Global Ecology Class Notes

Learning Objectives

  • Define Ecology:
    • Study of interactions between organisms and their environment.
    • Main outcome: understanding distribution and abundance of organisms.
  • Levels of Ecology:
    • Organismal
    • Population
    • Community
    • Ecosystem
    • Global

Abiotic Factors Affecting Distribution

  1. Sunlight:

    • Affects both day length and intensity.
    • Variations in sunlight impact ecological patterns.

  2. Temperature:

    • Influenced by the curvature of the Earth.
    • Temperature dictates enzyme activity and water access.
    • Thermal gradient influences vegetation and species distributions.

  3. Moisture:

    • Essential for photosynthesis and overall supporting life.

  4. Wind:

    • Influences moisture distribution and affects climate.

Seasonal Variation Causes

  • Earth's Tilt:
    • Earth's axial tilt of 23.5 degrees results in seasonal changes.
    • Variation in sun exposure leads to seasonal temperature and precipitation changes.

Major Biomes and Their Characteristics

  • Tropical Rainforest:
    • Found near the equator, high temperatures and rainfall.
  • Desert:
    • Found at 30°N and 30°S latitudes, low precipitation.
  • Temperate Forest:
    • Moderate climates, distinct seasons.
  • Taiga (Boreal Forest):
    • Cold climate, mostly coniferous trees.
  • Tundra:
    • Cold, treeless areas; low biodiversity.
    • Example of Biome Distribution: Areas at 30° N/S are arid due to descending dry air, resulting in deserts.

Coriolis Effect

  • Describes the way moving air and water are deflected due to Earth's rotation.

Biotic Interactions

  • Include:
    • Predation
    • Competition
    • Mutualism
    • Parasitism

Miscellaneous Concepts

  • Hadley Cells create predictable climatic zones affecting biomes (e.g., deserts due to high-pressure areas).
  • Clements and Shelford’s Classification: Biomes represent broad ecological distributions of plants and animals based on adaptations to climatic conditions.

Summary Diagrams

  • Climograph illustrating relationships between temperature and precipitation across biomes.
    • Various biomes show distinct annual mean temperature and precipitation patterns.
  • Geographic Distribution of Biomes: Location patterns relative to latitude influence the types of biomes present.