Ecology Part 1

Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome

Broad-leaved deciduous trees that lose leaves each fall.

Most common biome in eastern North America

high primary productivity

dormancy in winter

Temperature is moderate but variable

relatively high annual average precipitation

Tropical Rainforest Biome

Highest primary productivity

Broad-leaved evergreen trees, epiphytes

Temperature is consistently hot

Highest annual average precipitation

Temperate grasslands Biome

Found throughout Central North America (prairies) and Eurasia

Relatively high primary productivity .

Grasses

Temperature range is highly variable but moderate on average

Annual average precipitation is generally too low to support the growth of many trees except for those growing along rivers or streams 

primary productivity

the rate at which energy is converted to organic substances by photosynthetic producers

Desert(subtropical) Biome

Very low primary productivity

Low species diversity

Succulents

Temperature is typically hot but there are cold deserts

Lowest annual precipitation of all biomes

Tundra Biome

North of Taiga

Low primary productivity and species diversity

low shrubs, grasses, lichens, and small flowering plants

temperature is coldest of all biomes

annual average precipitation is low and soil may remain in permafrost.

Permafrost

a perennially frozen state of soil

Taiga(boreal forest) Biome

Found at high latitudes across canada, alaska, russia, etc

Lower primary productivity that temperate forests

Soil tends to be acidic and low in nitrogen

Conifer trees and low lying mosses

Temperature is cold on avg but with a short warmer szn

Annual avg precip. is relatively low

Chaparral(scrub forest) Biome

California

Relatively low primary productivity .

Shrubs and thorny bushes

adapted to periodic fires

Temp is mild to warm

annual avg precip. is low

Savanna Biome

Africa, south america, and northern australia

Moderate to high primary productivity

Grasses and forbs

Temp is consistently warm to hot

Annual avg precip. is low

Avg temp of biomes from hottest to coldest

Subtropical Desert

Tropical Rainforest

Savanna

Chaparral

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Temperate Grassland

Boreal/Taiga Forest

Arctic Tundra

Avg annual precip from most to least

Tropical Rainforest

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Savanna

Boreal/Taiga Forest

Temperate Grassland

Chaparral

Arctic Tundra

Subtropical Desert

Types of Aquatic Biomes

Marine and Freshwater

Estuaries/Salt Marshes Biome

Occurs where freshwater rives and streams flow into the sea

Recieve plent of light for photosynthesis

high primary productivity

plentiful in nutrients

grasses are dominant plant type(producer)

rich in animal species (Biodiversity)

Important nursing grounds for many open ocean species

Neritic Zone

Highest primary productivity zone per area in the ocean

Shallow

Algae are dominant producers

Upwelling deposits support primary productivity

Intertidal Zone

Organisms in this zone are adapted to periodic exposure to air during the low tides

organisms must be able to withstand the force of crashing waves

moderate to low primary productivity

seaweeds are the principal producers in these areas

Oceanic Pelagic Zone

Encompasses the open ocean

Nutrient levels too low to support nearly as much as diversity as Neritic Zone

Primary productivity per square meter is low but due to vastness of the open ocean. total productivity combined is high

Abyssal Zone

Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vent Communities.

Very low primary productivity excpet for those vent communities

The autotrophic archaebacteria are chemosynthetic NOT photosynthetic as it is too deep for sunlight to penetrate

Freshwater/Wetlands

Includes Ecosystems:

Lakes

Ponds

Rivers

Marshes and Swamps

Types of Lakes

Oligotrophic - little organic matter. water is much clearer with sandy or rocky bottom

eutrophic - rich in organic matter and vegetation so water is relatively murky

7 shared characteristics of life

•  At least ONE cell and have some degree of organization 

•  Respond to Stimuli

•  Homeostasis

•  Metabolism

•  Growth AND Development

•  Reproduction (and heredity)

•  Change Over Time

Homeostasis

Homeostasis is the ability of an organism to maintain relatively constant/stable internal conditions.

Metabolism

the sum of all chemical reactions that  take in and transfer energy.

Growth and Development

Growth- a chnage in quantity(e.g. size)

Development - Change where they gain or lose abilities

Types of reproduction

Sexual - 2 parents

Asexual - 1 parent

Heredity

 the transfer of genetic information (DNA) from parents to offspring.

Evolution

change in allele frequencies within a population over time. Evolution explains both the unity and diversity of life.  

Allele

Alternate forms of a gene

Taxonomy

The Practice and Science of the Classification of Life

Linnaeus Taxonomy

Life, Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

The 6 Kingdoms

Domain Prokarya -

• Kingdom Archaea

• Kingdom Eubacteria

Domain Eukarya -

• Kingdom Protista

• kingdom Fungi

• Kingdom Plantae

• Kingdom Animalia

What is the difference between Prokaryotic organisms and Eukaryotic organisms?

eukaryotic organisms possess a membrane-bound nucleus and complex membrane-bound organelles, whereas prokaryotic organisms lack a true nucleus and membrane-bound internal structure

Which Domains contain ONLY unicellular organisms?

Bacteria and Archaea

Describe a habitat and provide an example

Niche

A Niche is the specific role (or way of life) of an organism within its environment.

What is included in an organisms niche?

Includes:

• Area that contains the range of conditions organism/species can tolerate (habitat)

• Resources organism/species uses (specifically food)

•  Trophic level (location in a food web)

• Any other factors specific to its way of life.

Broad Niche + what would happen if a disturbance were to happen

Generalists. They have many food sources so if something happens to 1, they can just move on to another one.

Narrow Niche

Specialists. They only have 1 food source so if something were to happen to that one, they would become an endangered species.

Saprophyte

obtaining nourishment by absorbing dissolved organic material from dead organisms (digests externally) e.g. fungi

Detritivore

a type of animal which feeds on (eats) dead organic material, especially plants (digests internally). e.g earthworms, millipedes, dung beetles

What characteristics would classify an animal as Phylum Arthropoda?

Chitinous Exoskeleton, Segmented Bodies, Jointed Appendages, Bilateral Symmetry, Open Circulatory System, Ventral Nerve Cord & Brain, Diverse Respiratory & Excretory Systems

difference between saphrophyte and detritivore

detritivores ingest and internally digest solid pieces of dead material, while saprophytes use external chemical digestion

Binomial Nomenclature

way to name species