Podcast
Questions and Answers
What primarily determines the distribution of organisms on Earth?
What primarily determines the distribution of organisms on Earth?
Which of the following factors does not influence climate?
Which of the following factors does not influence climate?
Which statement about biomes is incorrect?
Which statement about biomes is incorrect?
In a meromictic lake, what phenomenon prevents water mixing?
In a meromictic lake, what phenomenon prevents water mixing?
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Which factor does not characterize the adaptations of organisms within a biome?
Which factor does not characterize the adaptations of organisms within a biome?
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What primary factor contributes to the diversification of finches in the Galapagos Islands?
What primary factor contributes to the diversification of finches in the Galapagos Islands?
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Which process best describes the diversification of cichlid species in Africa?
Which process best describes the diversification of cichlid species in Africa?
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What is the primary reason for higher species richness in tropical regions compared to temperate regions?
What is the primary reason for higher species richness in tropical regions compared to temperate regions?
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Which of the following is a possible explanation for the latitudinal gradient in species richness?
Which of the following is a possible explanation for the latitudinal gradient in species richness?
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What biotic factor could influence the distribution of marine species?
What biotic factor could influence the distribution of marine species?
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Study Notes
Topic 14: Biosphere and Ecology
- This topic covers the biosphere and ecological principles.
Learning Outcomes
- Students will determine abiotic factors influencing species presence in ecosystems and biomes.
- Students will associate biological structures/patterns with ecological research levels.
- Students will explain abiotic factor differences between habitats.
- Determine if range distribution changes are due to evolutionary history, biotic or abiotic factors.
- Students will compare species based on resource utilization.
- Predict species range expansion with abiotic changes.
- Explain how ecological changes affect evolutionary changes using an example.
- Students will classify biological interactions based on benefits/harm.
- Design a simple experiment comparing fundamental and realized niches.
What is Ecology?
- Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment.
- These interactions depend on biotic (other organisms) and abiotic (physical/chemical) factors.
- These interactions determine geographical distribution, species abundance/diversity, evolutionary processes, energy/material movement in ecosystems, and ecosystem development.
- Ecology considers many levels of biological hierarchy.
Organismal Ecology
- Examines how organism structure, physiology, and behavior respond to environmental challenges.
Population Ecology
- Studies how biotic and abiotic factors affect population size and change over time.
Community Ecology
- Investigates interactions between species (e.g., predation, competition) and how these influence community structure and organization.
Ecosystem Ecology
- Focuses on energy and nutrient cycling between organisms and the environment within a community.
Landscape Ecology
- Examines how energy, materials, and organisms exchange across multiple ecosystems.
- A landscape is a mosaic of connected ecosystems.
Global Ecology
- Analyzes the global ecosystem (biosphere): the sum of all planet ecosystems and landscapes
- Explores factors controlling exchanges (energy, materials, organisms) across multiple ecosystems, and how these processes affect global function.
Earth Climate and Dynamics
- Climate is long-term weather in a given area; it's primarily determined by temperature, precipitation, light, and wind.
- Solar energy input varies across Earth's surface, causing latitudinal variations in climate factors.
Biomes
- Biomes are major ecosystem types (terrestrial or aquatic) defined by dominant vegetation and environmental characteristics, and the adaptations of organisms to that environment.
- Biomes show variations in average temperature, precipitation, seasonal variations, and soil nutrients.
Biome Examples
- Slides in the presentation show various biome examples, such as wetlands, streams, lakes, oceans, and coral reefs.
- These examples demonstrate the range of habitats/environments across Earth.
Deep Lakes and Turnover
- Deep lakes (meromictic) don't mix water; they have thermoclines (temperature gradients).
- Temperate, holomictic lakes mix with turnover in spring and fall, moving surface water to the bottom and nutrient-rich bottom water to the surface.
Species Distribution
- Species distribution depends on evolutionary history, biotic, and abiotic factors.
- Examples discussed involved cichlids (diversification related to changing lake conditions) and Darwin's finches (diversification related to different island conditions).
- Explanations include speciation in changing environments, adaptations to new resources, and ecological specialization.
- Factors like climate (tropical vs. temperate), species richness (more species in tropics), and ice ages, can also affect distribution patterns.
Response to Environmental Stress
- Species can be generalists (wide range of environmental conditions) or specialists (narrow range of conditions). These different strategies and responses are related to specific environmental variables.
- Species abundance peaks at an optimal environmental value before declining as conditions get extremes.
Dispersal and Species Range
- Dispersal is the movement of individuals away from their origin or high-density areas.
- Dispersal (the ability, or lack, to move) can play major roles in species' range expansions, or contractions across environments.
- Factors discussed included species' ranges limited by physiology, abiotic or biotic factors, limited dispersal (for example, by physical barriers), or changes in species range driven by adaptation or environmental change.
Interspecific Interactions
- Species interactions influence community composition and dynamics.
- Examples given include competition, predation, herbivory, parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism.
- Interactions can drive evolutionary change in morphology, physiology, and behavior.
- Competitive exclusion is discussed as a possible outcome of interspecies competition. Resource partitioning is another important example affecting species that can coexist in a habitat due to partitioning resources for survival.
Trophic Relationships
- Populations of organisms in intermediate trophic levels can be controlled by factors such as the amount of food available (bottom-up control) or by predator presence (top-down control)..
- Communities vary in the factors that control the abundance and species richness.
- Examples of keystone species were illustrated, showing strong influence in species richness of a community.
Commensalism
- Commensalism occurs when one species benefits from an interaction without harming the other species..
- Examples including cattle egrets and buffaloes are shown, where egrets benefit from feeding on insects disturbed by grazing, and an example of whales and barnacles is referenced.
Ecological Change and Evolutionary Change
- Ecological interactions can drive evolutionary change (e.g., predator-prey, or climate change).
- Evolutionary change responses to a drought are provided as an example, showing how natural selection can lead to adaptation.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the principles of the biosphere and ecology. This quiz covers abiotic factors, biological interactions, and the relationship between ecological changes and evolutionary processes. Assess your understanding of species distribution, resource utilization, and niche concepts.
