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BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology?

BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology?. A. Definition :. ?. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology?. A. Definition :. The study of the interactions of organisms with one another and with their environment. - Ricklefs Glossary. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology?. A. Definition :.

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BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology?

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  1. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? A. Definition: ?

  2. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? A. Definition: The study of the interactions of organisms with one another and with their environment. - Ricklefs Glossary

  3. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? A. Definition: The study of the interactions of organisms with one another and with their environment. - Ricklefs Glossary “The scientific study of the distribution and abundance of organisms and their interactions with the environment.”

  4. These interactions affect the distribution and abundance of organisms in time and space.

  5. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? • Definition: • What it is not: BASIC APPLIED Human Physiology Medicine

  6. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? • Definition: • What it is not: BASIC APPLIED Human Physiology Medicine Ecology Conservation Biology Wildlife Management Agricultural Science

  7. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? • Definition: • What it is not: BASIC APPLIED Human Physiology Medicine Ecology Conservation Biology Applied Ecology Wildlife Management Agricultural Science Environ. Science Sustainability Science

  8. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? • Definition: • What it is not: Science, not a social or political agenda

  9. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? • Definition: • What it is not: Science, not a philosophy

  10. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? • Definition: • What it is not • The Challenges: • - complexity and diversity Explain this Cost Rican Rainforest….

  11. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? • Definition: • What it is not • The Challenges: • - complexity and diversity Explain this Cost Rican Rainforest…. Now this one in New Guinea…

  12. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? • Definition: • What it is not • The Challenges: • - complexity and diversity • - landscape context And now these fragments of different size/isolation Explain this Cost Rican Rainforest…. Now this one in New Guinea…

  13. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? • Definition: • What it is not • The Challenges: • - complexity and diversity • - interaction change • - as organisms develop

  14. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? • Definition: • What it is not • The Challenges: • - complexity and diversity • - interaction change • - as organisms develop • - with changes in population size

  15. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? • Definition: • What it is not • The Challenges: • - complexity and diversity • - interaction change • - as organisms develop • - with changes in population size • - changes in communities over time: succession

  16. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? • Definition: • What it is not • The Challenges: • - complexity and diversity • - interaction change • - as organisms develop • - with changes in population size • - changes in communities over time: succession • - evolutionary changes over time causing divergence Sharp-billed ground finches on different islands in the Galapagos

  17. BIO 340: ECOLOGY I. What is Ecology? • Definition: • What it is not • The Challenges: • - complexity and diversity • - interaction change Anectdotal natural history stories General Principles

  18. II. Approaches in Ecology A. Biological Scales

  19. II. Approaches in Ecology A. Biological Scales Emergent properties at each scale

  20. II. Approaches in Ecology • Biological Scales • Ecological Roles Primary Producers fix energy in sunlight and build/absorb organic molecules….some bacteria, some protists, and plants. Decomposers eat dead material and release nutrients to the soil. Bacteria and fungi. Consumers eat primary producers, decomposers, and other consumers as herbivores, detritivores, predators, and parasites… some bacteria, some protists, and animals.

  21. II. Approaches in Ecology • Biological Scales • Ecological Roles • - the evolution of ecosystems ~ 4 bya ~2 bya ~1 bya ~0.4 bya 4.5 bya present Only bacteria and archaeans (all roles)

  22. II. Approaches in Ecology • Biological Scales • Ecological Roles • - the evolution of ecosystems ~ 4 bya ~2 bya ~1 bya ~0.4 bya 4.5 bya present Evolution of eukaryotes and multicellular animals (consumers/detritivores)

  23. II. Approaches in Ecology • Biological Scales • Ecological Roles • - the evolution of ecosystems Evolution of plants ~ 4 bya ~2 bya ~1 bya ~0.4 bya 4.5 bya present

  24. II. Approaches in Ecology • Biological Scales • Ecological Roles • - the evolution of ecosystems ~ 4 bya ~2 bya ~1 bya ~0.4 bya 4.5 bya present Bacteria are still major contributors to primary production (particularly in oceans) Bacteria are still major consumers; all animals have bacterial endosymbionts that live in the gut, eating food Bacteria are still major decomposers (with fungi) Bacteria continue to form ecosystems in habitats where nothing else can survive (geothermal springs, oil deposits, etc.

  25. II. Approaches in Ecology • Biological Scales • Ecological Roles • - the evolution of ecosystems • - chains, pyramids, and webs Chain: one path of energy flow

  26. II. Approaches in Ecology • Biological Scales • Ecological Roles • - the evolution of ecosystems • - chains, pyramids, and webs Pyramid: Either abundance or biomass in trophic levels

  27. II. Approaches in Ecology • Biological Scales • Ecological Roles • - the evolution of ecosystems • - chains, pyramids, and webs Webs: all paths of energy flow. Reveals possible indirect effects

  28. II. Why is Ecology Important to Humanity? A. It describes our interactions with the environment, too

  29. II. Why is Ecology Important to Humanity?

  30. II. Why is Ecology Important to Humanity? • It describes our interactions with the environment, too • 1. Humans are part of nature, and interact with the environment: • - we are smart, social and technologically advanced predators, and can drive other species to extinction. 13 Species Hunted to Extinction by Humans

  31. …even in the largest habitat on earth, as a consequence of nets and longlines… ~400 tons of mackerel caught in one pull of a single purse seine ~30% of fished species have populations that have collapsed

  32. II. Why is Ecology Important to Humanity? • It describes our interactions with the environment, too • 1. Humans are part of nature, and interact with the environment: • - we are smart, social and technologically advanced predators, and can drive other species to extinction. • - we facilitate the population growth of other species at every trophic level: • - crops (primary producers) • - livestock (herbivores) • - pets (predators)

  33. (mutualism, not predation)

  34. II. Why is Ecology Important to Humanity? • It describes our interactions with the environment, too • 1. Humans are part of nature, and interact with the environment: • - we are smart, social and technologically advanced predators, and can drive other species to extinction. • - we facilitate the population growth of other species at every trophic level: • - crops (primary producers) • - livestock (herbivores) • - pets (predators) • 2. Ecology describes our population growth • - As a consequence of these interactions, our population has increased 7x in 150 years. • 1860 – 1 billion • 2010 – 7 billion • Jan 14, 2014 – 7.2 billion

  35. Human Ecology: - distribution...

  36. Human Ecology: - distribution...

  37. Human Ecology: - distribution...

  38. Human Ecology: - distribution...

  39. Human Ecology: - distribution...

  40. Human Ecology: - distribution... and abundance...

  41. Human Ecology: - distribution... and abundance... Born 1928 (2 b) Born 1960 (3 b) Born 1987 (5 b)

  42. II. Why is Ecology Important to Humanity? • It describes our interactions with the environment, too • 1. Humans are part of nature, and interact with the environment: • 2. Ecology describes our population growth • 3. And, with other environmental sciences, describes the effects we are having on every earth system

  43. 3. And, with other environmental sciences, describes the effects we are having on every earth system - Biosphere: We are using 40% of NPP, causing one of six mass extinction events in earth history

  44. 3. And, with other environmental sciences, describes the effects we are having on every earth system - Atmosphere: We are changing the composition of the atmosphere and patterns of energy flow 396 – Dec 2013

  45. 3. And, with other environmental sciences, describes the effects we are having on every earth system - Hydrosphere: We sequester 50% of the freshwater on the planet for our own use, and are changing the pH of the oceans

  46. 2009 1989 The Aral “Sea” – formerly one of the 4 largest lakes in the world

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