Class PPT Week 1 - 5 (1) PDF

 Our future depends on our ability to understand and evaluate evidence- based arguments about the environmental consequences of human actions and technologies, and to make informed decisions based on those arguments From global climate change to habitat loss driven by human...

 Our future depends on our ability to understand and evaluate evidence- based arguments about the environmental consequences of human actions and technologies, and to make informed decisions based on those arguments From global climate change to habitat loss driven by human population growth and development, Earth is becoming a different planet—right before our eyes. Sustainable Ethic The earth has a limited supply of resources Humans must conserve resources Humans share the earth’s resources with other living things Growth is not sustainable Humans are a part of nature Humans are affected by natural laws Humans succeed best when they maintain the integrity of natural processes sand cooperate with nature  Climate is the average weather in each area over a longer period. A description of a climate includes information on, e.g., the average temperature in different seasons, rainfall, and sunshine Climate is the long-term pattern of weather in a particular area Weather can change from hour-to-hour, day- to-day, month-to-month, or even year-to- year. A region’s weather patterns, usually tracked for at least 30 years, are considered its climate  A: Tropical. In this hot and humid zone, the average temperatures are greater than 64°F (18°C) year-round and there is more than 59 inches of precipitation each year B: Dry. These climate zones are so dry because moisture is rapidly evaporated from the air and there is very little precipitation. C: Temperate. In this zone, there are typically warm and humid summers with thunderstorms and mild winters D. Continental. These regions have warm to cool summers and very cold winters. In the winter, this zone can experience snowstorms, strong winds, and very cold temperatures—sometimes falling below -22°F (-30°C)! E: Polar. In the polar climate zones, it’s extremely cold. Even in summer, the temperatures here never go higher than 50°F (10°C)!  West-coast Vancouver has an average January temperature of 37 °F (3 °C) and an average July temperature of 64 °F (18 °C), While in Regina, Saskatchewan, on the interior plains, average temperatures vary from −1 to 67 °F (−18 to 19 °C) The daily range of temperature is also narrower on the coasts than in interior locations Do you Know The country farthest from open water are the coldest, so that in the interior plains and in the North the winters are extremely cold. The lowest temperature ever recorded was −81 °F (−63 °C) at Snag, Yukon, in 1947 During the summer, however, the parts of Canada farthest from open water are the warmest. The highest temperature recorded was 113 °F (45 °C) at Midale and Yellow Grass, both in Saskatchewan, in 1937  Vancouver has a moderate, oceanic climate. Protected by the mountains and warmed by the Pacific Ocean currents, Vancouver is one of the warmest cities in Canada ( True or False ) Vancouver ranks as the 9th rainiest location in Canada ( True or False ) Vancouver's wettest months are November and December ( True or False) Vancouver’s driest months? Climate factors are terrestrial factors influencing the weather and weather conditions. Climate factors are stable and/or only slightly changing factors, except the vegetation cover (land use) Climate features also include windiness, humidity, cloud cover, atmospheric pressure, and fogginess. A region’s elevation, proximity to the ocean or freshwater, and land-use patterns can all impact climate. All climates are the product of many factors, including latitude, elevation, topography, distance from the ocean, and location on a continent. Relief’ is the term used for the differences in height from place to place on the land’s surface and it is greatly affected by the underlying geology. Relief relies on the hardness, permeability, and structure of a rock  High Places: The temperature of the air around you depends partly on the atmospheric pressure Land and Sea : Temperatures Places close to the sea have a milder climate than places a long way inland Winds and Ocean Currents: Warm and cold winds blowing around the world also influence climate. The temperature of the wind depends on where it has blown from: Cloud Cover: Clouds make places cooler during the day because they block some of the Sun's rays. At night they trap in heat and keep the air warm  Troposphere: The bottom layer, which is the layer closest to the Earth, is the densest of the five layers. Tratosphere: The next layer is the stratosphere. This layer is the layer that contains the Earth’s ozone layer Mesosphere: Above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere is the mesosphere Hydrosphere: All the water on Earth is known collectively as the Earth’s hydrosphere The lithosphere contains the elements of the Earth’s crust and part of the upper mantle. This is the hard and rigid outer layer of the Earth Biotic—living factors that influence an ecosystem Abiotic—non-living factors that influence an ecosystem Global Ecology: It deals with interactions among earth’s ecosystems, land, atmosphere and oceans Landscape Ecology: It deals with the exchange of energy, materials, organisms and other products of ecosystems Ecosystem Ecology: It deals with the entire ecosystem, including the study of living and non-living components and their relationship with the environment  Community Ecology: It deals with how community structure is modified by interactions among living organisms Population Ecology: It deals with factors that alter and impact the genetic composition and the size of the population of organisms  Organismal ecology is the study of an individual organism’s behavior, morphology, physiology, etc. Molecular Ecology: The study of ecology focuses on the production of proteins and how these proteins affect the organisms and their environment. Do you Know The biosphere includes the whole of Earth with all its ecosystem and living beings together with the physical or nonliving components Biosphere: Main Characteristics It involves the complex of all physical environments of Earth capable of supporting life, including all the life forms that populate these environments The biosphere covers the lithosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), and air(atmosphere) The biosphere can be further subdivided into individual functional units called ecosystems Good to Know The Earth's biosphere is important because it is a self-sustaining system that contains, supports, and propagates all life on Earth The living life forms in the biosphere, abiotic or nonliving parts within the biosphere, and the energy that cycles within the entire biosphere ecosystem Biosphere is a Global Eco-system ? Factors Affecting Biosphere Earth tilting. The tilting of the Earth affects the biosphere largely. Natural disasters. Natural disasters can leave a huge and long-lasting impact on the biosphere Some smaller factors. The other smaller factors, like the change of climate, water, erosion of the soil, or any other kind of change, affect the biosphere and disturb different species’ lives Key Points A biome is the collection of a particular ecosystem, while a biosphere is the collection of all the biomes The basic component of a biome is the ecosystem, while a biosphere is basically composed of individuals of different species The species richness is always at its highest level in the biosphere while it is at a comparatively lower level in a biome Tropical rainforest 23.5° north – 23.5° south of the equator. Hot and wet all year Around 12 hours of sunshine all year round. Rich in plants and animals Almost all plants are evergreen (they don’t drop their leaves in a particular season). Plants grow quickly and are adapted to take in maximum light Dense vegetation provides food and habitats for many species of animals. Poor soils as nutrients are rapidly recycled as leaves decompose quickly, providing a constant supply of nutrients to the soil Tropical grassland or savanna Within the tropics. Mainly between 5° and 15° north and south of the equator. Lots of sunshine throughout the year Relatively low rainfall (800-900mm). Hot with a wet and dry season. Fires are common in the dry season Temperatures are highest (around 35°C) just before the wet season and lowest (around 15°C) just after it Mainly grass, scrub, small plants, and a few specially adapted trees e.g., acacia. These plants are adapted to recover quickly after a fire. Many species of insects. Large mammals such as lions, elephants, giraffes and zebras Desert 15-30° north and south of the equator. Located in a belt of high pressure (sinking air) and low rainfall Low rainfall (less than 250 mm per year) It might only rain once every two or three years. Very hot and dry High range in temperatures between very cold night temperatures (0°C) and hot daytime temperatures (e.g., 45°C) Hot deserts get more daylight during the summer than in the winter There is little cloud cover because they get lots of sunshine hours during the day. Plant growth is sparse due to limited rainfall. Vegetation includes cacti and thornbushes.  An ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, as well as weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life Ecosystems contain biotic or living, parts, as well as abiotic factors, or nonliving parts Biotic factors include plants, animals, and other organisms Abiotic factors include rocks, temperature, and humidity  Terrestrial Ecosystem Aquatic Ecosystem Terrestrial ecosystems are exclusively land-based ecosystems 1. Forest Ecosystem 2. Grassland Ecosystem 3. Tundra Ecosystem 4. Desert Ecosystem Forest Ecosystem: A forest ecosystem consists of several plants, particularly trees, animals and microorganisms that live in coordination with the abiotic factors of the environment Grassland Ecosystem: In a grassland ecosystem, the vegetation is dominated by grasses and herbs. Tundra Ecosystem: Tundra ecosystems are devoid of trees and are found in cold climates or where rainfall is scarce Desert Ecosystem: Deserts are found throughout the world. These are regions with little rainfall and scarce vegetation. The days are hot, and the nights are cold  Freshwater Ecosystem: The freshwater ecosystem is an aquatic ecosystem that includes lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands Marine Ecosystem: The marine ecosystem includes seas and oceans. These have a more substantial salt content and greater biodiversity in comparison to the freshwater ecosystem Human Impacts on the Environment  Water Pollution Air Pollution Climate Change  Nonrenewable energy resources include coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy. Once these resources are used up, they cannot be replaced, Renewable resources?  Nutrients are chemicals that living things need They are renewable natural resources They move round and round in cycles and never run out ( True or False)  Producers A. Sunlight is the main energy source for life on earth B. Also called autotrophs C. Use light or chemical energy to make food 1. Plants 2. plant-like protists (algae) 3. Bacteria D. Photosynthesis—use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and carbohydrates Light Energy (Remember: 6CO2 + 6H2O 6O2 + C6H12O6) E. Chemosynthesis—performed by bacteria, use chemical energy to produce  Consumers A. Organisms that rely on other organisms for their energy and food supply B. Also called heterotrophs  Herbivores—obtain energy by eating only plants Carnivores—eat only animals Omnivores—eat both plants and animals Decomposers—breaks down dead organic matter  A food chain outlines who eats whom A food web is all the food chains in an ecosystem Each organism in an ecosystem occupies a specific trophic level or position in the food chain or web B. Food Chain—series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten 1. Arrows go in the direction of how energy is transferred 2. Start with producer and end with top consumer Ex: grass cricket frog or carnivore raccoon C. Food Web—network of food chains within an ecosystem Hawks Weasel Raccoo s ns Mice Grass Gras Which of the organisms above is the producer? Hawks Which of the organisms above is the top consumer? s  Hawks Food Webs Weasels Raccoon s Mic e Grass Interactions Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction—from the sun or inorganic compounds to autotrophs (producers) and then to heterotrophs (consumers) D. Trophic Levels—each step in a food chain or food web 1. Level 1—Producers (autotrophs) 2. Level 2—Primary Consumers (herbivores) 3. Level 3—Secondary Consumers (carnivores or omnivores) 4. Level 4—Tertiary Consumers (carnivore—usually top carnivore) IV. Ecological Pyramids A. Diagram that shows the relative amount of energy or organisms contained within each trophic level of a food chain or web B. Energy Pyramid shows relative amount of energy available at each trophic level 1. Organisms in a trophic level use the available energy for life processes (such as growth, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, metabolism, etc.)and release some energy as heat 2. Rule of 10—only about 10% of the available energy within a trophic level is transferred to the next higher trophic level C. Biomass Pyramid—represents the amount of living organic matter at each trophic level  0.1% 1 % 10 % 100 % Energy Biomass Pyramid Pyramid Energy and Biomass Pyramid (together) Represents amount of energy available at each level as well as amount of living tissue —both decrease with each increasing trophic level Summary Energy is something that we cannot create. It always must be transferred from one organism to another. Living beings need this energy to breathe, grow, reproduce, and basically live their life on this planet The most common way to describe and explain how energy moves from one level to another in an ecosystem is by using a food chain or food web. Each link in this food chain means a new energy level as organisms feed on one another At the bottom of the food chain, we always find the primary producers i.e., plants. From here, the chain moves upwards. For example, In a marine ecosystem, these plants are called phytoplankton It is at this bottom level that the most amount of energy is present. They are more in number, and they form the nerve of the entire ecosystem The energy pyramid is used to describe the food chain. In this, the lowest level is the widest and as it moves up the food chain, the pyramid gets thinner. This is obvious because the number of animals goes down in a land-based ecosystem V. Ecological Interactions between organisms A. Competition—when two organisms of the same or different species attempt to use an ecological resource in the same place at the same time. Ex: food, water, shelter  Monkeys compete with each other and other animals for food. Rams compete with each other for mates.  Until Americans introduced gray squirrels into parts of England in the early 20th century, red squirrels had been the only species of squirrel in the country The gray squirrels were larger and bred faster and successfully competed for resources. Within a couple years of overlap in an area, the red squirrels disappeared B. Niche—the ecological niche involves both the place where an organism lives and the roles that an organism has in its habitat. Example: The ecological niche of a sunflower growing in the backyard includes absorbing light, water and nutrients (for photosynthesis), providing shelter and food for other organisms (e.g. bees, ants, etc.), and giving off oxygen into the atmosphere. The ecological niche of an organism depends not only on where it lives but also on what it does. By analogy, it may be said that the habitat is the organism’s “address”, and the niche is its “profession”, biologically speaking. “Address”—Soil, Worm’s Ground, etc. Niche “Profession”– Mix-up soil C. Predation—one organism captures and feeds on another organism 1. Predator—one that does the killing 2. Prey—one that is the food D. Symbiosis—Any relationship in which two species live closely together 1. Mutualism—Both species benefit (WIN-WIN) a. Ex: insects and flowers Can you think of any other examples that we’ve talked about in class? 2. Commensalism—one member of the association benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed. (WIN-0) Example: barnacles on a whale  The Remora fish attaches to the shark and gets a free ride. Commensalis m Birds build nests in trees. 3. Parasitism—One organisms lives on or inside another organism (host) and harms it. The parasite obtains all or part of its nutritional needs from the host. (WIN- LOSE) Example: fleas on a dog  Wasp eggs on back of caterpillar. Parasitis m Sea lampreys feed on fluids of other fish. Mosquito biting a human. Mutualism, Commensalism or Parasitism?? Useful Links https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/envirobiology/part/chapter-1/ https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/all-about-climate https://www.geo.fu-berlin.de/en/v/iwm-network/learning_content/enviro nmental-background/fluvial_processes/fluvial_deposition/index.html https://www.britannica.com/science/biosphere/The-importance-of-the-bi osphere https://education.seattlepi.com/environmental-pollution-caused-factori es-3651.html https://www.khanacademy.org/science/hs-biology/ x4c673362230887ef:matter-and-energy-in-ecosystems/ x4c673362230887ef:flow-of-energy-and-cycling-of-matter-in- ecosystems/a/flow-of-energy-and-cycling-of-matter-in- ecosystems#:~:text=Energy%20and%20matter%20are %20conserved,no%20new%20matter%20is%20created. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/five-major-types-bio mes https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/food-web-co ncept-and-applications-84077181/ https://education.seattlepi.com/environmental-pollution-caused- factories-3651.html https://www.britannica.com/place/Canada/Climate