160 likes | 264 Views
Environmental Science 2. Evolution, Biological Communities, and Species Interactions Biomes: Global Patterns of Life Population Biology. Field Trip #1. Date/time: Saturday, starts @ 9:00 am Location: Santa Monica National Recreation Area, Leo Carrillo State Park.
E N D
Environmental Science 2 Evolution, Biological Communities, and Species Interactions Biomes: Global Patterns of Life Population Biology
Field Trip #1 • Date/time: Saturday, starts @ 9:00 am • Location: Santa Monica National Recreation Area, Leo Carrillo State Park. • Hand-out in class… Info/Map • Logistics: transportation and navigation • Please be on time and prepared to do some walking… bring multiple types of clothes and shoes for unknown conditions. • Picnic (optional)
Activity #1 • Find 5 facts about the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and surroundings • Fill-out Activity #1 hand-out and turn-in when complete • Use computers (i-net) on campus • Website suggestion: www.nps.gov/samo/, also Google Earth. • Plus navigation to fieldtrip location and maps!
Important Definitions • Evolution: gradual changes in species over time... • Natural Selection – better-fit individuals thrive and pass on traits to next generation • Adaptation – acquisition of traits allowing for species survival • Speciation: the development of a new species • Why? – environmental pressures allow for individual/species change
Some People of Interest • Charles Darwin • Alfred Wallace • Both scientists published biological research at the same time (mid-1800s), leading to the main theory of evolution embraced by modern science.
Biology Basics • Habitat: the place or set of environmental conditions in which an organism lives • Niche: the role of a species in a biological community
Biology Basics • Interactions between environment and other organisms • Competition – resources, mates, and more • Predation – eat or be eaten • Mutualism – together in harmony • Disturbance – poor environmental factors
Biology Basics • Diversity – the number of different species, niches, and/or genetic variation in a biological community • Species – A 300, B 25, C 150 per community • Abundance – the total number of organisms or species in a biological community • Species A – 1,000 individuals/community
Human Interruptions • Habitat loss from human use • Introduced species • Extraction or eradication • Fire, flooding, drought, storms, and other extreme phenomena caused by human negligence • normal changes vs. human-induced changes
Biome Introduction • Biome characteristics • Large terrestrial ecosystem • Recognizable assemblage of plants and animals • Ecotone – transitional boundary between adjacent biomes • Vegetation – Basis for biome names
Biogeography • View Biomes from Environmental Geography course… • Located on website under Physical Geography lectures (ch11) • Biome-related slides only (#32-#42) • See website @ • <http://geography-venturacounty.info/index.htm>
Population Biology • Population growth, limits, and crash • carrying capacity • birth/death rates • migratory vs. sedentary • genetic diversity • physical conditions • humans
Conservation Biology Biogeography + Environmental Science = Saving Ecosystems, Communities, and Species • Island Biogeography • colonization/extinction • barriers & change • speciation/endemism • human influences
Conservation in SMNRA • Islands and Mainland - connections • Example – giant coreopsis (plant) • Q&A *Don’t forget to prepare for the Saturday field trip (mandatory)!
Homework (continued) • Finish reading Ch.1 and three chapters of your choice from the following list: • Chapter 2 • Chapter 3 • Chapter 4 • Chapter 5 • Chapter 6 • Write a brief summary on each chapter you read, including: • chapter number/title, single favorite Case Study/Exploring Science subsection among the chapters, overall questions and/or comments