Title: Chapter 52 - An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere
1- Chapter 52 - An Introduction to Ecology and
the Biosphere
2Earth from the moon - A Humbling ViewDoes our
Environment Have Limits?What is Our Role?
3The Control of Nature is a phrase conceived in
arrogance, born of the Neanderthal age of biology
and philosophy, when it was supposed that nature
exists for the convenience of man.Rachel
Carson in her 1962 book Silent Spring.
4Ecology The scientific study of the
interactions between organisms and their
environments.(from the Greek Oikos home
-logos study) Ecology vs.
Environmental ConcernDistribution (Geographic
Range)Abundance ( of Particular Organism in
Range)Factors Affecting Distribution and
AbundanceAbiotic Factors (Non-Living Chemical
and Physical Factors like Temperature, water,
light and nutrients.)Biotic Factors (Living
Factors All of the organisms that are part of
an individuals environment. They may compete
with, prey on or change its physical or chemical
environment.)
5Distribution and Abundance of the red kangaroo in
Australia, based on aerial surveys
6Four Basic Levels of Ecology
Organismal Ecology Population
Ecology Community Ecology
Ecosystem Ecology
7- Ecological Time (Minutes, Months, Years)
- Evolutionary Time (Decades, Centuries, Millenia,
or Longer!) - Example Hawk Feeding on Field Mice
- Four Basic Levels of Ecology
- Organismal Ecology (Individual)
- Population Ecology (s)
- Community Ecology (Interaction)
- Ecosystem Ecology (Energy Flow)
- Other Types of Ecology
- Landscape Ecology (Arrays of ecosystems and
how they are arranged in a geographic region) - Biosphere Global Ecosystem Sum of all
Planets Ecosystems includes atmosphere,
sub-terranium, land, lakes, caves, oceans.
8Biogeographic realms
9Distribution of Organisms Flowchart of
factors limiting geographic distribution
10- Species Dispersal
- Dispersal The distribution of individuals
within geographic boundaries. - - Geographic isolation in evolution.
- - Broad patterns of current geographic
distributions
11Species Transplant Set of transplant
experiments for a hypothetical species
Transplant Successful Distribution Limited
because the area is inaccessible, time has been
too short to reach the area, or the species fails
to recognize the area as suitable living
space Transplant Unsuccessful Distribution
limited either by other species or by physical
and chemical factors. Control A transplant done
within existing range provides a baseline on
handling and transporting. Rarely Done Most
observation done on natural and human caused
transplant. Example Zebra Mussels
12Spread of the African honeybee in the Americas
since 1956
13Biomes and Biosphere
- Biosphere - the sum of all the planets
ecosystems - Biome - areas of predominant flora and fauna
- Affect of Temperature and Precipitation on
Defining Biomes
Ecotone biome grading areas
14Terrestrial biomes
- Tropical forests- equator most complex constant
temperature and rainfall canopy - Savanna- tropical grassland with scattered trees
occasional fire and drought large herbivores - Desert- sparse rainfall (lt30cm/yr)
- Chaparral- spiny evergreens at midlatitudes along
coasts - Temperate grassland- all grasses seasonal
drought, occasional fires large mammals - Temperate deciduous forest- midlatitude regions
broad-leaf deciduous trees - Coniferous forest- cone-bearing trees
- Tundra- permafrost very little precipitation
15Global climate
Precipitation Winds
16Lake stratification turnover
- Thermal stratification - vertical temperature
layering - Biannual mixing - spring and autumn
- Turnover - changing water temperature profiles
brings oxygenated water from the surface to the
bottom and nutrient rich water form the bottom to
the surface
17Aquatic biomes
- Vertical stratification
- photic zone - photosynthetic light
- aphotic zone - little light
- Thermocline - narrow stratum of rapid temperature
change - benthic zone - bottom substrate
- Benthos - community of organisms
- Detritus - dead organic matter food for benthic
organisms
18Freshwater biomes
- Littoral zone - shallow, well-lit waters close to
shore - Limnetic zone - well-lit, open water farther from
shore - Profundal zone - deep, aphotic waters
- Lake classification
- oligotrophic - deep, nutrient poor
- eutrophic - shallow, high nutrient
content - mesotrophic moderate productivity
- Wetland - area covered with water
- Estuary - area where freshwater merges with ocean
19Marine biomes
- Intertidal zone- area where land meets water
- Neritic zone- shallow regions over continental
shelves - Oceanic zone- very deep water past the
continental shelves - Pelagic zone- open water of any depth
- Benthic zone- seafloor bottom
- Abyssal zone- benthic region in deep oceans