Community Ecology, Population Ecology, and Sustainability

1. Community Ecology, Population Ecology, and Sustainability Chapter 5 (New Book – 14th Ed) (Chapter 6 – Old Book – 13th Ed)

2. Why Should We Care about the American Alligator? • Overhunted • Niches • Ecosystem services • Keystone species • Endangered and threatened species • Alligator farms New pp. 74-75

3. Key Concepts • Factors determining number of species in a community • Roles of species • Species interactions • Responses to changes in environmental conditions • Reproductive patterns • Major impacts from humans • Sustainable living

4. Community Structure and Species Diversity • Physical appearance • Edge effects • Species diversity or richness • Species abundance or evenness • Niche structure

5. Natural Capital: Types, Sizes, and Stratification of Terrestrial Plants Tropical rain forest Coniferous forest Deciduous forest Thorn forest Thorn scrub Tall-grass prairie Short-grass prairie Desert scrub OLD Fig. 6-2, p. 110

6. Species Diversity and Ecological Stability • Many different species provide ecological stability • Some exceptions • Minimum threshold of species diversity • Many unknowns • Net primary productivity (NPP) • Essential and nonessential species

7. Types of Species • Native • Nonnative (invasive or alien) • Indicator • Keystone • Foundation

8. Indicator Species • Provide early warnings • Indicator of water quality • Birds as environmental indicators • Butterflies • Amphibians New p. 73

9. Amphibians as Indicator Species • Environmentally sensitive life cycle • Vulnerable eggs and skin • Declining populations New p. 73

10. Life Cycle of a Frog Adult frog (3 years) Young frog sperm Tadpole develops into frog Sexual reproduction Tadpole Eggs Fertilized egg development Egg hatches Organ formation OLD Fig. 6-3, p. 112

11. Possible Causes of Declining Amphibian Populations • Habitat loss and fragmentation • Prolonged drought • Pollution • Increases in ultraviolet radiation • Parasites • Overhunting • Disease • Nonnative species

12. Why Should We Care about Vanishing Amphibians? • Indicator of environmental health • Important ecological roles of amphibians • Genetic storehouse for pharmaceuticals

13. Keystone Species • What is a keystone? • Keystone species play critical ecological roles • Pollination • Top predators • Dung beetles • Sharks New p. 74

14. Why are Sharks Important? • Ecological roles of sharks • Shark misconceptions • Human deaths and injuries • Lightning is more dangerous than sharks • Shark hunting and shark fins • Mercury contamination • Medical research • Declining populations • Hunting bans: effective? New p. 61

15. Foundation Species • Relationship to keystones species • Play important roles in shaping communities • Elephants • Contributions of bats and birds

16. Species Interactions • Interspecific competition • Predation • Parasitism • Mutualism • Commensalism

17. Resource Partitioning and Niche Specialization Number of individuals Species 1 Species 2 Region of niche overlap Resource use Number of individuals Species 1 Species 2 OLD Resource use Fig. 6-4, p. 114

18. Resource Partitioning of Warbler Species New Fig. 5-2, p. 81 OLD Fig. 6-5, p. 115

19. Predator and Prey Interactions • Carnivores and herbivores • Predators • Prey • Natural selection and prey populations New pp. 81-83

20. How Do Predators Increase Their Chances of Getting a Meal? • Speed • Senses • Camouflage and ambush • Chemical warfare (venom) New pp. 81-83

21. Avoiding and Defending Against Predators • Escape • Senses • Armor • Camouflage • Chemical warfare • Warning coloration • Mimicry • Behavior strategies • Safety in numbers New pp. 81-83

22. Bombardier beetle Span worm Wandering leaf insect Foul-tasting monarch butterfly When touched, the snake caterpillar changes shape to look like the head of a snake Poison dart frog Viceroy butterfly mimics monarch butterfly Hind wings of io moth resemble eyes of a much larger animal How Species Avoid Predators New Fig. 5-3, p. 82 OLDFig. 6-6, p. 116

23. Parasites • Parasitism • Hosts • Inside or outside of hosts • Harmful effects on hosts • Important ecological roles of parasites New pp. 83-84

24. Mutualism • Both species benefit • Pollination • Benefits include nutrition and protection • Mycorrhizae • Gut inhabitant mutualism New p. 84

25. Examples of Mutualism Oxpeckers and black rhinoceros Clown fish and sea anemone New Fig. 5-5. p. 84 OLD Mycorrhizae fungi on juniper seedlings in normal soil Lack of mycorrhizae fungi on juniper seedlings in sterilized soil Fig. 6-7, p. 117 © 2006 Brooks/Cole - Thomson

26. Commensalism • Species interaction that benefits one and has little or no effect on the other • Example: Small plants growing in shade of larger plants • Epiphytes New pp. 84-85

27. Bromeliad Commensalism New Fig. 5-6, p. 85 OLD Fig. 6-8, p. 118

28. Ecological Succession: Communities in Transition • What is ecological succession? • Primary succession • Secondary succession New pp. 88-89

29. Primary Ecological Succession New Lichens and mosses Exposed rocks Balsam fir, paper birch, and white spruce climax community Jack pine, black spruce, and aspen Heath mat Small herbs and shrubs Time New Ne New Fig.5-9,p.89 OLD Fig. 6-9, p. 119 NewNewwmmmmmmm

30. Secondary Ecological Succession Mature oak-hickory forest Young pine forest with developing understory of oak and hickory trees Shrubs and pine seedlings Perennial weeds and grasses Annual weeds Time New Fig.5-10,p.90 OLD Fig. 6-10, p. 120

31. How Predictable is Succession? • Climax community concept • “Balance of nature” • New views of equilibrium in nature • Unpredictable succession • Natural struggles New pp. 88-89

32. Population Dynamics: Factors Affecting Population Size • Population change = (births + immigration) – (deaths + emigration) • Age structure (stages) • Age and population stability New p. 85

33. Limits on Population Growth • Biotic potential • Intrinsic rate of increase (r) • No indefinite population growth • Environmental resistance • Carrying capacity (K) New pp. 86-87

34. Exponential and Logistic Population Growth • Resources control population growth • Exponential growth • Logistic growth New pp. 86-87

35. Population Growth Curves Environmentalresistance Carrying capacity (K) Population size (N) Biotic potential Exponential growth Time (t) OLD Fig. 6-11, p. 121 New Fig. 5-7, p. 86

36. Logistic Growth of Sheep Population 2.0 Overshoot Carrying Capacity 1.5 Number of sheep (millions) 1.0 .5 1800 1825 1850 1875 1900 1925 Year OLD Fig. 6-12, p. 121

37. When Population Size Exceeds Carrying Capacity • Switch to new resources, move or die • Overshoots • Reproductive time lag • Population dieback or crash • Famines among humans • Factors controlling human carrying capacity New pp. 87-88

38. Exponential Growth, Overshoot and Population Crash of Reindeer Population Overshoots Carrying Capacity 2,000 Population crashes 1,500 Number of sheep (millions) 1,000 Carrying capacity 500 0 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 Year New Fig. 5-8, p. 87 OLD Fig. 6-13, p. 122

39. Reproductive Patterns • r-selected species • Opportunists (mostly r-selected) • Environmental impacts on opportunists • K-selected species (competitors) • Intermediate and variable reproductive patterns

40. Positions of r-selected and K-selected Species on Population Growth Curve Carrying capacity K K species; experience K selection Number of individuals Number of individuals r species; experience r selection Time OLD Fig. 6-14, p. 122

41. r-selected Opportunists and K-selected Species OLD Fig. 6-15, p. 123

42. r-Selected Species r-selected Opportunists and K-selected Species Dandelion Cockroach Many small offspring Little or no parental care and protection of offspring Early reproductive age Most offspring die before reaching reproductive age Small adults Adapted to unstable climate and environmental conditions High population growth rate (r) Population size fluctuates wildly above and below carrying capacity (K) Generalist niche Low ability to compete Early successional species OLD Fig. 6-15a, p. 123

43. K-Selected Species r-selected Opportunists and K-selected Species Elephant Saguaro Fewer, larger offspring High parental care and protection of offspring Later reproductive age Most offspring survive to reproductive age Larger adults Adapted to stable climate and environmental conditions Lower population growth rate (r) Population size fairly stable and usually close to carrying capacity (K) Specialist niche High ability to compete Late successional species OLD Fig. 6-15b, p. 123

44. Characteristics of Natural and Human-Dominated Systems Property Natural Systems Human-Dominated Systems Complexity Energy source Waste production Nutrients Net primary productivity Biologically diverse Renewable solar energy Little, if any Recycled Shared among many species Biologically simplified Mostly nonrenewablefossil fuel energy High Often lost of wasted Used, destroyed, ordegraded to supporthuman activities OLD Fig. 6-16, p. 124

45. Human Impacts on Ecosystems Natural Capital Degradation Altering Nature to Meet Our Needs Reduction of biodiversity Increasing use of the earth's net primary productivity Increasing genetic resistance of pest species and diseasecausing bacteria Elimination of many natural predators Deliberate or accidental introduction of potentially harmful species into communities Using some renewable resources faster than they can be replenished Interfering with the earth's chemical cycling and energy flow processes Relying mostly on polluting fossil fuels OLD Fig. 6-17, p. 125

46. Four Principles of Sustainability Solar Energy Population Control PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY Nutrient Recycling Biodiversity OLD Fig. 6-18, p. 126

47. Solutions Principles of Sustainability How Nature Works Lessons for Us Runs on renewable solar energy. Recycles nutrients and wastes. There is little waste in nature. Uses biodiversity to maintain itself and adapt to new environmental conditions. Controls a species' population size and resource use by interactions with its environment and other species. Rely mostly on renewable solar energy. Prevent and reduce pollution and recycle and reuse resources. Preserve biodiversity by protecting ecosystem services and preventing premature extinction of species. Reduce births and wasteful resource use to prevent environmental overload and depletion and degradation of resources. Solutions: Implications of the Principles of Sustainability OLD Fig. 6-19, p. 126

48. Lessons from Nature • We are dependent on the Earth and Sun • Everything is interdependent with everything else • We can never do just one thing • Earth’s natural capital must be sustained • Precautionary Principle • Prevention is better than cure • Risks must be taken