ECS 111 P Spring 2019 Dr. Sealey
ECOSYSTEM CONCEPTS
• UNDERSTANDING HOW ECOSYSTEMS WORK:
• UNDERSTANDING RELATIONSHIPS OF MATTER
AND ENERGY
Ecosystems have to work for the planet to function..
ECOSYSTEMS = ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS are the result of SPECIFIC ABIOTIC CHARACTERISTICS, and these characteristics also determine the function.
WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF ECOSYSTEMS?
1.) PRIMARY PRODUCTION – all systems need energy to be produced to be consumer
2.) SECONDARY PRODUCTION – the production of animal biological diversity (insects, reptiles, fish, microbes and mammals)
3.) RECYCLING OF NUTRIENTS AND ENERGY
Terrestrial-to-Aquatic-System Communities
Shares many of the species and characteristics of both ecosystems
May also include unique conditions that support distinctive plant and animal species
Diversity is a key feature of ecosystems
Diversity is defined as the variety within ecosystems, and is a function of
Abiotic parameters
Biotic parameters
ABIOTIC
parameters
BIOTIC
parameters
Temperature
Salinity
Geomorphology
Pressure
Altitude
Light
Wave energy/ current
Herbivory pressure
Predation
Competition
Food resources
Mutualism/ symbiosis/
Parasitism/
Commensalism
Healthy River Systems
Good water quality
Vegetation buffer
Supports flood plain farming
Low sediment load
DEGRADED RIVER SYSTEMS
Restricted flow
No riparian zone
No effluent control
Increasing human pressure is accelerating environmental change throughout the world, threatening water security for humans and aquatic biodiversity .
Watershed pollution in combination with other nutrient sources such as atmospheric deposition, has resulted in widespread nutrient pollution of aquatic ecosystems
THE SDGs attempt to address these problems…
Water conservation is a key SDG
Interrelationships Between Ecosystem Components
“Everything is connected to everything else”
Interrelationships Example
abiotic x abiotic temperature and rainfall = climate
abiotic x biotic water temperature predicts fish species
biotic x abiotic human pollution of the environment
biotic x biotic predator/prey relationships, life cycles, trophic
levels
CLASSIFICATION OF ORGANISMS ACCORDING TO CARBON SOURCE
CLASSIFICATION OF ORGANISMS ACCORDING TO ENERGY SOURCE
PHOTOTROPHIC CHEMOTROPHIC
AUTOTROPHIC (CO2)
All plants All algae
Photosynthetic bacteria
Hydrogen Bacteria Iron baceria
Sulfur bacteria Denitrifying
bacteria
HETEROTROPHIC [organic compounds such as acetate, sulfides]
Nonsulfur Purple Bacteria
All higher animals, most micro- organisms
Consumers = Heterotrophs
Primary consumers = herbivores = rabbit: eat plant material
Secondary consumers = carnivores = predators = coyotes: prey are herbivores and other animals.
Parasites = Consumers = Heterotrophs
Parasites = predator = either plant or animal: prey are plants or animals.
Nonfeeding (Symbiotic) Relationships
+ And + = Mutualism. Both species benefit by the interaction between the two species. Honey bee and flower
+ And 0 = Commensalism. One species benefits from the interaction and the other is unaffected. Remora fish and shark
Nonfeeding (Symbiotic) Relationships
+ And – = One species benefits from the interaction and the other is adversely affected. Examples are predation, parasitism, and disease.
– And – = Competition. Both species are adversely affected by the interaction.
Two people and One cookie
BENEFITS TO ME
BENEFITS TO YOU
+ and + We split the cookie SHARING
+ and – I eat all the cookie SELFISHNESS
– and + I give the cookie to you, you are hungrier ALTURISM
– and – I don’t want the cookie but won’t give it to you SPITEFULNESS
Resource Partitioning: Reducing Competition
Abiotic Factors
Law of Limiting Factors:
“Every species (both plant and animal) has an optimum range, zones of stress, and limits of tolerance with respect to every biotic factor.”
Application of the Law of Limiting Factors
Compare the “tolerance” differences for FISH
temperature (cold or warm).
oxygen concentration (high or low).
salinity (high or low).
Oxygen Tolerance Curves for Two Different Fish Species
Diagram the temperature tolerance curves for each fish species.
Climate and Major Biomes
YOU TUBE BREAK COLORADO RIVER DELTA RESTORATION
Bringing a pulse of Life to the delta
ESSAY #5: What is the point of restoration projects?
Restorations are expensive, take years to implement, and involve many partners and stakeholders. Take the example of the Colorado River Delta Flooding project, and explain to your reader why resotrations are both important ecologically and important to local communities.
Identify Biomes A to E Based on Temperature and Precipitation Levels:
PrecipitationLow High
High
A
B
C
D
E
HOT and DRY
COLD and
DRY
Temperate
and Seasonal
rain
COLD and
LOTS OF
SNOW
HOT and
RAINY
Identify Biomes A to E Based on Temperature and Precipitation Levels: Answers Next Slide
PrecipitationLow High
High
A
B
C
D
ETUNDRA
Polar areas:
Arctic sea ice
Antarctica
GRASSLAND
or Prairie
RAIN
FOREST
SUBTROPICAL
DESERT
SOLAR RADIATION – ENERGY TO PLANTS
FORESTS
Warn continental – Great
Lakes, Northern Ohio
• Only occurs in the northern hemisphere because of the large land masses – strong seasonal contrasts between 40-55 degrees North latitudes • No dry season • 4 – 7 months were temperatures exceed 10oC • Mixed boreal and deciduous forests
Hot continental – St. Louis to
New York
South of warm continental Humid hot summers, exceptional
growing season This ecoregion (division) around the
world most heavily populated and influenced by man, forest cleared, wildlife gone (forest remains in mountains like Appalachian mountains)
Wheat, soybeans and rice grown in this climate world wide
Subtropical – Southeastern
US – Louisiana to Carolinas
High humidity, absence of really cold winters –
Present in both hemispheres Forest is natural vegetation in most of this
ecosystem – evergreen oaks, laurels, magnolias
Soils poor for cultivation – tight nutrient recycling in soils (like tropical forests)
Marine or maritime –
Northern California
Restricted to continental west coasts, climate influenced by sea temperatures – temperate and rainy
Needle leaf forests, temperate rainforests
Savannah – dry tropical grassland
Prairie – Central US
Oklahoma through Dakotas,
to Wisconsin
Grasslands occur as transition zones
between forests and deserts
We have tall grass prairie (north)and
short grass prairie (south) in US
(Pampas of SA)
Sub-humid – high rainfall – but HIGH
evapo-transporation
Arid west side of humid continental
climate
Deep soils, less leaching
Mediterranean – Southern
California, Los Angeles
Western margins of continents 30-45
degrees North
Distinct wet and dry seasons
Cool wet winters, dry hot summers
On 2% of earth’s surface – but most
comfortable climate for people
Chaparral, evergreen forests deep tap
roots
Citrus fruits, grapes,olives
Arctic tundra
ECOSYSTEM DOMAIN-
largest in scale
DIVISION – within a domain, mainly determined by mountains, topography
ECOSYSTEM PROVINCE – smallest unit, what popular literature calls
“ecosystems” or biom
