ecology ecology is the study of interactions between organisms and their environment; focus is on...
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Ecology
Ecology is the study of interactions between organisms and their environment; focus is on energy transfer – It is a science of
relationships!
Why does ecology matter?Why does ecology matter?
Ecologists complete investigations on the environment, climate change, farming, energy, food, health, green living, and eco friendly products, etc..
• Example problems that ecology handles: – How do humans affect the atmosphere and
contribute to global warming? – How does the population of wolves in an area
affect the population of rabbits?– Do clownfish and anemone benefit each other?
Why does ecology matter?Why does ecology matter?
Scenario: Imagine that there is an insect that lives on peanut plants growing on farms in Effingham County. Is there a way that we can limit insect damage to the peanut crops in order to decrease the price of peanuts at the store by 20 cents per pound?
Ecology
A. There are two parts of an environment :1. ____________- all of the organisms that live
together and interact with one another.- Living factors
Examples: ___________, ______________, _____________, ________________, _____________
Ecology
A. There are two parts of an environment :1. Biotic- all of the organisms that live together
and interact with one another.- Living factors Examples: ___________, ______________,
_____________, ________________, _____________
Examples of Biotic Factors in the Environment
• Biotic means having to do with life or living organisms.
2. _________________- part of the environment that includes all of the physical, nonliving, factors.
Examples: _____________, _____________, _______________
2. Abiotic- part of the environment that includes all of the physical, nonliving, factors.
Examples: _____________, _____________, _______________
Examles of Abiotic Factors in the Environment
• Abiotic factors are characterized by the absence of life or living organisms.
• Sunlight, soil, temperature, and precipitation are examples of abiotic factors in the environment
Abiotic or Biotic?
• The air temperature is 45 degrees F =
• The soil is made of rocks and minerals =
• A bird lays eggs =
• Bacteria break down dead organisms =
• The pH or the water is 2 (acidic) =
abioticabiotic
abioticabiotic
abioticabiotic
bioticbiotic
bioticbiotic
Which of the following is a Which of the following is a relationship between abiotic and relationship between abiotic and
biotic factors?biotic factors?A) The rain on an open field washes away
soil
B) A hawk hunts a mouse and swoops down into the forest for the kill
C) A lake has very acidic water which causes many fish populations to die
D) A deer grazes in a field of grassesAbiotic
Biotic
EcosystemsEcosystems
• Ecosystem: An area containing an interaction of living and non-living factors in an area/region
• Example ecosystems: – South Georgia forests (pine forests)– Coastal Plains of Georgia– Okefenokee Swamp ecosystem– Clark’s Hill Lake Ecosystem
The organization of our world!The organization of our world!
The earth is a biosphere
Ecosystems are the living and nonliving things in an area
Populations are a group of one type of organism living in an area
Hierarchy of Biology
• Molecules• Organelles
• Cells• Tissues
• Organs• Organ systems
• Organisms• Populations
• Communities• Ecosystems
II. Organization in the Environment
1. Organism- the individual.
2. __________________- group of individuals of the same species that live together in the same area at the same time.
II. Organization in the Environment
1. Organism- the individual.
2. Population- group of individuals of the same species that live together in the same area at the same time.
3. Community- all of the populations of different species that live and interact in an area.
Animals found on the ocean floor
4. Biomes are areas on earth that can be characterized by the climate, vegetation, and organisms that live in a specific environment.
How do we study How do we study environments?environments?
• Quadrant Studies: Tracking changes in a small section of the environment
How do we study How do we study environments?environments?
• Sampling: Only measuring a small, random part of an environment
An example of an ecology study
• pH: the measurement of how acidic, basic, or neutral a solution is
1 ------------ 4 ----------- 7 ------------ 11 ------------- 14
Strong Acid(very acidic)
Weakly Acidic
Neutral
Weakly Basic
Strong Base(very basic)
Guided Examples• Vinegar
– pH of 4• Baking Soda
– pH of 8-9• Tap water
– pH of about 7• 1 M HCl (hydrochloric acid)
– pH of about 1• 1M NaOH
– pH of about 14
AcidicAcidic
AcidicAcidic
BasicBasic
BasicBasic
NeutralNeutral
Guided Examples
• Which is more acidic?A) pH of 2
B) pH of 5
C) pH of 7
D) pH of 11
• Which is more basic?A) pH of 2B) pH of 5C) pH of 7D) pH of 11
A scientist performs an experiment to see if acids have an effect on the health of a particular type of plant. Three sets of plants were treated with acidic solutions of known pH while the control set was treated with a solution of neutral pH 7.
What is the best conclusion for this experiment?
A. Acid has no effect on the health of this type of plant
B. High acidity is helpful to this type of plant
C. Low acidity is harmful to this type of plant
D. High acidity is harmful to this type of plant
1.Tropical Rainforest – hot, humid, heavy rainfall, tall trees, occur around the equator, many different species; most live in the canopy, birds, frogs, snakes, monkeys
2. Taiga – coniferous forest; long cold winters; Canada; usually only one or two types of conifers- evergreen trees like pines, bear, caribou, deer, elk, beaver
3. Temperate Deciduous Forest – Eastern U.S. ; leaves of trees change color, warm summers and mild winters; maple, oak, and elm trees, squirrel, deer, fox
4. Desert – hot in the daytime, cold at night; dry; Africa; U.S.; Australia, plants and animals exhibit adaptations and behaviors that help them conserve water; cactus, short shrubs, scorpions, rodents, and snakes.
5. Tundra – Cold; permafrost- soil is permanently frozen; little rainfall; soggy soil, Arctic; lichen and moss grow, caribou, arctic fox, arctic hare, owl.
6. Savanna- tropical grassland with a few scattered trees; Africa; wet & dry season, have large grazing animals like zebra, elephants, giraffes
Prairie – North American Grassland; U.S- very fertile soils
7. Water Biomes - controlled by abiotic factors like temperature, salt content, amount of sunlight that travels thru the water, distance from the land, and depth of the water.
A. Three types – marine, estuary, and freshwater
1. Marine – Base of the food chain is phytoplankton (producers) and zooplankton (consumers); ocean and sea biomes are divided into different zones
2. Estuary – occur where freshwater flows into salt water; tidal changes cause salt concentration changes; nutrient rich due to run-off from land; large numbers of plankton
3. Freshwater – 3 types depending on speed of waterA. Fast moving– rivers; producers and
consumers cling to rocksB. Slow moving- river grows wider as it
approaches the ocean; deltas form due to sediment build up
C. Still water– lakes and ponds, divided into different zones; shore, open water, and deep water
Nutrient Cycles
Cycling maintains homeostasis (balance) in the environment.
•3 cycles to investigate:
1. Water cycle
2. Carbon cycle
3. Nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen cycle-
Atmospheric nitrogen (N2) makes up nearly 78%-80% of air.
Organisms can not use it in that form.
Lightning and bacteria convert nitrogen into usable forms.
Nitrogen cycle-
Only in certain bacteria and industrial technologies can fix nitrogen.
Nitrogen fixation-convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonium (NH4
+) which can be used to make organic compounds like amino acids.
N2 NH4+
Nitrogen cycle-
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria:
Some live in a symbiotic relationship with plants of the legume family (e.g., soybeans, clover, peanuts).
Nitrogen cycle-
•Some nitrogen-fixing bacteria live free in the soil.
•Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria are essential to maintaining the fertility of semi-aquatic environments like rice paddies.
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