Ecology and The Biosphere Ch. 49

1. Ecology and The BiosphereCh. 49

2. What is Ecology? • Ecology study of all living things on Earth and their environments • What are the two types of factors in an environment? • Biotic and Abiotic • Biosphere Earth • Hydrosphere all water • Lithosphere all rocks/dirt • Atmosphere all gases

3. Types of Ecology • Basic ecology studying species interactions and trends • Applied ecology programs to prevent or repair ecological damage (mostly by humans) • 6 Levels of Ecological Classification: • Biosphere Earth • Biome climate regions • Ecosystem movement of nutrients and energy in an area • Community all populations in an environment • Population one group of one species • Individual one member of a population

4. Climate of an Ecosystem • Climate abiotic factors creating the weather conditions that last for extended periods • Influences On Climate: • Solar Radiation different latitudes receive different amounts and strengths of sunlight • 23.5o tilt creates season everywhere but the tropics near the equator (between Tropic if Cancer and Capricorn lines) • Air Circulation rotation of Earth causes wind as warm air raises at the equator and cools as it moves to the poles • Low-latitude cell 0o-30o; Wind move East to West • Mid-latitude cell 30o-60o; Wind moves West to East • Polar cell above 60o; Wind moves East to West

5. Climate of an Ecosystem 3) Precipitation warm air hold more water, so air near the equator carries moisture form oceans N and S • Adiabatic cooling lowering temperature without losing energy • Topography also influences rainfall; typically clouds cool as that hit mountains resulting in heavy rain • Rain shadow warming, water absorbing air after crossing a mountain

6. Climate of an Ecosystem 4) Ocean Currents wind, rotation of the Earth, and gravity stir the oceans generally clockwise in the North and counterclockwise in the South • Influenced greatly by land masses; influence climate of land near the ocean (maritime climates) • Continental climate too far from the ocean to be directly influenced

7. Climate and Behavior • Organisms must adapt to their environment so climate can effect behavior patterns • Hertz and Huey discovered populations of lizards increase the amount of time resting in the sun as they more higher in altitude • ESSAY!!! • Research one observed change in animal behavior that is believed to be caused by change in climate/environment • NO CHINESE REFERENCES • DUE NEXT TUESDAY

8. Freshwater Environments: Lotic • Any watery environment with a salt conc. below 0.5% • Wetlands land areas underwater; great source of nutrients • Lotic flowing water • 3 Habitats of Lotic water: • Riffles shallow, fast, and turbulent • Pools deep, slow, smooth • Runs deep, fast, smooth • Streams less nutrients, cooler, smaller sources; more O2 • Rivers more nutrients, warmer, large meeting point of many sources; less O2

9. Freshwater Environments: Lentic • Lentic stagnant water • 2 zones horizontally: • Littoral shallow end; full penetrated by light • Limnetic deep end; only top is penetrated by light; Dark bottom Profundal zone • 2 zones vertically: • Photic penetrated by light • Aphotic not penetrated by light • Oligotrophic poor in nutrients, rich in O2, clear • Eutrophic high in nutrients, less O2 on the bottom; seasonal algae blooms; cloudy

10. Freshwater Environments: Temperate Lakes • 4 season bring 4 stages of a lake ecosystem • Winter top layer freezes as ice floats; top near 0o while bottom is kept near 4o • Spring ice melts and dense cold water sinks (taking O2) as warm water rises (taking nutrients); Spring overturn • Brief period water is uniform temperature • Summer Epilimnion heats surface water while hypolimnion cools bottom • Thermocline barrier between regions • Fall surface water cools and sinks (autumn overturn)

11. Homework • Suggested Homework: • Test Your Knowledge • Actual Homework: • Discuss the Concepts #2 • Apply Evolutionary Thinking • Due Tuesday • Essay! Due Tuesday