and are changed by temperature and
pressure.
Integral in maintaining the water cycle and
the ecosystems of earth.

17. Biomes: a large naturally occurring community of flora
and fauna occupying a major habitat.
Ecologists have identified ten major biomes.
Each exits with its own specific and unique set of
abiotic factors, the most important being
climate.