ECOLOGYECOLOGY

ECOLOGYECOLOGYThe study of the ABUNDANCE, DISTRIBUTION, and DIVERSITY of organisms and their interactions within an environment.

ECOLOGYECOLOGYABUNDANCE - amount of individuals of one speciesDISTRIBUTION - the arrangement of different species in an areaDIVERSITY - amounts of different species

TYPES OF DISTRIBUTION

RANDOM CLUMPED UNIFORM

Factors that affect Factors that affect distribution distribution

on a Rocky Shoreon a Rocky Shore

predator/prey (seastars predator/prey (seastars eat mussels)eat mussels)

shelter (seaweeds shelter (seaweeds provide shelter for small provide shelter for small crustaceans)crustaceans)

food (seaweeds provide food (seaweeds provide food for snails)food for snails)

competition (kelp for competition (kelp for space)space)

What ecology concentrates onWhat ecology concentrates onis studying is studying

POPULATION DYNAMICSPOPULATION DYNAMICS

The changes in abundance (the amount of individuals) in an area over time

Ecology is Ecology is different from different from

ENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCEAL SCIENCE

How?How?

ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCESCIENCE

Incorporates the Incorporates the impact of human impact of human activities, both activities, both

planned and planned and unplanned on the unplanned on the

environment.environment.

ORGANISM

ECOSYSTEM

BIOSPHERE

ORGANIZATION

POPULATION

COMMUNITY

POPULATIONPOPULATION•interbreeding assemblage of a single species in an area

i.e. population of bunnies

COMMUNITYCOMMUNITYPopulations of different species living and interacting together.

ECOSYSTEMECOSYSTEMMany communitiestogether within an area that share common abiotic factors.

BIOSPHEREBIOSPHERE

•all ecosystems on Earth and the interactions between organisms and the environment within them•composed of 2 types of ecosystems

-biome (terrestrial)-aquatic life system (water)

HOMEOSTASISHOMEOSTASIS Maintaining a Maintaining a

stable stable environmentenvironment

when factors when factors change organism change organism must readjust to must readjust to re-establish the re-establish the balance (or die)balance (or die)

Factors to be Factors to be MaintainedMaintained

temperature temperature amount of water amount of water amount of saltsamount of salts nutrientsnutrients levels of waste levels of waste

productsproducts

ABIOTICABIOTIC ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT

temperaturetemperaturesalinitysalinitypressurepressuresunlightsunlightsedimentssediments

nonliving components

TEMPERATURETEMPERATUREWhich are ectotherms? Which are endotherms?

AS TEMPERATURE DECREASES, DENSITY INCREASES

SALINITYSALINITY•as salinity increases, density increases

•salinity is measured in parts of salt per thousand parts of water (ppt)

PRESSUREPRESSURE

Expanding swimbladder may push on eyes!

AMOUNT OF AMOUNT OF RAINFALLRAINFALL

SUNLIGHTSUNLIGHT

BIOTICBIOTIC ENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENT

all living all living componentcomponentss

i.e. fish, fern, etci.e. fish, fern, etc

BIOTIC INTERACTIONSBIOTIC INTERACTIONS

predator/prey predator/prey interactionsinteractions

competitioncompetitionsymbiosissymbiosis

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Abiotic and Biotic Abiotic and Biotic ComponentsComponents

HABITAHABITATT• the environment in which an

organism lives

example: habitats of people

rural

suburban

urban

MICROHABITATMICROHABITAT

Rocky ShoresRocky ShoresRocky Shore

Sandy Beaches

Coral ReefCoral Reef

SoilSoil

GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE

total area in which a species can live

Biomes vs. Aquatic Life Biomes vs. Aquatic Life SystemsSystems

Biomes are terrestrial Biomes are terrestrial regions inhabited by regions inhabited by certain types of life, certain types of life, especially vegetation; each especially vegetation; each biome also has a biome also has a characteristic climate and characteristic climate and geographical locationgeographical location

Aquatic life systems are Aquatic life systems are marine and freshwater marine and freshwater portions of the biosphere; portions of the biosphere; Examples include freshwater Examples include freshwater systems (lakes, ponds, rives) systems (lakes, ponds, rives) or marine systems or marine systems (estuaries, coastlines, coral (estuaries, coastlines, coral reefs, deep ocean)reefs, deep ocean)

NichesNiches

NicheNiche- total way of life or - total way of life or role of a species in an role of a species in an ecosystem. It includes all ecosystem. It includes all physical, chemical, and physical, chemical, and biological conditions a biological conditions a species needs to live and species needs to live and reproduce in an ecosystemreproduce in an ecosystem

BiodiversityBiodiversity

Biological diversity refers to Biological diversity refers to the variety of different species the variety of different species (species diversity), genetic (species diversity), genetic variability among individuals variability among individuals within a species (genetic within a species (genetic diversity), and the variety of diversity), and the variety of ecosystems (ecological ecosystems (ecological diversity)diversity)

Areas with higher numbers Areas with higher numbers of DIFFERENT species are of DIFFERENT species are more diverse than those that more diverse than those that have high numbers of the have high numbers of the same type of species same type of species (abundance)(abundance)

Do not confuse biodiversity Do not confuse biodiversity with abundance!!!!!!with abundance!!!!!!

InteractionsInteractions

Organisms interact with Organisms interact with one another and ecologists one another and ecologists study these interactions study these interactions

Types of InteractionsTypes of Interactions

1. Same species to same 1. Same species to same species species

2. Same species to 2. Same species to different speciesdifferent species

3. Species to 3. Species to environment/surroundingsenvironment/surroundings

Important Species Important Species InteractionsInteractions

CompetitionCompetition-2 or more -2 or more organisms attempting to use the organisms attempting to use the same scarce resources in the same scarce resources in the same ecosystemsame ecosystem

SymbiosisSymbiosis-any intimate -any intimate relationship or association relationship or association between members of 2 or more between members of 2 or more species (5 types)species (5 types)

1. Competition1. Competition2. Predation2. Predation3. Mutualism- interaction 3. Mutualism- interaction

where both species benefitwhere both species benefit4. Commensalism- 4. Commensalism-

interaction in which one interaction in which one organisms benefits while organisms benefits while the other is neither helped the other is neither helped nor harmednor harmed

5. Parasitism- interaction 5. Parasitism- interaction in which one organism in which one organism benefits while the other is benefits while the other is harmedharmed