Unit 5 Module 1 - Ecology and Environmental Science

Ecology

study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment

organismal ecology and major question

The study of individual morphological, physiological and behavioral adaptions

How do individuals interact with each other and their physical environment?

Communication

signal from one individual modifies behavior of a recipient

Ex. Ground squirrels tail flag to tell snake they are there

Population Ecology and major question

Study of the number and distribution of individual in a population overtime

How and why does population size change over space and time?

Population

A group of potentially interbreeding individuals of same species in the same area and the same time

Life-History trade off

Limited resources and time lead to fitness tradeoffs in resource allocation to growth, reproduction and survival.

R selected

species are opportunistic organisms that produce many offspring but invest little in their care. They thrive in unstable environments where rapid reproduction is advantageous. Low investment and lots of offspring, low lifepsan

k selected

long life span, large adults, few offspring, expensive offpsring investment

Community Ecology and question

Study of the nature of interactions between a different species in a community

How do species interact and what are the consequences?

Community

all the populations of different species that interact in a certain way

community ecology

The study of how communities work

• species interactions, community structure, and community dynamics

Predation

Eats animals

Herbivory

eats plants

paratism

a small organism eats small amount of host tissue (ticks)

Mimicry

evolution favors sending signals to predators to avoid being eaten

Mimicry Ring

all follow mimicry to eachother

mullerian mimicry

looks dangerous, is dangerous

batesian mimicry

looks dangerous but isnt

Predator and prey species are in a what

coevolution arms race

Ecosystem Ecology and question

study of nutrient and energy movement among organisms and surroundings

How does energy flow and how do nutrients cycle through local system

Ecosystem

Community of interacting species present in a region along with abiotic components of soil water atomosphere

How is everything linked

by a flow of energy and nutrients

Climate

Average weather patterns in a given area over time

range of value that does not change quickly

Influenced by temperature and precipitation and earth axis

Weather

Day to day temp and precipitation

changes quick

Biosphere

sum of the locations where life exist on Earth

Biomes

A type of ecosystem found around globe with a specific range of temperature and precipitation

Green house affect

Gases in atmosphere block energy reflected off earths surface from going back into space

increases earths temp

Co2, methane, ozone, CFCs

Global Climate Change

Warming temperatures alter normal weather patterns leading to abnormal precipitation, droughts, floods and overtime changed climates

Evidence of cilmate change

coral bleaching, ocean temp rising, ocean acidification, more difficult for sea animals to produce calcium carbonate shell

polar ice caps melting, sea level rise, thawing permafrost and adding to air

Extreme weather - hurricane, tornado, tsunami