Intro into Ecology

ecology

study of interactions between organisms and the environment

biotic

living influences (organisms, behaviors, interactions between organisms)

abiotic

nonliving (temp, water, salinity, sunlight, soil)

hierarchy

SMALLEST

1. organisms

2. population

3. community

4. ecosystem

5. landscape

6. biosphere

BIGGEST

population

group of individuals of same species living in a particular geographic area

community

group of populations of different species in an area

ecosystem

community of organisms + physical factors

landscape

mosaic of connected ecosystems

biosphere

global ecosystem

climate

temperature + precipitation + sunlight + wind; long-term prevailing weather conditions in a particular area

macroclimate

works at seasonal, regional or local level

microclimate

small-scale environmental variation (ex. under a log)

biomes

major types of ecosystems that occupy very broad geographic regions

biogeography

geographic distribution of species

factors of biogeography

1. dispersal

2. behavior

3. biotic factors

4. abiotic factors

dispersal

movement away from area of origin

behavior

habitat selectionand mating patterns that influence species distribution.

biotic factors in biogeography

other species, food resources, competition, pollinators, predators

abiotic factors in biogeography

temperature, water, oxygen, salinity, sunlight, rocks, soil

species diversity

species richness + relative abundance of each species

species richness

number of different species

invasive species

organism that become established outside native range

pathogens

disease-causing microorganisms