Ecology

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Ecology
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Ecological Levels of Organization
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• The Earths Climate influences the structure and
  distribution of terrestrial biomes.
• Seasons
• Bodies of water
• mountains

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Figure 40.8
Tropical forest
Desert
Temperate grassland
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Temperate broadleaf forest
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Annual mean temperature (?C)
Northern coniferous forest
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Arctic and alpine tundra
?15
0
100
200
300
400
Annual mean precipitation (cm)
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Terrestrial Ecosystems

• Tundra
• Taiga
• Temperate Deciduous forest
• Grasslands
• Tropical rain forests
• Deserts

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Tundra

• 20 of Earths surface
• Long cold winter, short summer (6-8 weeks)
• 20 cm rainfall per year
• Permafrost frozen layer beneath topmost layer
• Nutrient poor soil
• No trees, short grasses, lichens and moss
• Lemming, grouse, musk ox, snowy owls, lynx,
  snowshoe hares, polar bears, wolves, caribou

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Tundra
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Coniferous forests

• Taiga
• 11 of Earths surface
• Cone-bearing trees (spruce, fir, pine)
• Bears, moose, beaver and muskrat, wolves,
• In mountains wolverines and mountain lions
• Temperate Rain Forest
• East coast of Canada and United States
• Large coniferous trees, rich soil, rainfall
• Squirrels, lynx, amphibians, reptiles, birds

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Taiga and Temperate rainforest
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Temperate deciduous forests

• Below Taiga, US!! Eastern United States, Europe
  and Eastern Asia
• Moderate climate, good rainfall, Seasons!
• Deciduous trees (lose leaves yearly), form
  canopies with varied growth.
• Variety of flora and fauna due to rich soil,
  climate, rainfall and protection.

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Temperate Deciduous forest
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Tropical Rain Forest

• South America, Africa and Indo-Malayan region
• Warm climate, plentiful rainfall, min. 190 cm
• Most diversity in flora and fauna and numbers
• Canopy, understory, forest floor
• Number of species not identified yet, most live
  in trees
• Poor soil

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Shrublands

• Shrubs shorter than trees
• South Africa, Western North America, shores of
  Australia
• California has Chaparral- type of shrubland
  without dense undergrowth and flammable.
• Mule, deer, rodents, lizards and scrub jays

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Shrublands
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Grasslands

• Annual rainfall greater than 25 cm but can not
  support trees.
• Include Russian steppes, South American pampas,
  North American prairies
• Bison, squirrels, mice, prairie dogs, rabbits,
  hawks, snakes, coyotes and foxes.
• Fertile soil, heavy farming

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Grasslands
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Savannas

• Cool, dry season followed by hot rainy season
• Central and Southern Africa, Australia, southeast
  Asia and South America
• Grasses with few trees with deep roots (Acacia)
• Large herbivores, elephants, giraffes, zebra,
  antelopes, wildebeest, carnivores lions, hyenas,
  cheetahs, leopards

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Savannas
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Deserts

• Northern and Southern Hemispheres near equator
• 30 Earths surface, rainfall below 25cm
• Little or no vegetation, hot days, cool nights
• Desert plans have waxy cuticles to store water,
  ex. Cactus, sagebrush
• Reptiles (lizards and snakes), running birds,
  rodents, fox, hawks and insects

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Deserts
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Aquatic Ecosystems Freshwater and Marine

• Wetlands
• Lakes
• Coastal Ecosystems
• Oceans

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Wetlands

• Classified by vegetation
• Marshes
• inundated by water, contain rushes, reeds and
  other grasses
• Contain waterfowl and small mammals
• Productive ecosystem
• Swamps
• Dominated by woody plants or shrubs (cypress, red
  maple and tupelo)
• American alligator

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Wetlands
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Wetlands Continued

• Bogs
• Characterized by acidic waters, peat deposits,
  and sphagnum moss.
• Most water comes from precipitation
• Nutrient poor
• Cranberries, orchids
• Moose

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Bogs
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Lakes

• Body of fresh water
• Classified by nutrient content
• Oligotrophic nutrient poor
• Eutrophic nutrient rich
• Seasonal temperatures in lake, relate to seasonal
  distribution of species in lake
• Plankton important to ecosystem
• Phytoplankton photosynthetic algae
• Zooplankton minute animals, eat phytoplankton

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Lakes
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Lakes continued

• Life zones
• Littoral zone closest to shore, contain plants,
  habitat for fish, invertebrates, and reptiles
• Limnetic zone sunlit body of lake, small fish
• Profundal zone below level of light
  penetration, zooplankton, catfish
• Benthic zone sediment at soil water interface,
  silt, sand detritus (dead organic material),
  worms, snails, clams

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Lake Zones
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Coastal Ecosystems

• Estuaries
• freshwater and seawater meet and mix.
• Include mangrove swamps and salt marshes
• Occur at mouth of river
• Abundance of nutrients
• Biologically diverse and productive
• nursery of the sea

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Estuary
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Coastal Ecosystem

• Seashores
• Littoral zone between low and high water marks
• Barnacles, brown algae, oysters, mussels, sea
  dollars, sea birds

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Seashore
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Oceans

• Cover approx. ¾ of the Earth
• 2 divisions
• Pelagic division open water
• Benthic division ocean floor

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Pelagic and Benthic divisions