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Ecological Principles

PaCES/HIMB Summer Program in Environmental Science David A. Krupp, Ph.D. Ecological Principles. Part I. Topics to be Studied. Define “ecology” and describe its scope Define essential terms Contrast biotic and abiotic factors Physiological limits and abiotic factors Biomes

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Ecological Principles

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  1. PaCES/HIMB Summer Program in Environmental Science David A. Krupp, Ph.D Ecological Principles Part I

  2. Topics to be Studied • Define “ecology” and describe its scope • Define essential terms • Contrast biotic and abiotic factors • Physiological limits and abiotic factors • Biomes • Population characteristics • Population growth

  3. Ecology • Ecology = the study of the interaction of organisms with their environments. • It involves understanding biotic and abiotic factors influencing the distribution and abundance of living things. • The word "ecology" coined from Greek word "oikos", which means "house" or "place to live”.

  4. The Scope of Ecology • Population growth • Competition between species • Symbiotic relationships • Trophic (= feeding) relationships • Origin of biological diversity • Interaction with the physical environment • Ecosystem change • Human impacts on the environment

  5. Some Important Terms • Population • A collection of individuals all belonging to the same species in a defined area and time • Community • A group of interacting populations in a defined area and time

  6. Some Important Terms • Ecosystem • A system composed of the biological community interacting with its surrounding abiotic environment • Biosphere • The entire portion of the Earth in which life occurs; all of the ecosystems of the Earth combined

  7. Biotic Factors • Dispersal • Behavior • Species interactions • Competition for common resources • Predator-prey relationships • Symbiotic associations

  8. Abiotic Factors • Temperature • Water • Light • Salinity • Wind • Currents • Substrate

  9. Physiological Limits environmental gradient

  10. Physiological Limits zone of tolerance

  11. Physiological Limits zones of intolerance

  12. Physiological Limits optimum range

  13. Physiological Limits zones of physiological stress

  14. Biomes • Biomes = major types of ecological assemblages that occupy broad geographic regions of land or water • Aquatic biomes: primarily influenced by depth (light) and temperature • Terrestrial biomes: primarily influenced by temperature and balance between precipitation and evaporation

  15. Aquatic Biomes: Lakes oligotrophic eutrophic

  16. Aquatic Biomes: Wetlands

  17. Aquatic Biomes: Streams and Rivers

  18. Aquatic Biomes: Estuaries

  19. Aquatic Biomes: Intertidal

  20. Aquatic Biomes: Oceanic Pelagic Biome

  21. Aquatic Biomes: Coral Reefs

  22. Aquatic Biomes: Marine Benthic Zone

  23. Terrestrial Biomes

  24. Terrestrial Biomes: Tropical Forests

  25. Terrestrial Biomes: Deserts

  26. Terrestrial Biomes: Savanna

  27. Terrestrial Biomes: Chaparral

  28. Terrestrial Biomes: Temperate Grasslands

  29. Terrestrial Biomes: Coniferous Forest

  30. Terrestrial Biomes: Temperate Broadleaf Forest

  31. Terrestrial Biomes: Tundra

  32. Population Characteristics • Size and density • Dispersion • Survivorship • Population growth • Population age structures

  33. Number of individuals per unit area, per volume or unit of habitat. 5 individuals/m2 15 individuals/m2 Density

  34. Random Dispersion Patterns

  35. Clumped Dispersion Patterns

  36. Uniform Dispersion Patterns

  37. Generation Population Size 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 4 8 16 32 64 128 256 512 Population Growth

  38. 600 500 400 Population Size 300 200 100 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Generation Exponential Population Growth

  39. Immigration Births Deaths Emigration Population Growth Population Size (N)

  40. Population Growth N/t = B - D dN/dt = bN - mN dN/dt = instantaneous rate of population increase b = per capita birth rate m = per capita mortality rate dN/dt =(b - m)N = rN r= b - m

  41. Population Growth dN/dt = rN r = per capita rate of increase Under Optimal Conditions dN/dt = rmaxN rmax = optimal per capita rate of increase

  42. Effects of Different Intrinsic Growth Rates (r) rmax = 0.5 rmax = 1.0

  43. Density-Dependent Growth: The Logistic Growth Model

  44. A Paramecium population in the lab Population Growth

  45. A Daphnia population in the lab Population Growth

  46. A sparrow in its natural habitat Population Growth

  47. Density-Dependent Factors • limiting resources (e.g., food & shelter) • territoriality • production of toxic wastes • infectious diseases • predation • stress and other intrinsic factors • emigration

  48. Density-Independent Factors • severe storms and flooding • sudden unpredictable severe cold spells • earthquakes and volcanoes • catastrophic meteorite impacts

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