rnr 2101

individuals

behavior, physiology, etc. within a species

populations

population growth & evolution in a single species

interactions

interactions between 2+ species

communities

abundance & interactions of multiple species

ecosystems

organisms & their physical environment

habitats

the setting where individuals occur

landscapes

describing multiple types of land cover

regions

incorporating geological history at large scale

biosphere

processes acting at the level of the entire plaent

life

1 billion years

1.) physiological ecology (ecology of individuals)

bumblebees take longer to warm up at lower temperatures. this heating requires energy & influences foraging behavior especially in the arctic

at 24C, it takes 1 min to heat to 35C
at 6.2C, it takes 15 mins to heat to 35C

2.) community ecology

5 similar species of warbler studied:
species differed in where they foraged, adn in their foraging (feeding on different parts of tree) behavior
*these kinds of differences are common in closely related species that coexist

3.) ecosystem ecology

logistics of canopy research in costa rica
nutrients (nitrate NO3) increased dramatically in the stream through the deforested basin in new hampshire

4.) historical ecology

vegetation history from pollen sediments in the appalachian mts

palynology

the study of pollen and spores ex. 11 species of plants near miami,fl

tropic of cancer

23.5 degrees north of the equator, the maximum latitude over which the sun passes directly overhead

tropic of capricorn

23.5 degrees South of the Equator, the maximum latitude over which the sun passes directly overhead

artic circle

66.5 degrees north of the equator

winter solstice

dec 22, when the sun is at its southernmost point, least hours of sunlight & most hours of darkness

24 hours of darkness above arctic circle

24 hours of sunlight below the antarctic circle

Summer Solstice

jun 21, day with the most hours of sunlight & the fewest hours of darkness

temperature variation

same temp near equator

diff temp near poles

temp southern hemisphere

greater area of oceans moderates temp, making ti cooler in summer and warmer in winter than north hemisphere

temperature

declines with elevation as air expands, loses energy, cools

mountains are colder than lowlands

rainfall

warm moist air rises --> cools --> condenses more moisture is available from air rising over water or lush vegetation

air circulation

air from higher latitude moves toward the equator

subtropical & polar air masses meet= moist temperate climate

dry descending air absorbs moisture= deserts

rising air at the equator= moist tropical climate

deserts

30 degrees

rainforests

0-90 degrees

mountains

force air to rise- if moist, air rises & it rains (orographic precipitation)

ex. in the sierra nevada mountains, moist air from parici drops rain as it rises & cools, little water remains by the time the air reaches teh great basin

coriolis effect

currents move away from the equator to northern hemisphere or southern hemisphere

currents moving away from the equator lead to rain on land as the tropical air cools

mountain ranges in n & s america

run north to south

mountain ranges in europe & asia

east to west

climate

rainfall + temperature= determines vegetation structures (biomes)

tropical rainforest

2000 mm rainfall, never freezes ex. brazil, democratic republic of congo, malaysia

-tall trees: highest tree diversity

-vertical complexity bc of vines, palms, epiphytes ex. 300 tree species in ecuador

-animal pollination: bees, flies, beetles, butterflies

-animal dispersal of seeds- parrots, toucans, monkeys

-efficient nutrient cycling: little organic matter in soil

-human exploitation is recent

figs

very important

pollination by wasps, seed dispersal by invertebrates

tropical dry forest

1000-2000 mm highly seasonal rainfall, never freezes

ex. mexico, india, australia

-shorter trees, less vertical complexity than rainforest

-trees often deciduous

-less diverse than than rainforest

-nutrient cycling seasonal organic material builds up in dry season

-heavy human exploitation: fire & grazing

tropical savanna

300-1000 mm seasonal rain, never freezes

ex. venezuela, niger, australia

-scattered trees, open grasslands

-less diverse than tropical dry forest

-large herbivores common

-2 dimensional structure with vegetation at ground level

-fire common together with herbivores maintains open grasslands

-soil permeability to water influences whether grasses/trees grow

-cradle of human evolution in east african savannas

desert

0-200 mm rainfall, may freeze or not

ex. arizona, chad, mongolia

-temperate

-specialized plants & animals to handle low productivity & low water availability

-reptiles relatively more common

-mineral soils

-increasing human pop

mediterranean woodland/shrubland

ex. san diego, italy, australia

-summer drought, moist cool season

-low, scattered trees

-specialized plants & animals for seasonal variation & fire

-highly diverse especially with herbaceous plants

-fragile soils: vulnerable to erosion, fire, & overgrazing

-heavy human exploitation

temperate grasslands

300-1000 mm rainfall, drought common, extreme seasonal temps

ex. kansas, russia, china

-dominated by grasses & other herbaceous vegetation

-large herbivores once common

-rich organic soils

-fertile farmland

-much of original diversity lost (plant & animal) due to heavy exploitation for agriculture

temperate forest

650-3000 mm rainfall, less extreme seasons than temp grasslands

ex. oregon, philadelphia, france

-dominated by large conifers/broadleaf trees: high biomass

-more animal pollination and seed dispersal than other temperate biomes

-fertile soils, slow cycling of organic matter: much remains forested, but little original forest

-long history of human use

boreal forest

200-600 mm rainfall, long winters (short growing season)

ex. canada, sweden, russian

-great temp variation

-dominated by conifers; few broadleaf trees

-low diversity of plants and animals

-high density of animals in short summer

-little organic matter over permafrost

-recent exploitation for timber and oil

-low human density

artic tundra

cold & dry

ex. alaska, norway, russia

-specialized small plants

-most animals migratory or strongly seasonal, some at high density (flies to caribou)

-soil builds extremely slowly

-little direct human influence,

but affected through climate change

water distribution

97% in oceans, ice 2%, groundwater 0.6%

hydrologic cycle

the cycle through which water in the hydrosphere moves; includes such processes as evaporation, precipitation, and surface and groundwater runoff