Fall 2013 COL260 Unit-2 Objectives
Objective
Unit 2
List and briefly describe four layers or spheres of the earth.




Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere.
Define ecology. Compare various organizational levels of life within a biosphere; e.g., organisms, species, population, communities, ecosystems, and biosphere.








Ecology
biotic and abiotic
Biosphere (life-support system)
organisms
species
population
community
ecosystem (field, pond, ocean, and desert ecosystems)
Briefly explain Linnaeus Taxonomy and Binomial Nomenclature. Be able to write a scientific name in proper format. Define species and hybrid.
 Taxonomy (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species)
 Binomial Nomenclature; i.e. Canis lupus & Canis familiaris.
Distinguish between the flow of matter and the flow of energy through the biosphere. Give examples of how energy and matter are transferred within the biosphere.
 Flow diagram showing biotic & abiotic elements of an ecosystem
 Biomass
Describe how organisms are classified by how they get their nutrients. Be sure to distinguish between the following sets of terms:
 Flow of solar energy
 Cycling of matter and energy
 Producers (autotrophs)
 Consumers (heterotrophs)
 Decomposers
 Photosynthesis
 Herbivore,
 carnivore, omnivore and detritivore.
* Reading assignment: Many of the world’s most important organisms are invisible to us
Define the first and second laws of the thermodynamics. Apply the second law of thermodynamics (energy) to food chains and pyramids of energy, which describe energy flow in
ecosystems.




Food chain & food web
Pyramid of Energy
2nd law of thermodynamics; 1st law of thermodynamics
Ecological efficiency




Discuss productivity, its importance and factors which influence it. Give examples of areas of high, moderate, and low productivity ecosystems.
Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)
Net Primary Productivity (NPP)
Relations of GPP and NPP to photosynthesis and respiration
Example of high, moderate, and low productivity ecosystems
Define biome. Compare desert biome to two other biomes from grasslands, forests, reefs and costal mangroves. Explain how temperature and precipitation affect different biomes.
Read climatograms and describe the climatic characteristics and match the biome names.
 Biome
 Climate and biomes
 Desert, grassland, and forest biomes
*Reading assignment: Staying alive in the desert
Explain relations between global climates (temperatures and precipitation) and distribution of biomes and primary productivity. Identify major biomes by analyzing the data presented
by tables and figures.
 Global distribution of biomes
 Biomes and GPP/NPP
 Biomes and biodiversity
Define the different types of water regions. Discuss biodiversity, primary productivity, and importance of aquatic life zone. Draw a simple diagram of water cycle.




Water planet
Salt water regions: open sea; ocean bottom; coastal zones (estuaries, mangrove swamps, coral reefs)
Fresh water regions: ponds and lakes; streams and rivers; wetlands
Water cycle