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Conditions and Resources: Major Determinants of Ecology

ESC 556 week 3. Conditions and Resources: Major Determinants of Ecology. Definition: An abiotic environmental variable, which fluctuates in space and time, and to which organisms vary in their response Temperature, moisture, pH, salinity Not the source of competition

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Conditions and Resources: Major Determinants of Ecology

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  1. ESC 556 week 3 Conditions and Resources: Major Determinants of Ecology

  2. Definition: An abiotic environmental variable, which fluctuates in space and time, and to which organisms vary in their response • Temperature, moisture, pH, salinity • Not the source of competition • Niche concept (Hutchinson 1957) • Multidimensional (conditions and resources) space that can support a viable population CondiTION

  3. Spatial, functional, behavioural • An organism’s adaptations, resources, lifestyle • Examples • Primary production • Bioturbation • Fundamental vs. realized niches • Overlap of niches Niche

  4. Niche

  5. Temperature Moisture pH Salinity Soil structure Pollutants Conditions

  6. Response curve

  7. Variation • Latitudinal • Seasonal • Altitudinal • Continentality • Microclimatic variation • Depth variation Temperature

  8. Terrestrial organisms • Sea - Land Movement problem • Relative humidity • Temperature • Plants • Roots • Condition + resource • Adaptations • Either live in humid environments Moisture

  9. Soil and water • 3 – 9 • Indirect effects • Nutrient availability • Toxin concentrations • Aquatic animals • Osmoregulation • Toxic ion concentration • Food resources pH

  10. Isotonic • Hypotonic • Pumps • Halophytes • Tolarate high salinity • Vacuoles • Euryhalines • Tolorate salinity fluctuations • Osmoconformers • Osmoregulators • Stenohaline • Not tolerant of fluctuations Salinity

  11. Regulation

  12. Volcanic activity • Industrial activity • OH + SO2 + O2 H2SO4 • OH + NO2 + O2  HNO3 • pH = 3 • In many freshwater systems pH = 6 – 8 • Direct mortality • Reproduction • Leaching – 1200 lakes in Canada devoid of life • Trees • Canopy damage & Forest decline Acid Rain

  13. Air • Ventilation of an organism • Aeration of a microhabitat • Desiccating agent • Water • Not desiccating • Wave action • Currents • Movement of materials Movement of air and Water

  14. Physical and chemical nature • Rocky vs. particulate substrate • Attachment strategies • Particulate – Anoxic • Terrestrial soil • Affect plants + affected by plants Substrate Type and structure

  15. Strong attachment • Holdfasts, byssus threads (mussels), suction cups (limpets, chitons, fish) • Physically resistant body structure • Behavioral adaptations • Cracks + gregariousness Wave ActIoN

  16. Lotic environments • Micro-organisms • Wet rocks & epilithic film • Flattened body profile • Behavioural • Rheotactic • Phototactic ADAPTATIONS for flowing Environment

  17. BajaDAS

  18. Soil types

  19. Soil profile

  20. Contaminants vs. Pollutants Pollution ecology Essential vs. Non-essential substances Contaminants and Pollutants

  21. Materials Space Competition Solar radiation Nutrients Organisms as food Essential vs. Substitutable Complementary vs. Antagonistic RESOURCES

  22. The total yield or biomass of any organism will be determined by the nutrient present in the lowest (minimum) concentration in relation to the requirements of that organism Law of the minimum (Liebig 1840)

  23. If not used, lost Change w/ latitude Resource continuum – different wavelengths 400-700 nm - PAR Solar Radiation

  24. Euphotic zone Seasonal vs. random variations Sun species vs. shade species Water Solar Radiation

  25. Restrict photosynthesis vs. suffer desiccation C3 – phosphoglycerate – 3 carbon molecule C4 – 4 carbon molecule CAM – crassulacean acid metabolism) – 4 C C3, C4 & CAM PLANTS

  26. Photosynthesis Water CO2 O2 INORGANIC MATERIALS

  27. Consumed • Metabolism • Plants – root systems • Animals – drink • Kangaroo rats – metabolic water • Influence distribution and abundance Water

  28. Animals & Plants Limiting factor in aquatic systems Solubility Terrestrial organisms o2

  29. Vital for photosynthesis 0.033 % of air Terrestrial autotrophs & Aquatic photsynthetic organisms Not a limiting factor Co2

  30. Animals – food • Plants – soil/water • Lack of water  lack of minerals • Macronutrients • N, P, S (primary nutrients) • K, Ca, Mg, Fe (secondary nutrients) • Trace elements • Specialists minerals

  31. All heterotrophs • Decomposers • Parasites • Predators • Grazers • Generalists vs. specialists • Seasonal • Digestibility • Gizzard • Ruminant mammals food

  32. Bird beaks • Finches & European Shore birds SPECIALIZATIONS

  33. Physical defenses • Chemical defense • Cyanides, acids, toxic substances • Morphological defenses • Crypsis • Aposematism • Batesian mimicry • Behavioural defenses • Nocturnality • Living in holes or burrows • Distraction • Threatening methods Defences against Predation

  34. CRYpsis

  35. APOSEMATISM

  36. BATESIAN MIMICRY

  37. Threatening mechanisms

  38. Plants Animals – territories Other resources Physical packing Breeding / hibernation Nesting SPACE

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