Semester 1: Unit 3

What do you know?

You may have heard the term ‘Eco-Friendly’

Do you know what ‘Eco’ stands for?

What is Ecology?

What do you think they mean by ‘Eco-Friendly’?

Intro to Ecology

Ecology is the scientific study of organisms and the interactions between them and the environment.

• Levels of organization• Biosphere

• Biome

• Ecosystem

• Community

• Population

• Individual

3.1- What is Ecology?biotic factors- biological influences on organisms (living factors)

Examples of biological influences on a bullfrog- algae it eats as a tadpole, herons that eat bullfrogs, & other species competing for food or space.

3.1- What is Ecology?

Abiotic factors- physical components of an ecosystem

(nonliving factors)

Ex: a bullfrog could be affected by abiotic factors such as water availability, temperature, & humidity.

3.1- What is Ecology?

abiotic & biotic factors- some substances may be a mix of both

Ex: pond muck contains nonliving particles, mold, & decomposing plant material that is food for bacteria & fungi

Ch. 4.1: Climate

What do you know?

Is there a difference between weather and climate?

What do you think causes climates to be different in different parts of the world?

Weather vs Climate

4.1- Climate

Weather - day-to-day conditions of Earth’s atmosphere

Climate- year-after-year patterns of temperature & precipitation.

• main force in climate= solar energy from sun

• Some energy absorbed & converted into heat

• Some heat is trapped in the biosphere & determines average temperature

4.1- Climate-Solar Radiation

• More direct sunlight at the equator = hotter!

• Less direct sunlight near the poles = cooler!

• Summer = Earth is tilted toward sun so there’s more direct sunlight

• Winter = Earth is tilted away from the sun so there’s less direct sunlight.

4.1- Climate-Solar Insolation

4.1- Climate-Greenhouse effect• Earth’s temperature controlled by 3 atmospheric gases:

• CO2

• Methane

• Water vapor

• Called “greenhouse gases”- allow light to enter but trap heat (via the greenhouse effect )

• Without greenhouse effect, Earth would be 30°C cooler than it is today. (WE HAVE TO HAVE GREENHOUSE EFFECT TO LIVE!)\

• More Greenhouse Gases= more heat trapped= Earth warms• More Carbon Dioxide = Earth warms (CLIMATE CHANGE!)

Greenhouse Effect

4.1- Climate-Greenhouse Effect

Some light from the Sun is reflected back to space and some is absorbed by the surface

Absorbed light is then reradiated from the ground as heat.

-This is where most heat on Earthcomes from.-Greenhouse gases help keep this heatfrom being all lost to space.

Show me!

•Draw a picture of the greenhouse effect!

4.3: Community Interactions

What do you know?

What ways do organisms interact with each other?

What impact on ecosystems could these interactions have?

Community Interactions

4.2- Niches & Community Interactions

Each species has its own tolerance:

Ability to survive & reproduce under a range of environmental circumstances.

• Temperature/Water Level/Food Availability/Toxicity Levels etc…

• Cannot survive past upper & lower limits

4.2- Niches & Community Interactions

• Habitat- place an organism lives. (address)• Niche- conditions in which a species lives & how it obtains what it

needs to survive & reproduce. (job)• Resource - necessity of life- water, nutrients, light, food, mates,

space• Competition- organisms try to use the same limited resource in

same place at same time• Competitive exclusion principle- no 2 species can occupy exactly

the same niche in the same habitat at the same time

4.2- Niches & Community Interactions

Showing different species in

different niches in same habitat

Competition:

Winner?Loser?

4.2- Niches & Community Interactions

• Predation- one animal (predator) captures & feeds on another (prey)

•Symbiosis- relationship in which 2 species live closely together

3 types of symbiotic relationships:• mutualism- both species benefit•parasitism- 1 organism lives in/on another & harms it• commensalism- 1 organism benefits & other is not

helped or harmed

MUTUALISM

Example: Ostrich and Gazelle

These two animals feed next to each other in the grasslands. Both watch for predators and alert each other to danger. The visual abilities of these two animals are different so they are able to identify threats the other animal would not see.

“Good for you, good for me!

COMMENSALISM

Example: Remora and Shark

A remora attaches themselves to a shark’s body. They travel with the shark and feed on the left over food from the shark’s meals. This does not hurt or help the shark.

“Good for me, doesn’t bother you!

Example: Mosses and Trees

Mosses grow on the trunks or branches of trees. They get the light they need as well as nutrients that run down along the tree. As long as these plants do not grow too heavy, the tree is not affected.

Parasitism

Example: Cuckoo and Warbler or Deer and Tick

A cuckoo may lay its eggs in a warbler’s nest. The cuckoo’s young will displace the warbler’s young and will be raised by the warbler.

A tick feeds on deer blood to the detriment of the deer.

“Good for me, hurts you!”

Review!!!• An interaction in which one organism

captures and feeds on another organism is ___________________PREDATION

A symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit is called ___________________________MUTALISM

• Bacteria that is living in your throat and is therefore making your throat sore and swollen is an example of ________________________. PARASITISM

Epiphytes that live in trees in the tropical rain forest and get their water and nutrients from the air, so they don’t harm the tree they live in is an example of ________________COMMENSALISM

4.3: Ecological Succession

Ecological Succession

4.3- Succession

• Ecological succession- series of predictable changes that occurs in a community over time

1. primary succession- begins in areas with no soil or life

(ex- volcanic explosion)• pioneer species- 1st to colonize barren areas

-Usually simple photosynthetic plants (moss/lichens)

4.3- Succession

2. secondary succession- begins where soil remains after destructive event

• rebuilds faster than primary

Ex: wildfire, hurricane, natural disturbance, or human activities (logging & farming)

4.4- Biomes

•Biomes- consist of abiotic & biotic factors• Seasonal patterns of temp & precipitation• Cover large areas of land• Ex: Desert/Rainforest/Tundra

Climate Diagram:

• Temp- line graph

• Precipitation- bar graph

5.1/5.2: Populations

What factors affect population growth?

Birth rate and death rate

Immigration

Emigration

Density-dependent limiting factors

Studying Growth Rate

Birth Rate & Death Rate• Populations can grow if more individuals are born

than die in a period of time, or if the birth rate is higher than the death rate.

• If the death rate is higher than the birth rate the population is likely to shrink.

Immigration & Emigration

• A population can decrease in size if individuals move out of the population, a process called emigration.

A population may grow if individuals move in from elsewhere, a process called immigration.

5.1- How Populations Grow

Exponential Growth:

• Ideal conditions & unlimited resources, population grows exponentially

• the larger a population, faster it grows

• on a graph over time, a J-shaped curve

• Human Population

5.1- How Populations Grow

Logistic Growth:

• Population’s growth slows & then stops, following exponential growth.• Natural populations do not grow exponentially forever; something

stops growth• On a graph, curve has an S-shape

5.1- How Populations Grow

• Carrying capacity- maximum # of individuals that a particular environment can support. • Where dotted line intersects the y-axis = carrying capacity.

5.2- Limits to Growth: Density Dependent

limiting factor- factor that controls the growth of a population

Density-dependent limiting factors -operate strongly when population density is large.

• D-D L F: competition, predation, herbivory, parasitism, disease, stress from overcrowding

1. Competition:

Populations become crowded, individuals compete-food, water, space, sunlight,

-Lower birthrates & Higher death rates=

Population gets smaller

2. Predation:

Predator population affects prey population

5.2- Limits to Growth: Density Dependent

3. Herbivore Effects: To plants, herbivores are predators

4. Parasitism and Disease:• Parasites & Disease-causing Organisms:

• feed & harm host- weaken, cause disease, or death

• more dense host population = easier to spread

5. Stress From Overcrowding:• species fight if overcrowded; increase stress & weaken body’s ability to

resist disease• Females neglect, kill, or eat own offspring• decrease births, increase deaths, & increase emigration

5.2- Limits to Growth: Density Independent

Density-Independent limiting factors- affect all populations regardless of size & density • D-I L F include: Unusual weather- hurricanes, droughts, floods, & natural

disasters- wildfires

6.3: Biodiversity

What do you know?

Break the word “Bio-Diversity” down…what do you think it means?

What organisms do you think ecosystems couldn’t survive without?

Do you think there are any organisms that could go extinct and it wouldn’t matter?

6.3 Biodiversity

•Biodiversity- total of all the genetically based variation in all organisms in biosphere.• Ecosystem diversity- variety of habitats, communities, &

ecological processes in the biosphere

• Species diversity- number of different species in the biosphere or particular area

•Genetic diversity- sum total of all different forms of genetic information carried by a particular species, or all organisms on Earth.

Bill Nye: Biodiversity

6.3 Biodiversity

• Humans reduce biodiversity by:*altering natural habitats *hunting *introducing invasive/exotic species *releasing pollution into food webs*contributing to climate change

Pollution: Bio magnification

Invasive Species

• Invasive species: competing with native species • Zebra mussles

• Goldfish released in a pond

• Ash borer

Invasive Species: Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)

• First found in America in 2006 (Michigan)

• Insect larvae chew through branch insides, cutting of branch circulation.

• Brought over to America from Asia and Eastern Russiain wooden crates

used for shipping goods.

Releasing Goldfish

• Threaten trout species who need clean water.

• Goldfish (carp) stir up muck in ponds that put trout at risk.

• Hybridize native species.

• Carry pet store disease.

Zebra Mussles

• Zebra mussles were discovered in the Great Lakes in the late 1980’s, when they were accidently discharged in lake water by ocean-going ships.

• They “hitched rides” to other waters in the United States on boats, trailers and equipment people transport from place to place.

The first confirmed sample in Colorado was found in LakePueblo in January of 2008

6.3 Biodiversity

To conserve biodiversity, we must protect species, preserve habitats & ecosystems

• Ecological hot spot- place where large numbers of species & habitats are in immediate danger of extinction.

• Habitat fragmentation- Development splits ecosystems into pieces, leaving habitat “islands” - patch of habitat surrounded by a different habitat.

Solution:Problem:

6.4 Meeting Ecological Challenges

Ecological footprint- total area of functioning land & water ecosystems needed to provide the resources an individual or population uses & to absorb the wastes that it generates.

Ecology can guide humans toward a sustainable future & have a positive impact on the global environment by:

(1) recognizing a problem in the environment

(2) researching the problem to determine its cause

(3) using scientific understanding to change our behavior

6.1 & 6.2: Sustainability

What do you know?

What does sustainable mean?

Why is it important for something to be sustainable?

6.1- A Changing Landscape

• Sustainable development- provides for human needs & preserves ecosystems that produce natural resources.

• Goods- items that can be bought & sold

• Services- processes or actions that produce goods. • ecosystem goods & services- produced by ecosystems that benefit human

economy.

• Healthy ecosystems provide goods & services naturally & free of charge: air, water

6.2 Using Resources Wisely

Biological magnification- a pollutant is picked up by an organism & is not broken down or eliminated from its body. • pollutant collects in body tissues & build as it

moves up trophic levels

• Predators have the largest concentration