AN INTRODUCTION

TO ECOLOGY AND THE

BIOSPHERE

Ecology What is ecology? Study of interactions between

organisms and their environment. The environment includes both biotic

and abiotic factors. Biotic = living, abiotic = non-living Ecology therefore will incorporate

biotic and abiotic interactions

Four Levels of Inquiry:1. Organismal Ecology:

Ways the individual meets challenges posed by the environment.

What is this area of ecology concerned with?

Behavioral, morphological and physiological developments in the organisms that allow them to interact with their environment.

2. Population Ecology

What is a population? Group of individuals of the same species

living in the same area. What is this area of ecology concerned

with? Factors that affect population size and

composition.

3. Community Ecology

What is a community? All of the organisms that occupy a

particular area. What is this area of ecology concerned

with? Involves predator/prey relationships,

competition and disease.

4. Ecosystem Ecology

What is an ecosystem? Includes all of the biotic and abiotic

factors plus the community that exists in a specific area.

What is this area of ecology concerned with?

Energy flow, chemical cycling, primary productivity.

Abiotic factors of the biosphere:

Biosphere - global ecosystem temperature water sunlight wind rocks and soil periodic disturbances (e.g. tornadoes,

hurricanes…)

Seasonal effects on climate:For example turnover in a lake:

Biomes:

What is a biome? A major community that is classified by

the predominant vegetation and characterized by the adaptations of organisms that live there.

Aquatic Biomes

Vertical stratification is important in aquatic biomes

Zonation in a Lake:

Lake classification:

What is an oligotrophic lake? Deep water and nutrient poor, water is

very clear. What is a eutrophic lake? Shallower water, nutrient rich, murky

water.

Oligotrophic lake

Eutrophic lake

Wetlands

What are wetlands? Area covered with water that supports

aquatic plants. Very rich biome with diverse birds,

invertebrates, mammals, etc.

Wetlands

Estuary

What is an estuary? The area where freshwater merges with

salt water. River nutrients enrich the estuary. Salinity varies throughout the estuary. Important source of oysters, crabs and

fish.

Estuary

Marine Community

Zonation in a marine environment:

Intertidal Zone

Rocky Shores: What challenges are faced by organisms

that live here? Rough waves pounding the rocks Salinity changes Hard rocky substrate

Intertidal Zone

Coral Reef

Where are the producers in this community?

Symbiotic algae live in the coral, and are producers for this community.

Waves bring constant supply of nutrients Water is shallow enough to allow for light

penetration, and photosynthesis.

Coral Reef

Oceanic Pelagic Biome

Temperate oceans have seasonal turnover of nutrients like in lakes

Some tropical areas have stratification and no turnover of nutrients.

Photic zones have phytoplankton as producers.

Large animals move up to photoic zone to feed.

Pelagic Zone

Benthos Ocean bottom of neritic and pelagic

zones Neritic benthic communities are very

productive Deep benthic communities - abyssal

zone - are adapted to cold water, no light, and low nutrient levels.

Deep sea vents found here, producers are chemoautotrophs not photoautotrophs.

Benthos

Terrestrial biomes

REVIEW THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DIFFERENT BIOMES

AND IDENTIFY WHICH BIOME IS SEEN IN THE FOLLOWING

SLIDES...

Desert biome

Benthos

Deciduous Forest

Grasslands

Tundra

Desert

Deciduous forest

Tundra

Coniferous forest

Temperate grassland

Savanah

Tropical rain forest

Chaparral

Taiga/Tundra

Wetlands

Where would this creature live?

What adaptations does it have for life here?

Where would these animals be found?

Where would these short flowers be found?

Regulators/Conformers

Cost benefit analysis of homeostasis What is a regulator? Organisms that can survive fluctuations

in the environment through physiological regulations

What is a conformer? Organisms that conform to their

environment.

Principle of Allocation

What is the principle of allocation? Organisms have limited supply of energy

that they can allocate to living. The way they “spend” their energy will

affect what sort of organism they are.

Responses to Envoronmental Variations:

Physiological responses: regulation and homeostasis are

physiological responses acclimation shifts an organisms’

tolerance to the environmental change For example people who attempt to climb

Everest must acclimate to the higher altitude.

Morphological Responses

Responses that change the form or anatomy of the organism.

Mammals grow heavier coats n the cold months

plants are more morphologically plastic than animals.

Behavioral Responses

Instantaneous response that can be easily reversed.

Moving away from unfavorable environment.

Concept Check

1. What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors?

2. What characterizes the following biomes?

1. Desert2. Tropical rain forest3. Tundra4. Coral reef5. Estuary

3. What are the differences between oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes?

4. What is the difference between a regulator and a conformer?