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Ecology :

Ecology :. The scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment. Biotic Factors. Living organisms Dead organisms Organisms ’ waste. Abiotic Factors. Nonliving things in an ecosystem

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Ecology :

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  1. Ecology: The scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment.

  2. Biotic Factors • Living organisms • Dead organisms • Organisms’ waste

  3. Abiotic Factors • Nonliving things in an ecosystem • Ex.: Rocks, water, temperature, sunlight, oxygen, sand, climate

  4. Biodiversity The number of different species in an area

  5. Climate • average weather conditions in an area over a long period of time • determines kinds of species present

  6. Climatograph

  7. Abiotic factors affect biodiversity • Temperature: very high or very low temp. limits biodiversity • Water: amount limits biodiversity

  8. Is high or low biodiversity better?

  9. High biodiversity resists damage better! • Ecosystem damage can come from • natural disasters (fire, flood, volcanic eruptions) • human impact

  10. Human activities can lead to Habitat Destruction

  11. Habitat • The place where an organism lives

  12. Competition • Species sharing limited resources must compete

  13. Invasive Exotic Species • Species not native to a particular region. • Can outcompete or prey on native species, threatening their survival Zebra mussels in Great Lakes

  14. Kudzu in Alabama

  15. Nutria in the Louisiana

  16. Sericea lespedeza in Kansas

  17. Cane Toads in Australia

  18. Levels of Organization • Species • Population • Community • Ecosystem • Biome • Biosphere

  19. Species: organisms that can breed and produce viable offspring.

  20. Population: individuals of the same species in the same area.

  21. Community: all populations of different species living together.

  22. Ecosystem: all organisms in an area and their abiotic environment.

  23. Biome: a region with specific communities and climate (temp. and precipitation).

  24. Evolution: • Process by which species change over time. • Descent with Modification

  25. Charles Darwin • 1809-1882 • English Naturalist • HMS Beagle 1831-1836 • Sailed around world gathering specimens and fossils and observing geology

  26. Galapagos Islands

  27. Darwin found unique animals • Marine iguana • Many other species that live no other place on earth.

  28. Galapagos Island Finches

  29. Darwin noticed that the finches on different islands were slightly different: • Different beaks • Different diets

  30. Galapagos Tortoises • Darwin noticed that the giant tortoises on different islands had different characteristic. • How would Lamarck explain these differences? Galapagos tortoise closeup!

  31. Why are the animals different? Each island has slightly different weather: lower islands are barren and dry, higher islands are wetter So, different islands have different vegetation, different habitat.

  32. Tortoises with longer necks could reach the higher vegetation in drier areas, so they survived and reproduced, passing their long-necked genes to their offspring. • Tortoises in wetter areas had plenty to eat and didn’t need long necks to survive and reproduce. • Galapagos tortoise

  33. Natural Selection: • Individuals that have traits better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. • “survival of the fittest” http://www.uri.edu/cels/nrs/paton/spring_peeper/sppe_camoflage2.JPG

  34. Darwin’s steps of natural selection: • Variation –inherited variation in every population • Overproduction – populations produce more offspring than can possibly survive (leads to competition for resources!) • Selection – individuals with favorable traits leave more offspring • Adaptation – over time, favorable traits become more common in a population

  35. Evolution: • A change in an inherited characteristic of a population over time. • Individuals DO NOT evolve!

  36. Adaptation: • An Inherited trait present in a population because it helps individuals survive AND reproduce in a given environment. • Individuals may have adaptations, but they DO NOT CREATE adaptations through use. (That’s Loser Lamarck!)

  37. Macroevolution (forming new species) is a slowww process! It takes many generations to develop adaptations!!!

  38. Microevolution is a change in the gene frequencies of a population. • Can happen quickly • Ex: antibiotic resistant bacterial colonies

  39. Coevolution • Two species develop adaptations in response to one another Disea niveaOrchid and fly

  40. Darwin’s Artificial Selection • When breeding livestock, humans choose the parents with traits they want in the offspring. • Ex: dogs, cows, horses, pigeons

  41. Resistance • The ability of an organism to tolerate a particular chemical designed to kill it. • Ex: pesticide resistance

  42. Terrestrial Biomes • Tropical - low latitudes, warm, water varies • rain forests - lots of rain • savannas - less rain, long dry season • deserts - little rain, lower biodiversity • http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/images-of-a-tropical-biome/3205.html

  43. Temperate - mid-latitudes, temp. varies • grasslands - moderate water, cooler temps than savannas • forests - plenty of rain, mild climate • deserts - little rain, wide temp. range

  44. High Latitude • taiga - forests in cold, wet climates • tundra - little rain, mostly frozen http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=taiga&form=QBIR&qs=n&sk=&sc=8-5#focal=21f2731d29856171ea9611a8694e4371&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.johndrew.com%2FAlaska%2520Images%2FTundra%2520Approaching%2520the%2520Alaska%2520Range1.jpg

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