Ecology By Mr. “Sorry I am sick” Chapman

Ecology What is Ecology? Ecology – is the study of interactions between organisms and the living and nonliving components of the environment.

Today’s Environment Exploding Human Population! The world’s population has tripled from 2 billion people in 1930 to 6 billion people in 1999. Current population: 6,486,320,524 people Why do we care about how large the human population becomes? Severe crowding in some areas Requires more energy, food and space for waste China has most people, then India, then US.

Sixth Mass Extinction Human population up, other species become extinct. Habitat destruction, over hunting, diseases

Thinning Ozone Layer Protects living organisms on Earth from harmful UV radiation from the sun Only ~1% of UV radiation gets through the ozone layer That 1% is responsible for ½ million skin cancers each year!

Thinning Ozone Layer Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), industrial chemicals, react with ozone and destroy it 1985 scientists discovered an ozone hole over Antarctica

Climatic Changes Greenhouse effect – mechanism that insulates Earth from the deep freeze of space; Carbon dioxide and water vapor intercept reflected heat and reflect it back to Earth

Greenhouse Gases Burning fossil fuels gives off carbon dioxide In the last 100 years there has been an increase of CO2 concentration by 25% Global temperature has risen about 0.6oC (1oF)

Levels of Organization 1. The Biosphere – broadest, most inclusive level; the thin volume of Earth and atmosphere that supports life.

Levels of Organization 2. Ecosystems – smaller unit of the biosphere that includes all of the organisms and nonliving environment.

Levels of Organization 3. Community – all of the living organisms in an area. 4. Population – all of the members of a species that live in one place at one time. 5. Organism – simplest level of organization.

Terrestrial Ecosystems 22.3 By Mr. “Biomes” Chapman

Terms Biomes – are very large terrestrial ecosystems that contain a number of smaller related ecosystems.

Biomes Each biome has specific plants and animals that live there.

Tundra Is a cold, treeless biome that covers northern N. America, Europe, and Asia. The layer of soil under the surface is permanently frozen.

Temperate Deciduous Forests Characterized by trees that lose all their leaves in the fall. Found in eastern N. America, much of Europe, and parts of Asia.

Grasslands These ecosystems are dominated by grasslands, with less rainfall than deciduous forest. Covers large areas of N. America, Asia, Europe, Australia, and S. America.

Deserts Areas that receive less than 9 inches of rain a year. Temp ranges from 20 F (night) to 120 F Dominated by sand and cacti.

Savannas Are subtropical grassland with scattered trees and shrubs. Mostly know in Africa, but found in Australia, and S. America.

Tropical Rain Forests Characterized by tall trees and lots of different plants and animals. TRF are found along the equator. Highest Biodiversity

When submitting research proposals to funding agencies, investigators must follow ethical guidelines.   What information in a research proposal would be considered bogus and lead to rejection of the proposal? A. plan for monitoring safety B. estimates of the number of participants required for the study C. data from experiments that have not been performed D. projected budget for equipment and laboratory personnel

The picture below shows some of the structures in a single-celled organism.   The presence of which structure provides evidence that this organism is capable of locomotion? A. cell wall B. ribosome C. flagellum D. cytoplasm

The diagram below shows a partial classification scheme for monarch and viceroy butterflies.   Based on this diagram, monarchs and viceroys belong to the same A. genus. B. family. C. species. D. subfamilies.

In 1864, Louis Pasteur was asked to investigate diseases afflicting the wine in Arbois, France. He discovered that these diseases were caused by micro-organisms that could be killed by heating the wine to 55oC for a period of time.   What is this process called today that applies to milk? A. homeostasis B. fermentation C. differentiation D. pasteurization

A simple food chain in a wetland is represented below.     An ecologist doing population counts in the wetland observes a drop in the number of trout over an extended period of time.   What change is most likely responsible for the trout decline? A. migration of blue herons out of the wetland area B. introduction of a predator that feeds on blue heron eggs C. application of insecticides to wet areas where mosquitoes breed D. implementation of new conservation laws to protect the wetland

Rising ocean temperatures can cause corals to expel the symbiotic algae on which they depend for survival.   Which human influence could be responsible for an increase in this phenomenon? A. shoreline erosion B. burning fossil fuels C. solar power generation D. introduction of non-native species