Characteristics of Ecosystems
4.1
Characteristics of Ecosystems
•Ecology is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of living organisms and how
the distribution and abundance are affected by interactions between the organisms and their
environments.
•The environment of an organism includes both physical properties (which can be
described as the sum of local abiotic) and biotic factors.
•abiotic components are non-living chemical and physical factors in the environment.
(light, temperature, water, atmospheric gases, wind & soil).
•Biotic means relating to, produced by, or caused by living organisms.
Organisms live together in groups.
•Populations – a species in a specific place at a specific time.
•Community - A community is a group of organisms (different populations) sharing an
environment.
•Ecosystem - An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals and
microorganisms in an area functioning together with all the nonliving physical factors of the
environment
•Ecotone–Transition between
ecosystems
•Large amount of
biodiversity here
Role in Ecosystem
•
“Every organism has its own place within its own ecosystem.”
•Ecological niche – is an organism's role in an ecosystem. This
includes a place in a food web, the effect on the habitat and
the time of day in which it is active.
•
Two organisms may seem to have the same but they never have
the exact role.
•
eg: the red tailed hawk and the grey owl
•
Warblers
•
Competition is reduced because each species of warbler
prefers to feed in a different section of the tree
Competition for Niches
•
Introduction of a new species can cause considerable disturbance.
•Exotic species are new species which are new to a habitat. They can
have advantages which allow their numbers to explode.
•This introduction is one of the main causes of species
depletion and extinction caused by man.
•
The natural predators or diseases are not present
•
E.g. in Alberta Blue birds were pushed out of their habitat by Starling.
Human Influences
•
Cattle, goats and pigs were intentionally imported.
•Purple loosestrife is a plant that grew so quickly, the Settlers thought it was indigenous to North
America.
•The Zebra Mussel has been found in the Great Lakes instead of in western Asia.
Genetically Modified Crops
● Corn, Soybean, Cotton, and in Alberta, Canola.
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