Ecology 5.1, G.1, G.2, 5.2, 5.3, G.3 Evolution D.1, 5.4, D.2, 5.5, D.3

Ecology 5.1, G.1, G.2, 5.2, 5.3, G.3Evolution D.1, 5.4, D.2, 5.5, D.3

Vocab Quiz on Friday, March 22nd • Species • Habitat • Community • Primary succession • Secondary succession • Ecosystem • Ecology • Autotroph • Heterotroph • Consumers • Detritovores • Biomagnification • Saprotrophs • Trophic level • Biomass • Gross production • Net production

Consider a dune community…

G.1 Community EcologyWhat factors affect the distribution of plant and animal species? Plants Animals Temperature Water Soil pH Light Salinity Mineral nutrients Temperature Water Breeding sites Food supply Territory How do living things interact with each other and their environment in this community? Is there a difference in the sizes of the different populations of plants and animals in this community?

These methods of sampling a community are… Quadrat Method Transect Method Divide an area into a grid. Quadrats are chosen at random. Extrapolate the data to draw a conclusion about the entire area. This is also the limitation! Measures in a straight line across a habitat. Useful for identifying changes in a habitat. Limitation: one transect may not cross typical areas for that habitat.

These are ways to measure individual characteristics of parts of a habitat. But, what about when these parts interact? • Every organism occupies its own niche. • Spatial habitat • Feeding activities • Interactions with other species • This is the total requirements for all resources and physical conditions that determine where a species can live. • Fundamental niche (potential given the adaptations) • Realized niche (actual existence due to adaptations and competition with other species)

Competition is just one example of an interaction between two species. • Interactions happen when niches overlap. • You must be able to give two examples of each of the following types of interactions. • Competition • Herbivory • Predation • Parasitism • Mutualism

Think back to your food web that you created. • In a food chain, each organism represents a trophic level. • Red Oat Grass  termites  mongoose  caracal • This is easy. • But when you consider a whole food web, it’s not as easy to classify organisms into trophic levels.

Pyramids of numbers, biomass, and energy

Define gross production, net production, and biomass

Gross production – respiration = net production

Ecosystems • How do ecosystems develop? • They are a complex interaction of many different variables, both biotic and abiotic. • How does one start off and develop, though? • Imagine the islands Hawa’ii.

Primary succession

How do species diversity and production change during primary succession? • After species have arisen, in early communities established, some species are out-competed or couldn’t survive in the changing abiotic conditions. • This is caused by the impacts of the establishment of life within the region in which this primary succession is taking place.

How do species diversity and production change during primary succession? • As time passes, species continue to modify their abiotic environment such as: • light intensity (affected by number of organisms and the amount of sun they prevent from reaching the ground) • soil composition (root systems provide the soil with nitrogen and thus the soil becomes more rich over time) • wind (again affected by the number of plants and their size).

How do species diversity and production change during primary succession? • Changing conditions caused by the establishment of earlier communities allow for new species to be established. • The changing abiotic factors change how suitable the environment is for specific species. • It may take centuries for a climax community to be established from bedrock.

Secondary succession

Rainfall and temperature affect the distribution of biomes.

Outline the characteristics of the major biomes. • Rainfall and temperature; plant life • Tundra • Grassland • Shrubland • Tropical rainforest • Desert • Temperate deciduous forest

Human Impact on Ecosystems • G.3.1-2; Calculate and analyse the Simpson diversity index for two local communities • G.3.3; Discuss reasons for the conservation of the biodiversity using rainforests • G.3.4-6; List three examples of alien/invasive species that have had impacts on ecosystems, discuss the impacts, outline one example of biological control of an alien species • G.3.7-8; Biomagnification • G.3.9-11; UV radiation, CFC’s, and ozone

Ecosystem 1 • 15 rats • 13 squirrels • 8 moles • 6 mice • 5 chipmunks • N(N-1) • Sum of n(n-1)

Ecosystem 1 • 15 rats • 13 squirrels • 8 moles • 6 mice • 5 chipmunks • N(N-1) = 47 x 46 = 2162 • Sum of n(n-1)

Ecosystem 1 • 15 rats • 13 squirrels • 8 moles • 6 mice • 5 chipmunks • N(N-1) = 47 x 46 = 2162 • Sum of n(n-1) = 210 + 156 + 56 + 30 + 20 = 472

Ecosystem 1 • 15 rats • 13 squirrels • 8 moles • 6 mice • 5 chipmunks • N(N-1) = 47 x 46 = 2162 • Sum of n(n-1) = 210 + 156 + 56 + 30 + 20 = 472 • D = 2162 ÷ 472 = 4.58

Ecosystem 2 • 0rats • 10 squirrels • 3 moles • 4 mice • 25 chipmunks • N(N-1) • Sum of n(n-1)

Ecosystem 2 • 0rats • 10 squirrels • 3 moles • 4 mice • 25 chipmunks • N(N-1) = 42 x 41 = 1722 • Sum of n(n-1)

Ecosystem 2 • 0 rats • 10 squirrels • 3moles • 4 mice • 25 chipmunks • N(N-1) = 42 x 41 = 1722 • Sum of n(n-1) = 90 + 6 + 12 + 600 = 708

Ecosystem 1 • 0 rats • 10 squirrels • 3 moles • 4 mice • 25 chipmunks • N(N-1) = 42 x 41 = 1722 • Sum of n(n-1) = 90 + 6 + 12 + 600 = 708 • D = 1722 ÷ 708 = 2.43

Calculate the Simpson’s Diversity Index for each of the following sample ecosystems

Reasons for conservation of biodiversity • Economic reasons • Ecological reasons • Ethical reasons • Aesthetic reasons • Arguments against conservation of rainforests

Reasons for conservation of biodiversity • Economic reasons • Nutrients are locked in the plants, therefore, farming is useless. • Plant sources of medicines/chemicals are lost if a species goes extinct • Ecotourism could improve the local economy • Ecological reasons • Ethical reasons • Aesthetic reasons • Arguments against conservation of rainforests

Reasons for conservation of biodiversity • Economic reasons • Nutrients are locked in the plants, therefore, farming is useless. • Plant sources of medicines/chemicals are lost if a species goes extinct. • Ecotourism could improve the local economy. • Ecological reasons • Species are linked together like pieces of a puzzle, without that piece, we don’t know what will happen. • Diversity protects against invaders. • Fewer plants = more CO2 in the atmosphere. • Soil erosion and flooding. • Ethical reasons • Aesthetic reasons • Arguments against conservation of rainforests

Reasons for conservation of biodiversity • Economic reasons • Nutrients are locked in the plants, therefore, farming is useless. • Plant sources of medicines/chemicals are lost if a species goes extinct. • Ecotourism could improve the local economy. • Ecological reasons • Species are linked together like pieces of a puzzle, without that piece, we don’t know what will happen. • Diversity protects against invaders. • Fewer plants = more CO2 in the atmosphere. • Soil erosion and flooding. • Ethical reasons • Local populations depend on the rainforest. • What about future generations? It’s our responsibility to save it for them. • We don’t have the right to decide who passes or fails. • Aesthetic reasons • Arguments against conservation of rainforests

Reasons for conservation of biodiversity • Economic reasons • Nutrients are locked in the plants, therefore, farming is useless. • Plant sources of medicines/chemicals are lost if a species goes extinct. • Ecotourism could improve the local economy. • Ecological reasons • Species are linked together like pieces of a puzzle, without that piece, we don’t know what will happen. • Diversity protects against invaders. • Fewer plants = more CO2 in the atmosphere. • Soil erosion and flooding. • Ethical reasons • Local populations depend on the rainforest. • What about future generations? It’s our responsibility to save it for them. • We don’t have the right to decide who passes or fails. • Aesthetic reasons • Human well-being is linked to the ability to visit natural areas. • It inspires the arts. • Arguments against conservation of rainforests

Reasons for conservation of biodiversity • Economic reasons • Nutrients are locked in the plants, therefore, farming is useless. • Plant sources of medicines/chemicals are lost if a species goes extinct. • Ecotourism could improve the local economy. • Ecological reasons • Species are linked together like pieces of a puzzle, without that piece, we don’t know what will happen. • Diversity protects against invaders. • Fewer plants = more CO2 in the atmosphere. • Soil erosion and flooding. • Ethical reasons • Local populations depend on the rainforest. • What about future generations? It’s our responsibility to save it for them. • We don’t have the right to decide who passes or fails. • Aesthetic reasons • Human well-being is linked to the ability to visit natural areas. • It inspires the arts. • Arguments against conservation of rainforests • Slow down the economic growth of a country. • Clearing rainforests provides land for agriculture. • They can hold pests that cause or transmit diseases.

Your assignment • Once again, in a Word document or Powerpoint… • Give three examples of alien/invasive species. For each species: • Name the species (common name is fine) • State how it got to the area it is invading • Explain how it is impacting the ecosystem (interspecific competition, predation, extinction, etc…) • Give one example of an alien/invasive species that is being controlled biologically: • Name the species (common name is fine) • State how it got to the area it is invading • Explain how it is impacting the ecosystem (interspecific competition, predation, extinction, etc…) • Name and describe the natural control that is happening

Ecology 5.1, G.1, G.2, 5.2, 5.3, G.3 Evolution D.1, 5.4, D.2, 5.5, D.3