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001 Introduction

Environment & Ecology. 001 Introduction. Environment – the natural world that we live in and interact with. Environment. Ecology – the study of the interaction of organisms with their environments. Ecology.

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001 Introduction

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  1. Environment & Ecology 001 Introduction

  2. Environment – the natural world that we live in and interact with. Environment

  3. Ecology – the study of the interaction of organisms with their environments. Ecology

  4. The word "ecology" coined from Greek word "oikos", which means "house" or "place to live”. Ecology

  5. Ecology It involves understanding biotic and abiotic factors influencing the distribution and abundance of living things.

  6. Biotic Factors Biotic factorsare all the living things or their materials that directly or indirectly affect an organism in its environment. Some Biotic Factors • Parasitism • Disease • Predation • Food availability • Habitat availability • Competitors • Symbiotic Relationships

  7. Abiotic Factors Abiotic factorsare the nonliving things in an environment. Some Abiotic Factors • pH • Temp • Nitrates • Rainfall • Climate Conditions • Natural disasters • Salinity • O2 levels

  8. Organism Population Community Ecosystem Landscape Biosphere Studies in Environment & Ecology Fig. 52-2

  9. Population • A population is all the members of a given species in a given area. Example - All the green turtles in Kaneohe Bay

  10. Community • Community - all the species in a given area. Example - all the living things in Kaneohe Bay

  11. Environment • Environment – encompasses the interaction between the living and nonliving world in a particular geographic area.

  12. Niche • A plant's or animal's niche is a way of life that is unique to that species. • Niche and habitat are not the same. While many species may share a habitat, this is not true of a niche. Each plant and animal species is a member of a community. • The niche describes the species' role or function within this community.

  13. Niche • Moray eel’shabitat might include coral reefs, coral rubble, and caves, is shared with many animals . • The niche is that of a predator. • Only the moray occupies this niche in the coral reef community. However, a different species of animal may occupy a similar niche to that of the moray.

  14. Niche What niche does the Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse fill?

  15. Niche What niche does the Ewa blenny fill?

  16. Niche No two animals can occupy the same niche at the same time. Result = competition

  17. Environmental Science An interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences, (including physics, chemistry, biology, soil science, geology, and geography) to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems. Environmentalism A social movement dedicated to protecting the natural world from undesirable changes brought about by human actions.

  18. Environmental Ethics A process of applying a set of ethical standards to the relationships between human and nonhuman entities.

  19. Sustainable Ethics • The earth has a limited supply of resources. • Humans must conserve resources. • Humans share the earth's resources with other living things. • Growth is not sustainable. • Humans are a part of nature. • Humans are affected by natural laws. • Humans succeed best when they maintain the integrity of natural processes sand cooperate with nature.

  20. Environmental Ethics Anthropocentrism Cost-benefit analysis • Loggers • Nuclear Power • Oil Companies • Hydroelectric plants

  21. Environmental Ethics Biocentrism

  22. Environmental Ethics Ecocentrism Nature has moral consideration because it has intrinsic value, value aside from its usefulness to humans. http://www.malamahawaii.org/

  23. Environmental Ethics Ecocentrism10 Voluntary Human Extinction Movement http://www.vhemt.org/

  24. Environmentalists Alfred Leopold- wildlife ecology John Muir Rachel Carson Chico Mendes- Brazil Wangari Maathai- green belt S. Africa

  25. Environmental Justice Fair and equitable treatment of all people with respect to environmental policy and practice, regardless of their income, race or ethnicity.

  26. Ecological Footprint http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html

  27. Sustainable Solutions How would you address the following concerns? • Energy demands • Water use • Population • Land management • Waste management

  28. Mass Extinction Events

  29. Recent Extinctions

  30. Recent Extinctions Yangtze river dolphin 2007 Tasmanian Tiger 1936 Golden toad 2007 West African Black Rhino 2006 Steller’s sea cow ~1770 Who’s next?

  31. Pre-European contact

  32. Amazon Rainforest

  33. Deforestation Indigenous cultures

  34. Dustbowl

  35. Potato Famine

  36. BP Deepwater Horizon 2010

  37. Fukushima Power Plant 2011

  38. Natural Disasters Hurricane Katrina (2005)

  39. Natural Disasters Earthquakes/Tsunami Indonesia 2005 Haiti 2010 Chile 2010 Japan 2011

  40. Polynesian Migration

  41. Rapa Nui • Polynesians arrived 700 AD, sailing from the west. • They lived an isolated existence for the next thousand years

  42. Ecological Disaster • Rapa Nui (Easter Island) • Isolated Pacific island with poor soil and little water • Originally covered by Chilean Wine Palms • No native edible plants • Rich in seafood and nesting animals

  43. Ecological Disaster • Rapa Nui (Easter Island) • Settled by 25-50 Polynesians in 5th century • Survived easily on seafood, chickens, bananas, taro and yams, plenty of free time • Developed elaborate competition between clans with moai (statues) • Civilization peaked at 1550, with population of ~12000

  44. Carrying Capacity • Rapa Nui (Easter Island) • Reached by a Dutch ship in 1722 • Found about 2,000 people living in caves • Primitive society, constant warfare • Rapa Nui’s carrying capacity had been drastically lowered by society’s actions: • Transportation of moai had required cutting down trees • Erosion of soil made yams scarce • Lack of canoes made fishing difficult and escape impossible

  45. Moai • Ancestor worship • With their backs to the sea they could inspire and protect the Islanders. • Moai carving and transport were in full swing from 1400 to 1600, just 122 years before first contact with European visitors to the island.

  46. The Cost of the Moai • The Moai took a tremendous amount of natural resources and human energy • Movement required human energy, ropes, wooden sledges, lifting logs and/or rollers. • There are nearly 900 moai in various stages of completion, some stones weighed 80t, and were transported 16km from the quarry.

  47. Catastrophe • Archaeological evidence includes: • disappearance of trees • disappearance the island's bird life • disappearance of evidence of people eating porpoise and tuna. • wooden carvings of emaciated people • the appearance of a new implement - spear tips.

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