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Biosphere

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16 views28 pages

Biosphere

Uploaded by

asmeraamde21
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY

This presentation contains copyrighted material under the


educational fair use exemption to the U.S. copyright law.
Ecology overview

¨ Study of the interaction between


organisms and their environment
¨ Levels of ecology
Fields of ecology
¨ Organismal ecology
¤ Study
of morphological, physiological, and behavioral
adaptations of individuals
Fields of ecology

¨ Population ecology
¤ Studyof how numbers of individuals in a
population change over time
Fields of ecology
¨ Community ecology
¤ Study interaction among species within an area
Fields of ecology
¨ Ecosystem ecology
¤ Study how nutrients and energy move b/n organisms
and the abiotic environment
Abiotic and biotic factors
¨ Ranges (species distributions) of most species
¤ Primarily determined by physical (abiotic) factors
¤ Because of fitness tradeoffs, organisms are adapted to
limited set of abiotic factors
¨ Biotic factors also play a role
¤ Competition

¤ Parasitism/disease
Temperature variations
Global Light Intensity
Temperature variations
¨ Seasons caused by
¤ Earth’s 23.5° on its
axis
¤ Angle of incidence
¨ Winter vs. summer
solstice
¨ Equinoxes
Hadley cells
¨ Major cycle of tropical air
circulation
¨ Air hotter at equator
¤ Expands and rises
¤ Warm air holds more moisture
(as gas)
¨ As it rises
¤ Water cools and condenses into
liquid
¨ As it sinks
¤ Absorbs more solar E
¤ Gaining water-holding capacity
¤ Creating 30° deserts
Global Circulation patterns
¨ Three cells
¤ ineach hemisphere
¤ Semi-wet at 60°
Regional effects
¨ Rain shadow effect ¨ Ocean moderation effect
¤ Precipitates on one side, but ¤ High capacity for storing E
not other ¤ Moderates temperature
¤ Creates high deserts
Terrestrial Biomes
Tropical rain forests
¨ Equatorial
¨ Rainfall very high
¤ Seasonal: wet & dry
¨ Temperature invariable
¨ Very high biomass
¨ Very high biodiversity
¨ Multilayered canopy
Subtropical deserts
¨ Found at 30⁰N & 30⁰S
¨ High ave. temperature
¨ Moderate variation in
temperature
¨ Very low precipitation
¨ Very low biomass
¤ Plants widely spaced
Temperate grasslands
¨ Long, warm summers
¨ Short, cold winters
¨ Low precipitation
¨ Moderate temp. variation
¨ High productivity
¨ Low biomass
¨ Moderate productivity
¨ Few to no trees
¤ Too dry
¤ Fire is common
Temperate forests
¨ Same temp. scheme as
temperate grasslands
¤ Higher precipitation
¨ Defined winter
¨ Deciduous trees
¨ Moderate productivity
¨ High biomass
¨ Moderate diversity
Boreal forests (Taiga)
¨ Just S of Arctic Circle
¤ Subarctic
¨ Very cold winter
¨ Short, cool summers
¨ Extreme temp. variation
¨ Low annual precipitation
¤ Evaporation in minimal
¨ Conifers dominate
¨ Low productivity
¨ High biomass
¨ Extremely low biodiversity
Tundra
¨ Artic areas
¤ not covered by ice
¨ Very low temperature
¨ Very low precipitation
¨ Growing season
¤ 6-8 weeks
¨ Permafrost
¨ Small woody shrubs, lichens,
herbs
¨ Low diversity
¨ Low productivity
¨ Low biomass
Lakes and ponds
¨ Littoral zone
¤ Rooted plants
¨ Limnetic zone
¤ Offshore w/ light
¨ Benthic zone
¤ Bottom
¤ Detritovores
n (eat dead matter)
¨ Photic
¤ Light and photosynthetic plankton
¨ Aphotic
¤ No light
Freshwater wetlands
¨ Shallow-water habitats
¨ Soil is saturated
¨ Have emergent plants
Streams and Rivers
¨ Flow in one direction
¨ Source
¤ Cold,narrow, fast
¤ Fewer organisms
n Mostly animals
¨ Mouth
¤ Warm, wide, slow
¤ More organisms
n Plants & animals
Estuaries
¨ Where river meets ocean
¤ Slightly saline
¨ Salinity varies with
¤ Riverflow (tides, storms)
¤ Proximity to oceans

¨ Salinity changes effect


¤ Osmosis & water balance
¤ Species have adaptations
Intertidal zones
¨ Land meets the sea
¨ Tides
¤ Submerged, then exposed
¨ Huge variations
¤ Temperature

¤ Light intensity
¨ Plant life limited
¨ Animal life abundant/diverse
Coral reef
¨ Warm water (20˚-30˚C)
¨ Shallow
¤ Limited to photic zone
¨ Coral
¤ Symbiosis with
dinoflagellates
¨ Most diverse ecosystem
Open ocean
¨ Pelagic zone
¨ Low nutrient concentration
¤ Exception: upwellings
¨ Phytoplankton
¤ Photic zone
¨ Zooplankton
¨ Nekton
¤ i.e. whales
Benthic zone
¨ Floor of the ocean
¨ Benthos
¤ Organisms

¤ Mostly detritivores

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