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Understanding Ecology: Biotic and Abiotic Factors' Impact on Organisms

Explore the intricate relationship between biotic factors (competition, predation, disease, parasitism) and abiotic factors (temperature, water, sunlight, wind) in ecological systems. Learn how these elements shape the survival, distribution, and behaviors of various species. Discover the influence of climate on species range and explore population ecology concepts such as density and dispersion. Unravel the mysteries of organismal densities over time and the methods used for measurement.

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Understanding Ecology: Biotic and Abiotic Factors' Impact on Organisms

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  1. Fig. 52.18

  2. Ecology • Biotic Factors • Competition • Predation • Disease • Parasitism

  3. Fig. 52.20

  4. Ecology • Abiotic Factors • Temperature • Temperature and temperature variation extremely important • Cells may rupture at very cold temperatures • Why don’t trees freeze and explode? • Proteins denature at sustained high temperatures (usually >45 oC) • Some bacteria can survive at >90 oC • Water • Essential to life • Availability varies • Terrestrial organisms always fighting desiccation • Aquatic organisms struggling with osmotic stress

  5. Ecology • Abiotic Factors • Sunlight • Provides vast majority of energy for living systems • Affects distributions of terrestrial organisms • Affects depth distributions and sensory systems of aquatic organisms • Intensity and spectrum change with depth • May affect behavior • Ex: DVM, activity patterns • Wind • Amplifies temperature variation through evaporation and convection • Ex: Wind chill factor • Affects rates of water loss, growth forms of plants • Rocks and Soil • Physical structure, pH, mineral composition, organic content • Aquatic sediments affect water chemistry • First four factors (temperature, water, light, wind) are major components of climate (long-term patterns)

  6. Ecology • Climate Effects • Affects geographic distribution (range) of species • Affects survival, reproduction, dispersal

  7. Silver-Washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) Fig. 52.8

  8. Population Ecology • Density and Dispersion • Density • Number of individuals + size of habitat • May be influenced by resource availability, disturbance • May vary over time • How do we measure organismal densities? • Complete census • Subsample (quadrats, transects, single taxon) • Indicators of density (tracks, scat) • Mark-recapture • Not static over time

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