Biology 1114H Lecture 16 Ecology Introduction

Define Ecology

The study of how organisms interact with eachother

What are the levels of ecology and rank them:

Organismal Ecology → Population Ecology → Community Ecology → Ecosystem Ecology → Global Ecology

What is Organismal Ecology

Study of morphological, physiological and behavioral adaptations in organisms

“How they mediate interactions with the environment”

What is Population Ecology?

examines how biotic and abiotic factors influence dnesiity distrubution size and ahge structure of A SINGLE population

What is a population?

A population is a group of individual of the same species that are lviing in the same geographical area and same time ( able of breeding and producing fertile offspring)

What is community ecology

Examines the nature and consequences of itneractions between species

What is ecosystem ecology

it examines interactions between communities and their abiotic environments

aka the flow of nergy and nutrient/biochemical cycles in ecosystem

Global ecology

examines the effects of human impacts on the biosphere

What is a niche

niche are conditions (range of conditions) that a species can tolerate and the resources it can use in the given area

List the PRESENT abiotic factors

• fitnes trande offs bc of environment conditons) where a species lives in

• range of where a species can dwell in

  • microclimate vs regional climate

• distributions can be limited by abiotic factors

List the PRESENT biotic factors

• competition

• disperal

List the PAST abiotic factors

• continental drfit

List the PAST biotic factors

• exotic/invasive species

define weather

short term atmopsheric conditions of temp, precipitation, sunlight and wind

define climate

long term weather conditions in a geographical area/range

Why do areas have different climates

sunlight distribution → warmer areas have large amounts of sunlight per unit area due to sunlight striking the earth at an angle allowing the equator to be the warmest

Why are the tropics wet?

(HADLEY CELL) areas along the equator review the most moisture where as 30 degree N and S recieve the least

Describe a hadley cell

hot air along the equator expand sand rises then air rises above the equator and cools producing rain → this creates weat areas and deserts

what is the corioliss effect

causes the air and water to be deflected into a clockwise pattern in the Northern hemisphere and a counterclockwise pattern in the southern hemisphere

“westerlies and the NE trade winds”

Define Seasons

they are regular annual fluctuations and this is caused by the tilt of the earth and the earths orbit around the sun

Whats the difference between orbit and rotation

Rotation is night and day while orbit causes seasons

What is the rainshadow effect?

Where ocean winds blow moist air, causing precipitation on the left/west side of a mountain which further causes dry air and deserts on the east side of the mountain

Why do coastal regions stay similar in temperature ?

This is because water has HIGH SPECIFIC HEAT so it absorbs heat in the summer and releases that heat in the winter keeping a constant/moderate temperature in coastal regions

What are terestrial biomes determined by?

Climate: Avg temp, avg preciptation and avg variation in precipitation and temp

What is NPP?

Total energy stored as biomass by producers after using some for their respirtory needs

AKA the biomass available to consumers

NPP EQN?

npp= gpp-r

What biome has the highest NPP

Tropical Rainforests because NPP increases in sunny warm and wet conditions

Artic Tundra

Low plant/licen and low animal diversity

low avg preciptiation and low avg temp

low productivity

Boreal Forest/ Taiga

cold tolerant conifers , above ground veg is high due to slow growth, low structural diversity, low avg precipitation and low-middle average temperture

low productivity

temperate forests

decido\uous trees; needle leaved trees