Bio

ecology

is the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the environment

Global Ecology

is the study of the exchange of energy and materials across the biosphere

Biosphere

the regions of the surface and atmosphere of the Earth where living organisms exist

Landscape Ecology

is the study of the exchange of energy, materials, and organisms across multiple ecosystems

Ecosystem Ecology

is the study of energy flow and chemical cycling between organisms and the environment

ecosystem

is the community of organisms in an area and the physical factors with which those organisms interact

population ecology

is the study of the factors that affect population size and why it changes over time

population

is a group of individuals of the same species living in an area

organismal ecology

includes the physiological, evolutionary, and behavioral ecology of how an organism's physiology, structure, and behavior meets environmental challenges

As water evaporates from the tropics,

the air rises until the water becomes precipitation, and the high-altitude air masses absorb that precipitation and descend to the earth, creating global air patterns

climate

which is the long-term prevailing weather conditions in an area

climate

the most significant factor on the distribution of organisms on land and in the oceans

important components of climate

Temperature, precipitation, sunlight, and wind

Macroclimate

describes patterns on the global and regional level, while microclimate describes fine, localized patterns on a community level

the input of solar energy and Earth’s movement in space

Global climate patterns are determined by

Climate patterns include seasonal variation and are modified by large bodies of water and mountain ranges

Regional and Local Effects on Climate

The Earth’s tilted rotation and passage around the sun causes seasonal cycles ● Solar radiation, day length, and the angle of the sun also influences local environments ● Wind patterns can upwell cold water in oceans by altering ocean currents ● Wet and dry seasons result from the angle of the sun changing

Seasonality

Ocean currents influence climate along the coasts of continents by heating or cooling overlying air masses that pass across the land ● Coastal regions are wetter than inland regions, resulting in more dense vegetation ● Due to the high specific heat of water, oceans and lakes maintain the climates of nearby land ● Cooler air from the land at night replaces the warmer air above bodies of water, and it causes inland areas to become warmer

Bodies of Water

abiotic factors

which are the small-scale differences in chemical and physical attributes of an environment, such as temperature, light, and water, influence the distribution and abundance of organisms