Comprehensive Overview of Ecology: Principles, Organisms, and Biomes

1. KAREN LANCOUR National Bio Rules Committee Chairman karenlancour@charter.net 2009 ECOLOGY (B&C)

2. EVENT COMPONENTS • Ecology Content – 2009 • Principles of Ecology (about 50 %) • Deserts and Grasslands of North America (about 50%) • Process skills in data, graph and diagram analysis • Event parameters • Non-programmable calculators • No reference materials

3. ECOLOGY AND ABIOTIC ENVIRONMENT ECOLOGY – how organisms interact with one another and with their environment ENVIRONMENT – living and non-living components • ABIOTIC – non-living component or physical factors as soil, rainfall, sunlight, temperatures • BIOTIC – living component are other organisms.

4. ECOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION • INDIVIDUAL– individual organisms • POPULATION– organisms of same species in same area (biotic factors) • COMMUNITY– several populations in same area (biotic factors) • ECOSYSTEM– community plus abiotic factors • BIOSPHERE– all ecosystems on earth

5. ECOLOGY OF INDIVIDUALS • Homeostasis – delicate balance • Components • Physiological Ecology • Temperature and Water Balance • Light and Biological Cycles • Physiological Ecology and Conservation

6. ECOLOGY OF POPULATIONS • Properties of populations • Patterns of distribution and density • Intraspecific competition • Population dynamics • Growth and regulation • Altering population growth • Human impact

7. Growth Curves

8. Human Population

9. Survival Curves • Survivorshipis the percentage of remaining survivors of a population over time; usually shown graphically. Type I survivorship curve: most individuals live out their life span and die of old age (e.g., humans). Type II survivorship curve: individuals die at a constant rate (e.g., birds, rodents, and perennial plants). Type III survivorship curve: most individuals die early in life (e.g., fishes, invertebrates, and plants).

10. ECOLOGY OF COMMUNITIES • Closed vs. Open communities • Closed – sharp boundaries • Open – Lack boundaries • Species abundance and diversity • Trophic Structure of Communities • Food chains • Food web • Trophic pyramid

11. INTERACTIONS AMONG SPECIES • Interactions • Interspecific competition • Predation • Exploitation • Symbiosis

12. Types of Species Interactions • Neutral – two species do not interact • Mutualism – both benefit • Commensalism – one benefits, other neutral • Parasitism – one benefits, one harmed but not killed • Predation – one benefits, other killed

13. Predator - Prey Relationship

14. Food Chain • rose plantaphidsbeetlechameleon hawk • Producer • 1st order Consumer or Herbivore • 2nd order Consumer or 1st order Carnivore • 3rd order Consumer or 2nd order Carnivore • 4th order Consumer or 3rd order Carnivore • Decomposers – consume dead and decaying matter

15. Food Web

16. ECOLOGY OF ECOSYSTEMS • Energy Flow • Energy Flow Pyramids • Bio-mass Pyramids • Community Succession and Stability • Nutrient Recycling – nutrient cycles

17. Energy vs Nutrient • Nutrients– cyclic (Biogeochemical Cycles) • Energy flow – one way

18. Ecologic Pyramids Ecological pyramid - a graph representing trophic level numbers within an ecosystem. The primary producer level is at the base of the pyramid with the consumer levels above. • Numbers pyramid - compares the number of individuals in each trophic level. • Biomass pyramid - compares the total dry weight of the organisms in each trophic level. • Energy pyramid - compares the total amount of energy available in each trophic level. This energy is usually measured in kilocalories.

19. Numbers Pyramid

20. Biomass & Energy Flow Pyramids

21. Biogeochemical Cycles • Hydrologic Cycle • Phosphorus Cycle • Nitrogen Cycle • Carbon Cycle

22. Hydrologic (Water) Cycle

23. Phosphorus Cycle

24. Nitrogen Cycle

25. Carbon Cycle

26. Biosphere • Types of Ecological Spheres • Biosphere • Lithosphere • Hydrosphere • Atmosphere • Biogeochemical Cycles • Disruption of Biosphere • Specie Extinction & Biosphere Destruction

27. ECOLOGY OF BIOMES • Weather and Climate • Types of Biomes • Aquatic biomes • Terrestrial biomes • 09 – Biomes of North America • Deserts • Grasslands

28. Adaptations of Plants & Animals • Not intended to be a taxonomic event • Emphasis on adaptations of common plants and animals to each biome • Common members of food chains and food webs of each biome • Limiting factors for each biome

29. Deserts • Regions of low, sparse vegetation with minimal precipitation and humidity • Food web • Special adaptations • Plant and animals • Temperature variations • Special environmental issues • Effect of human populations

30. Deserts – Abiotic Features • Regions of low, sparse vegetation with minimal precipitation and humidity high temperatures during some of the year and great daily temperature fluctuations • Cover 1/5 of earth’s land surface • Scarcity of water – less than 25 cm (10 inches) of precipitation per year • Water loss – tendency for water loss may exceed annual rainfall

31. Deserts – Abiotic factors • Relatively poor soil quality– high mineral content but little organic matter • Intense solar radiation – strong tendency to lose water by evaporation • Temperature variation – daytime over 120 degrees and drop as sunsets • Winters – may be cold

32. Deserts – Plants • Succulent plants – “juicy plants” as cacti store water, spines are remnants of leaves • Annuals – dormant during dry season, germinate and grow rapidly to seed after rains • Desert shrubs– have small thick leaves with sunken stomates

33. Desert – Plant Adaptations • Succulents store water in stems – no stomates to lose water – green stems functions of leaves – spines thought to be remnant leaves • Annuals have short life cycle of flower to seed after rain – seeds during dry times • Shrubs have small thick leaves with sunken stomates with widely branching roots which rapidly collect moisture or deep tap roots to underground moisture as mesquite. • Some depend upon animals digestion for dispersal of seeds

34. Deserts – Animals • Insects and scorpions • Lizards and Snakes • Birds – from hummingbirds to roadrunners • Bats • Small mammals as rodents • Larger mammals as coyotes

35. Deserts – Animal Adaptations • Burrow for protection from heat • Conserve water loss from evaporation, exhalation, elimination of body waste • Nocturnal activity when cooler or hide/burrow during day to protect from heat • Many cold blooded insects and reptiles • Exoskeletons or scales

36. Deserts - Animal Adaptations • Lizards & scorpions – no glands in skin so do not sweat • Mammals – panting & large ears – nocturnal hungers – hearing - many lack sweat glands • Concentrate waste as urea or crystallized uric acid • Become sluggish during intense heat

37. Types of Deserts • Hot - Arid regions with little or no annual precipitation, usually rain, no snow or frost • Warm - Arid regions where precipitation falls seasonally principally as rain, some snow and frost each year • Cold - Arid regions where precipitation falls sparingly principally as snow and permafrost is not a factor

38. Deserts of North America • Warm Desert – Mojave Desert • Warm Desert – Sonoran Desert • Warm Desert – Chihuahuan Desert • Cold Desert – Intermountain West or Great Basin

39. Environmental Concerns – Deserts • Many endangered, rare and unusual plants and animals live in the desert. • Slow to recover from habitat damage • Desert expansion– growth of deserts in parts of the world • Flooding problems during rains • Competition of man for limited water supply

40. Grasslands of North America

41. Grasslands – Abiotic factors • Moderate temperature with notable extremes: -20° F to 110° F common, and even colder temperatures in the north • Precipitation is too low to support trees but too great for deserts to form • Variable precipitation: 6-40 in (15-100 cm) • Scattered rain and lightening common in summer months ("convection storms") with more general rains and snows in winter months • Fire a major factor in maintaining biome • Droughts may be severe

42. Grasslands – Plants • Grasses are major producer with several genera and species common but usually with one or two dominate • Herbs and legumes (nitrogen fixing) among the grasses • Many plants possess rhizomes (underground stems) and are wind pollinated • Soils generally fertile, deep and rich in nutrients (Bread baskets of the world) • Growing season of 120-200 days • Generally flat to rolling topography

43. North American Grassland (Prairie) types

44. Grasslands (Prairies) of North America Tall-grass Prairie: eastern unit – nearest to Eastern Deciduous Forests • Tall grasses (3-4 ft or 1-1.5 m tall) with roots up to 6 feet deep • 24-40 in (65-100 cm) precipitation annually Mid-grass Prairie: between Tall Grass and Short Grass – gradual change • Grasses to 4 ft (1.5 m) tall, mixture of sod and "bunch" grasses. • 14-25 in (35-65 cm) precipitation annually Short-grass Prairie: western element, largest. Nearest to deserts of west US • Short grasses (less than 20 in or 50 cm tall) • About 10 in precipitation annually. Conservation Concerns: Majority of tall- and mid-grass prairie are now farmland. Short-grass prairie is grazed, some areas are now overgrazed

45. Grasslands (Prairie) in North America

46. Grassland (Prairie)Plant Adaptations • Native plants are perennials while crop grains are annuals • Grasses have three strata – roots, growth at ground level, and taller foliage • Half of growth may be below ground • Grazed taller foliage will grow back • Taller foliage above ground adapted to withstand strong winds, fires, extreme temperature changes

47. Grasslands – Animal • Dominated by grazing animals (deer, antelope, buffalo - once common but now rarely native to the range) • Herds (safety in numbers) • Burrowing small animals (colonies as prairie dogs) • Rodents and Jack Rabbits • Flight song birds – strong fliers • Insects esp. grasshoppers

48. Grassland (Prairie) Animal adaptations • Long distance vision for predator & prey • Eyes of grazing animals well above snout • Many are built for speed – live in herds or colonies • Small creatures can stand on haunches • Some hop up and down or hop long distances • Camouflage coloration • Underground burrows • Birds – strong fliers (strong winds), flight song birds to attract mates in air, nest in tall grass

49. Grassland (Prairie)Environmental Concerns • Most disturbed biome – farming & domestic grazing with fences • Annuals replace perennials with annual soil disturbance by the plow • Overgrazing problems – “dust bowl” • Biodiversity disturbed – extinct & endangered species • Fire allowed vs fire control • Native grasslands being reintroduced