Biogeography Midterm 1

What is biogeography

Living things + distribution, spatial environment

Defn. of biogeography

• study of the geographic distribution of organisms in the past and present; attempts to document and understand patterns of biodiversity

• examine origin, distribution, adaptation, and associations of living things

biogeographers goals

• Describe= where organisms occur, past + present

• Explain= why organisms over where they do

phytogeography

plant geography

zoogeography

animals

ecological bigeography

organisms and their environment

historical biogeography

past

analytical biogeography

rules of distribution + evolution

Trophic classification

-producers

-primary consumers

-secondary consumers

-decomposers

primary producers

generating its own energy from sun and photosynthesis

primary consumers

herbivores

secondary consumers

animals that eat herbivores

the 10% rule

-90%→ E consumed by activities

-10%→ E consumed converted to biomass

photosynthesis

CO2 + H2O + light E→ -CHOH- (sugar) +O2

Respiration

sugar + O2→ CO2 + E

Taxon

unit of biological classification in which members share similar characteristics

Species (Biological)

all individuals that can sexually reproduce and produce fertile offspring

species (phylogenic)

smallest group of organisms that share at least one diagnostic character (fixed physical or genetic) that is present in all members of the species but absent in all other organisms

Primary units of the Linnaean system (DKPCOFGS)

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

Ecological Hierarchy

Individual→Population→Metapopulation→Community→Ecosystem→Biome→Biosphere

Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC)

Used in forest mngmt, wildlife habitat planning, protected area planning, land-use planning

BEC Hierarchy

Zone→Subzone→variant

3 factors affecting species distribution

• Physical factors

• Biological factors

• Historical factors

Physical factors affecting species distribution

• light

• temperature

• water

• chemistry

• salinity*

photoperiodism

physiological response to the relative length of light and darkness in 24hr

Heliophytes

sun-loving plants

Sciophytes

shade-loving plants

Van Hoff’s Law

speed of chemical rxns dbbls w/ every 10°C

Endotherms

warm-blooded

Ectotherms

Cold-blooded

orographic effects

air is forced up mountains→air cools + establishes distinct wet and dry climate zones on opp sides of mountain

important nutrients for plants

Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium

Classification purpose

systems help organize biodiversity

determinants of species distribution

environmental tolerances (light, temperature, water and chemistry)

Species adaptation

adapted over time to the conditions to match changing environment

3 classification systems of biogeography

-trophic level→ E flow

-taxonomy→ appearance

-ecological break down→ ecology

defn. species

group of interbreeding organisms that do not ordinarily breed w/ members of other groups

recognized kingdoms

• Animals

• Plants

• Fungi

• Prokaryotes (bacteria)

• Protozoa (unicellular)

command methods of identifying diff. among genera + species

-physical diff.

-chemical diff. (tissue + fluids)

-genetic diff. (chrm, DNA)

defn. ecology

branch of biology that is concerned with the interaction of organisms w/ their environment

Loose Metapopulation

infrequent interaction w/ other population

tight metapopulation

frequent interaction w/ other population

defn. community

species interaction w/ other species

defn. ecosystem

larger physical environment

BGC (BEC)

multi-scaled, ecosystem-based classification system that groups ecologically similar sites based on climate, soils and vegetation

Defn. BEC

biogeoclimatic ecosystem classification

BGC Zones

Biogeoclimatic zones: frame for NRM and scientific research in BC

BGC zone

large geographic area, broad homogeneous microclimate, named for 1+ dom. climax species

BGC Subzone

divides zones for local climate variability, named relative humidity, T, continentality,

BGC variant

small diff. in climate, but marked diff. in vegetation, named relative geographic location

consequences of variation in the physical environment

affects the physiological functioning of organisms

Geographic range maps

known limits of species distributions; may be seasonal

range density maps

abundance gradients w/in species range

dot maps

occurrences from surveys and citizen science observations

political count maps

species counts w/in political boundaries

carrying capacity

Max pop. size an area can support

ecological footprint

amount of area needed to support the resource needs of and absorb the waste produced by a population

Habitat

Place or environment where an organism naturally/normally lives

defn. niche

multidimensional resource space occupied by a species

fundamental niche

full range of conditions suitable for survival + reproduction; where species theoretically lives based on environmental requirements + tolerances

realized niche

portion of the fundamental actually occupied due to competition + predation

Biotic factors

Negative and Positive Interactions

Negative interactions

-Competition

-Predation

-Parasitism

defn. competition

2 organisms require same resource that is/or perceived limited + fitness affected

Intraspecific competition

w/in a species

interspecific competition

between species

predation

-herbivory, carnivory

-stenophagous, euryphagous

-optimal foraging theory

Stenophagous

specialized on narrow range of foods

euryphagous

food generalist

parasitism

feeding on host, harm causing

positiv interactions

-commensalism

-mutualism

commensalism

one species benefits, the other is unaffected

mutualism

obligate + facultative/protocooperation

obligate mutualism

2 depend on each other to survive and grow

facultative/protocooperation mutualism

non dependent for survival, both benefiting

monophagous

only eating one species

avoidance competition

avoiding each other

symbiotic

2 species live in close association

commensalism

neither species harmed, but one benefits→ crossover distribution

mutualism

both species benefit from each other

symbioses

2 species evolved together

ecological succession

sequential change in community and biomass through time

primary succession

occurs on new surfaces w/out soil

secondary succession

after disturbance w/ soil

succession sequence

annuals→perennial→shrubs→young forest→mature forest

defn. disturbance

discrete event, disrupts ecosystem structure, function, alters resource compositions, substrate availability, physical environment

ecosystem rxn. to disturbance dependent on

ecosystem vulnerability, disturbance type, magnitude + frequency

Fire disturbance + ecology

shapes ecosystem structure and succession, altered by suppression + climate change

pyrophytes

plants adapted to fire disturbance, rhizomes, thick bark, seed banks, resistant crown

disturbance types

fire, wind, floods, landslides etc.

wind disturbance

creates gap in primary canopy (windthrow, tornados, hurricanes)

flood kinds

-floodplains→ river/lake overflow

-flash flood→ storm event

-storm surge→ coastal event

flooding effects

soil erosion, salinity transportation, ice damage

flooding benefits

soil + nutrient disposition and seed dispersal

landslide causes

earthquakes, excessive rainfall, fires, volcanoes

landslide disturbance

remove soil, break and bury vegetation

ecotones

transition zones between communities

clements superorganism concept

species distributed together as an interdependent community

gleans individualistic concept

species distributed together as an independent community

community properties

-species composition

-species diversity

-dom. species (in biomass)

-most abundance species

-trophic levels

-primary productivity