Chapter 50
1) The Scope of Ecology
A) Ecology: The scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the
environment.
1) The interactions determine distribution and abundance of organisms
2) Ecology is the study of interactions between organisms and the environment
A) Ecology is a descriptive and experimental science
B) The environment includes
1) Abiotic or Nonliving components
2) Biotic or Living components
3) The biota or organisms living in the environment
C) Organismal Ecology: How an organism’s structure, physiology, and behavior meet the
challenges posted by the environment
D) Population Ecology: Concentrates on factors that affect how many individuals of a
particular species live in an area
E) Community Ecology: Deals with the interactions of different species in a community
F) Ecosystem Ecology: Emphasizes energy flow and chemical cycling among abiotic and
biotic factors
G) Landscape Ecology: Deals with multiple ecosystems and how they are arranged in a
geographic region
H) The biosphere: All of the planet’s ecosystems
I) Precautionary Principle: Humans need to be concerned with how their actions affect
the environment
3) Interactions between organisms and the environment limit the distribution of species
A) Naturalists identify patterns of distribution by naming biogeographic realms
B) Biogeography helps to understand what limits the distribution of species
C) Dispersal: The movement of individuals away from centers of high population density or
from their area of origin
1) Contributes to global distribution of organisms
D) Natural range expansion: Show the influence of dispersal on distribution
E) Species Transplants
1) Include organisms that are intentionally or accidently relocated from their original
distribution
2) Can disrupt the communities/ecosystems which they have been taken from or
introduced to
F) Some organisms do not occupy all of their potential range
G) Species distribution can be limited by habitat selection behavior
H) Biotic factors that affect distribution
1) Interactions with other species
2) Predation
3) Competition
I)
Abiotic factors that affect distribution
1) Temperature – effects on biological processes
2) Water – availability among habitats
3) Sunlight – intensity/quality affects photosynthesis
4) Wind – amplifies effects of temperature on organism, and can change morphology of
plants
5) Rocks and soil – physical structure/pH/mineral composition affect plants
J) Climate: the prevailing weather conditions in a particular area
1) Made up from 4 abiotic factors: temperature, water, sunlight, and wind
2) Two scales of climate patterns
a) Macroclimate: patterns on global, regional, and local levels
b) Microclimate: fine pattern, such as a community of organisms under a fallen log
3) Patterns are determined mainly by sunlight intensity and air circulation/wind patterns
4) Features of landscapes also affect local climates
a) Oceans and currents moderate the climate of terrestrial environments
b) Mountains have effects on the amount of sunlight reaching areas, local
temperatures, and rainfall
c) The angle of sun leads to seasonal changes
1) Lakes are sensitive to seasonal changes and experience seasonal turnover
5) Look at previous changes to predict future global climates
4) Abiotic and biotic factors influence the structure and dynamics of aquatic biomes
A) Biomes are major types of ecological associations that occupy broad geographic regions of
land or water
B) Aquatic biomes
1) Contain fresh or salt water
2) Are largest part of the biosphere
3) Aquatic biomes are stratified into zones by light penetration, temperature, and depth
4) Oceans
a) Cover 75% of Earth’s surface
5) Lakes
6) Wetlands
7) Streams/Rivers
8) Estuaries
9) Intertidal Zones
10) Oceanic Pelagic Biome
11) Coral Reefs
12) Marine Benthic Zone
5) Climate largely determines the distribution and structure of terrestrial biomes
A) Climate is important in determining why terrestrial biomes are found in certain areas
1) Terrestrial biomes are often named for physical/climatic factors or vegetation
2) Stratification is important factor of terrestrial biomes
B) Terrestrial biomes include:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
Tropical Forests
Deserts
Savannas
Chaparrals
Temperate Grasslands
Coniferous Forests
Temperate Broadleaf Forests
Tundras