1. © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. AP Environmental Science Mr. Grant Lesson 28 Evolution, Biodiversity, and Population Ecology Levels of Ecological Organization

2. © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Mastery Check Describe the steps involved in allopatric speciation. When a population is split into two populations that become geographically and reproductively isolated from each other, they may evolve over time, in their different environments and under different selective pressures, into different species. This is called allopatric speciation.

3. © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Objectives: Define the terms ecosystems and niche. List the levels of ecological organization.

4. © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. Ecosystems: All organisms and nonliving entities that occur and interact in a particular area at the same time. Niche: The functional role of a species in a community. Define the terms ecosystems and niche.

5. © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. List the levels of ecological organization.

6. © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. We study ecology at several levels  Ecology and evolution are tightly intertwined  Biosphere  the total of living things on Earth and the areas they inhabit  Community  interacting species that live in the same area  Ecosystem  communities and the nonliving material and forces they interact with

7. © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. We study ecology at several levels  Population ecology  investigates the dynamics of population change  The factors affecting the distribution and abundance of members of a population  Why some populations increase and others decrease  Community ecology  focuses on patterns of species diversity and interactions  Ecosystem ecology  studies living and nonliving components of systems to reveal patterns  Nutrient and energy flows

8. © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Each organism has habitat needs  Habitat  the environment where an organism lives  It includes living and nonliving elements  Habitat use  each organism thrives in certain habitats, but not in others  Results in nonrandom patterns of use  Habitat selection  the process by which organisms actively select habitats in which to live  Availability and quality of habitat are crucial to an organism’s well-being  Human developments conflict with this process

9. © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Each organism has habitat needs  Habitats vary with the body size and needs of species  A soil mite vs. an elephant  Species have different habitat needs at different times  Migratory birds use different habitats during migration, summer, and winter  Species use different criteria to select habitat  Soil, topography, vegetation, other species  Water temperature, salinity, prey  Species survival depends on having suitable habitat

10. © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. A specialized frog Epiphytes grow on trees for support -Obtaining water from the air -They collect pools of rainwater and pockets of leaf litter -Frogs lay their eggs in these rainwater pools

11. © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Niche and specialization are key concepts in ecology  Niche  summary of everything an organism does  Use of resources  Functional role in a community: habitat use, food selection, role in energy and nutrient flow, interactions with other individuals

12. © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. Niche and specialization are key concepts in ecology  Specialists  species that have narrow niches and specific needs  Extremely good at what they do  But vulnerable when conditions change  Generalists  species with broad niches  Use a wide array of habitats and resources  Can live in many different places

13. © 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. TED Video Nalini Nadkarni: Conserving the Canopy (16:30) Called "the queen of canopy research," Nalini Nadkarni explores the rich, vital world found in the tops of trees. She communicates what she finds to non-scientists — with the help of poets, preachers and prisoners. A unique ecosystem of plants, birds and monkeys thrives in the treetops of the rainforest. Nalini Nadkarni explores these canopy worlds — and shares her findings with the world below, through dance, art and bold partnerships.