Bsci106 Exam 1
August 31, 2012—LECTURE 1
· What is ecology? o interactions of organisms with each other and with their environment
§ biotic environment
§ abiotic environment
· why is ecology important? o Context for evolution o Management of resources o Evaluation of human impacts
Levels of study (ECOLOGY)
· Organismal: individual interactions with their environment
· Population: factors regulating population growth rates and population size
· Community: interactions among different species in an area
· Ecosystem: interactions between communities and their environments o Biotic/abiotic
· Landscape ecology
· Global ecology ABIOTIC FACTORS
· Some predictable attributes of communities that are based on large scale abiotic factors o (ex: light/latitude/energy input/temperature) o global air circulation (Hadley cells: air circles)
§ –predictable patterns where deserts are due to winds (all around 30 degrees North and South of equator) o seasonality/tilt of earth axis
§ —seasonality is due to how the earth is tilted on an axis
§ effects climate in a big way
· (Green Sahara: ~8000 years ago the Sahara was lush and wet environment, since then the earth’s axis tilt has changed slightly—profound effects) o bodies of water
§ water can retain a lot of heat (warm bodies of water give land masses milder climates)
§ water currents circle around the equator which influences climate on land o earth is round—effects air/water patterns o local geography—huge effect on planet
§ “rain shadows” –when there’s a lot of rain in a certain area (normally coastal), it can produce a dry area on the opposite side o terrestrial ecosystems are heavily influenced by temperature/precipitation o aquatic ecosystems—water depth and rate of water movement are key o biomes: major life zones characterized by vegetation type or physical environment · if the abiotic factors change, then the
· What is ecology? o interactions of organisms with each other and with their environment
§ biotic environment
§ abiotic environment
· why is ecology important? o Context for evolution o Management of resources o Evaluation of human impacts
Levels of study (ECOLOGY)
· Organismal: individual interactions with their environment
· Population: factors regulating population growth rates and population size
· Community: interactions among different species in an area
· Ecosystem: interactions between communities and their environments o Biotic/abiotic
· Landscape ecology
· Global ecology ABIOTIC FACTORS
· Some predictable attributes of communities that are based on large scale abiotic factors o (ex: light/latitude/energy input/temperature) o global air circulation (Hadley cells: air circles)
§ –predictable patterns where deserts are due to winds (all around 30 degrees North and South of equator) o seasonality/tilt of earth axis
§ —seasonality is due to how the earth is tilted on an axis
§ effects climate in a big way
· (Green Sahara: ~8000 years ago the Sahara was lush and wet environment, since then the earth’s axis tilt has changed slightly—profound effects) o bodies of water
§ water can retain a lot of heat (warm bodies of water give land masses milder climates)
§ water currents circle around the equator which influences climate on land o earth is round—effects air/water patterns o local geography—huge effect on planet
§ “rain shadows” –when there’s a lot of rain in a certain area (normally coastal), it can produce a dry area on the opposite side o terrestrial ecosystems are heavily influenced by temperature/precipitation o aquatic ecosystems—water depth and rate of water movement are key o biomes: major life zones characterized by vegetation type or physical environment · if the abiotic factors change, then the