Ecosystems and Population Change Dichotomous

Ecosystems and Population Change

  • Biology 20 - Unit A

Individuals, Populations, and Communities

Definitions

  • Morphology: Physical appearance of an organism, usually influenced by its environment.
  • Species: Organisms that can breed with one another and produce fertile offspring.
  • Population: A group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area at the same time.
  • Community: All the individuals in all the interacting populations in a given area.
    • Interactions between populations can be studied (e.g., predator-prey).
  • Ecosystem: Community of populations together with the abiotic conditions (large or small).
  • Biosphere: All the ecosystems in the world.

Environments Changing

  • Most environments are dynamic and always changing.
  • Populations of organisms change.
  • Natural disturbances (fire, flood) change the ecosystem.
  • New habitat may become available.

Question: Northern Pike in Great Slave Lake

  • Northern pike, spawning in spring in Great Slave Lake, demonstrates ecological organization.
  • Their physical characteristics include long, spotted, greenish-brown bodies and prominent snouts.
  • Average weights range from 2-7 kg, with some individuals reaching 13-18 kg.
  • The northern pike are part of a population, sharing the same species and living in the same area.
  • They are part of a community, interacting with other populations in the lake.
  • They are also part of the ecosystem, interacting with abiotic conditions.

Coyotes in Waterton Lakes National Park

  • Several coyote families (Canis latrans) were found in Waterton Lakes National Park in June 2020.
  • Components of a population:
    • Defined by ecologists.
  • Coyotes as a single population:
    • All coyotes in the park might be considered a single population.
  • Coyotes not as a single population:
    • Reasons why they might not be considered a single population.
  • Argument Justification:
    • Choose the more reasonable argument (single or multiple populations) and justify the choice.

Ready to Play

  • Game to choose between: Biome, Species, community, population or ecosystem.

Abiotic Factors

  • Air
  • Wind
  • Gases
  • Light
  • Soil
  • Sun
  • Temperature
  • Water

Answers to Game

  • Slide 8: Biome
  • Slide 9: Ecosystem
  • Slide 10: Ecosystem
  • Slide 11: Population
  • Slide 12: Community
  • Slide 13: Ecosystem
  • Slide 14: Species
  • Slide 15: Community
  • Slide 16: Not a species
  • Slide 17: Species
  • Slide 18: Species
  • Slide 19: Population

Order from Smallest to Largest

  • Individual
  • Species
  • Population
  • Community
  • Ecosystem
  • Biome
  • Biosphere

Classification

  • All life
  • Domain
  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species
  • Example: Tapir classification
    • Kingdom: Animal
    • Phylum: Chordata
    • Class: Mammal
    • Order: Herbivore
    • Family: Tapiridae
    • Genus: Perissodactyl
    • Species: Tapirus indicus

The Three Domains of Life

  • Eukaryota
  • Archaea
  • Eubacteria

Kingdom Classification

  • The six kingdoms are mainly separated by their cell type, structure, and nutrition.
  • Taxonomy: The science of naming, describing, and classifying organisms, including all plants, animals, and microorganisms of the world.

Morphology in the Genus Level

  • Organisms are often split at the Genus level of classification in terms of morphology.
  • Morphology describes the form and structure of organisms.

Definitions: Eukaryotes vs. Prokaryotes

  • Eukaryotes: Have their DNA in a nucleus (e.g., plants and animals).
  • Prokaryotes: Do not have a nucleus to enclose their DNA (e.g., bacteria).

KKK

  • Life
  • Domain
  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species

King Philip Came Over For Gold Specks

  • Mnemonic for remembering the classification order: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

Ursus americanus: American Black Bear

  • American Black Bear: Ursus americanus
  • Binomial Nomenclature: “a two-name system”
    • First part of the name: genus (first letter always capitalized)
    • Second part of the name: species (first letter always lowercase)
    • Entire name is underlined (when written) or italicized when typed.
    • Names must be submitted for acceptance by original discoverer and are generally Latin or Latinized.

Canis lupus vs Canis familiaris

  • Canis domesticus
  • Canis lupus

Archaebacteria

  • Microbiologists found that the DNA of Archaea is much different from true bacteria.
  • Most Archaea live in extreme conditions (very hot, acidic/basic, sulfurous, etc.).
  • Have cell walls and are heterotrophs.
  • Domain: Archaea

Eubacteria

  • Domain: Eubacteria means “true bacteria.”
  • These are the kind of bacteria likely to make us sick, live in our gut to help us digest food, or can be used in the making of cheese.
  • No nucleus, heterotrophs or autotrophs, asexual reproduction.

Eukaryotes

  • Domain: Eukaryota
  • Contains all eukaryotes (organisms with a nucleus in their cells).
  • Examples: Protista, Fungi, Plantae, Animalia

Kingdom Protista

  • Examples: Amoeba, Paramecium, Giardia, Water Mold, Slime Mold, Euglena, Dinoflagellates, Green Algae, Brown Algae, Diatom.

Protista Characteristics

  • Includes all protists:
    • Eukaryotic
    • Unicellular
    • Heterotrophs/autotrophs
    • Sexual and asexual reproduction
    • Need a moist habitat

Kingdom Fungi

  • Examples of fungi: molds, mushrooms, rusts, lichens
  • Multicellular
  • Heterotrophs
  • Sexual and asexual reproduction

Kingdom Plantae

  • Examples: Bryophyte (Moss), Pteridophyte (Fern), Coniferophytes (Pine Trees), Angiosperm (Dicot, Monocot)
  • Plants produce their own food from sunlight and carbon dioxide
  • Multicellular
  • Reproduce sexually and/or asexually
  • Not normally motile (do not move)

Kingdom Animalia

  • All animals are multicellular
  • Heterotrophs
  • Reproduce sexually
  • Live in terrestrial or aquatic habitats
  • High motility

Examples from Kingdom Animalia

  • Examples of phyla within Kingdom Animalia
  • Ctenophora
  • Platyhelminthes
  • Cnidaria
  • Nematoda
  • Chordata
  • Annelida
  • Echinodermata
  • Molluska
  • Arthropoda

Human Classification

  • Domain: Eukarya
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Class: Mammalia
  • Order: Primates
  • Family: Hominidae
  • Genus: Homo
  • Species: Sapien

Dichotomous Key

  • A dichotomous key is a tool that allows the user to determine the identity of items in the natural world, such as trees, wildflowers, mammals, reptiles, rocks, and fish.
  • Keys consist of a series of choices that lead the user to the correct name of a given item.