Literally 1/4 of ecology

Biotic

Living (ex organisms)

Abiotic

non-living (ex environment)

Life’s Hierarchy of Organization

Molecule, organelle, cell, tissue, organ, system, organism, population, community, ecosystem, biosphere

All life is interconnected

• living organisms are connected with each other directly and indirectly with the environment

• Events affecting one organism or place affects other organisms

Everything goes somewhere

• there is no “away” for waste

• waste produced by one species is used by another

No population can increase in size forever

there are limits to population growth and resource use for every species

there is no free lunch

• everything has a cost

• one activity occurs at the expense of something else

evolution matters

adaptive evolution is an ongoing process as environmental factors change over time

time matters

long vs short term

Space matters

local: presence/absence of species, soil salinity, nutrients in soil

regional: species pool, dispersal, climate

Global: ocean currents, wind, greenhouse gases

life would be impossible without species interaction

sun > producers > consumers > decomposers

balance of nature

natural systems are stable, and tend to return to an original state after disturbance

observational studies can only provide

indirect evidence

controlled lab experiments

experimental groups are compared with a control group that lacks a factor being tested

ecology

the scientific study of how organisms affect- and are affected by- other organisms and their environment

climate

the most fundamental component of the physical environment

ecological niche

abiotic AND biotic conditions needed by species to survive, grow, and reproduce

energy sources

sunlight and chemical processes

inorganic nutrients

nitrogen and phosphorus

weather

current conditions (temperature, precipitation, humidity, cloud cover)

climate (def)

long-term descriptions of weather, based on averages and variation measured over decades. Includes cycles (daily, seasonal, yearly, decadal) and long term trends (temp, wind, rain, etc)

global climate system is driven by energy, which is

derived from solar radiation

radiation reflected back by clouds and aerosols

1/3

radiation absorbed by ozone, clouds, vapor

1/5

radiation absorbed by earth

49%

without greenhouse effect

earth would be 33 degrees C cooler

energy is spread poleward by

winds and ocean currents

atmospheric circulation

caused by differential heating of Earths surface. determines earths major climate zones

Low pressure atmospheric circulation

warm rising air, condenses to form precipitation (tropical rainforests and temperate forests)

High pressure atmospheric circulation

dry, cool, falling air (deserts and tundra)

prevailing winds

wind flow from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure, resulting in consistent patterns of air movement

Coriolis effect

winds appear to be deflected due to the rotation of the earth

heat capacity

unit of heat required to increase the temp of a substance by 1 degree

summer

land warms faster than ocean, ocean is cooler, denser, high pressure cell

surface currents

driven by winds, but modified by land masses. speed of currents is about 2-3% of wind speed

surface water extends

~75-200m below surface

deep ocean circulation

density driven (temp and salinity). highly stratified, little vertical motion (fueled by sinking water masses)

ocean currents are responsible for

~40% of the heat exchange between the tropics and polar regions

downwelling

colder, denser water sinks

upwelling

prevailing wings pull water away from coastline. brings nutrients up to surface

lapse rate

decrease in temperature with increasing height above the surface

pressure decreases with

increasing elevation

continental climate

terrestrial areas in the middle of large continental land masses have greater variation in daily and seasonal temperatures

maritime climate

costal areas that are influenced by an adjacent ocean

albedo

amount of solar radiation a surface reflects; light-colored objects have highest

evapotranspiration

water loss through transpiration y plants, plus evaporation from the soil

texture

smooth surface allows for less transfer of energy to the atmosphere by wind than a rough one

climate impacts vegetation and

vegetation affects climate

Intertropical Convergence zone (ITCZ)

the zone of maximum solar radiation and atmospheric uplift. moves from 23.5 degrees N in June to 23.5 S in December

water is most dense at

4 degrees C

stratified

warm surface water on top of colder, denser water resulting in layers that don’t mix

El Nino events

longer scale climate variations that occur every 3-8 years and last about 18 months. the positions of high and low pressure systems over the equatorial pacific switch, and trade winds weaken

La Nina events

low pressure cells over the western pacific. often follow El Nino events, sea surface temperatures 3-5 degrees C cooler in pacific

Salinity

concentration of dissolved salts in water

acidity

ability of a solution to act as an acid, gives up protons to a solution H+

alkalinity

ability for a solution to act as a base- takes H+ or gives up hydroxide ions OH-

most organisms (except some archaea, bacteria, and fungi) require

O2 for metabolism

Hypoxic

low oxygen, can promote toxic chemicals

biosphere

zone of life on earth

lithosphere

earths surface crust and upper mantle

troposphere

lowest layer of the atmosphere

biomes

large scale terrestrial communities shaped by the physical environment

terrestrial biomes are characterized by

growth forms of the dominant vegetation

convergence

evolution of similar growth forms among distantly related species in response to similar selection pressures

growth forms

size and morphology of plants

land use change

began ~10,000 years ago, but most from last 150 years. 60% of land surface has been altered by humans. has had some of the biggest impacts on natural areas and species extinctions

urban and developed land

2-3% of land surface

tropical rainforests

10° N and S

>200 mm rain annually

light is a key limiting factor

no seasonality

tropical deforestation

½ have been impacted, africa and SE asia most. becoming pastureland

tropical seasonal forests and savannas

north and south of the wet tropics 10-23.5° N and S

wet and dry seasons

shorter trees, more grasses and shrubs

maintained by fire, herbivores or flooding

hot deserts

high pressure zones at 30° N and S

high temp, low moisture

sparce vegetation and animal populations

low water availability

drought and unsustainable grazing

temperate grasslands

between 30° and 50° N latitude

wet and growing season

maintained by fire, herbivores

extensive root systems

most impacted by agriculture

temperate shrublands and woodlands

between 30° and 40° N

asynchronous wet and growing season

evergreens

fire is maintainer

temperate deciduous forests

30° to 50° N

N hemisphere only

adequate water

oaks, maples, beeches

temperate evergreen forests

30° to 50° N and S

coastal, continental, maritime zones

acidic soils

conifers

FLORIDA BIOME

boreal forests (taiga)

50° to 65° N

long, severe winters

permafrost

pines, spruces larches, birches

high organic matter

peat bogs

tundra

above 65° (arctic)

cold and dry

widespread permafrost

short growing season, plants survive by going dormant

lotic

flowing water

lentic

still waters

stream order increases as

you travel downstream

littoral zone

macrophytes, plankton

pelagic zone

swimmers, zooplankton, determined by light availability and proximity to the bottom

photic zone

phytoplankton

benthic zone

fungi, bacteria, detritovores

nearshore

influenced by tides, local climate, substrate stability

rocky intertidal zone

high energy, sessile animals, resistant to desiccation

sandy intertidal zone

invertebrates

estuaries

junction of rivers with ocean, salinity and nutrient mixing

coastal marshes and mangroves

low energy, high productivity and soil building

shallow ocean

high biodiversity and productivity, driven by photosynthesis

coral reefs

warm, ecosystem engineers, highest diversity on earth

seagrass beds

submerged flowering plants

kelp beds

temperate, large strands of seaweed (brown algae)

deep ocean

low temp, high pressure, detrital based food chain

tolerance

tolerate environmental variation

avoidance

behavioral and or physiological changes

physiological ecology

the study of interactions between organisms and the physical environment that influences survival and persistence

potential species distribution

determined by physical environment

actual species distribution

other factors such as dispersal, disturbance and competition