Intro to ECOLOGY
(Chapter 33)
33.1
The study of the interaction of organisms with each other and their physical environment
Organisms are organized into: Populations – ex: Perch
(Members of a species living in an area)
Communities –ex: Perch, Walleye, Algae (All the populations in an area)
Ecosystems –ex: Fish, Algae, Rocks, water (A community and its physical environment) includes biotic and abiotic factors
Biomes –ex:Tundra, Rainforest (A large group of similar ecosystems containing distinct
types of plants, animals, etc…determined by climate)
Biosphere (all the communities on Earth whose members exist in air,
water, and on land)
ONE species!
More than ONE species!
Adds NONliving components!
How do populations grow?
BIOTIC POTENTIAL: highest possible per capita rate of increase for a population Per capita rate of increase= (Births-Deaths) / # of
individual LIMITING FACTORS: (create environmental
resistance) Biotic-living parts of the ecosystem
vegetation, etc Abiotic – nonliving parts of the ecosystem
Precipitation Temperature Inorganic nutrients
Exponential Growth…J curves
Has two phases: Lag phase: growth is
slow because the population is small
Exponential Growth Phase: growth is accelerating, and the population is exhibiting BIOTIC POTENTIAL.
Cannot usually continue for long because of …
Environmental Resistance & Carrying Capacity
Environmental Resistance: all the environmental conditions that prevent populations from reaching their biotic potential
Ex: limited food supply, accumulation of waste, predation, competition…(biotic and abiotic limiting factors)
MOST populations taper off around their…
Carrying Capacity: # of individuals the environment can normally support
We call this kind of growth…
Logistic Growth
This creates an “S shaped curve”
Four phases: Lag Exponential growth Deceleration phase (pop
growth slows) Stable equilibrium
phase/stationary phase (births and deaths start to even out)
1. Where is the carrying capactiy in this curve?
…Survivorship Curves p. 683…Human Population Growth
developed vs. less developed countries
…Age distributions
Discussion Topics…
What do the wolves in this picture represent?
Popul
atio
n
Eco
syst
em
Com
munity
Bio
me
89%
5%5%0%
1. Population
2. Ecosystem
3. Community
4. Biome
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21 22 23 24
Which of the following could be the wolves COMMUNITY?
All
the
popula
tions
o...
The
wol
ves,
and th
e...
The
wol
ves
and
the
soil
16%5%
79%1. All the populations of wolves in that biome
2. The wolves, and the moose
3. The wolves and the soil
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24
Everything in this picture would add up to a/an…
Popul
atio
n
Bio
me
Eco
syst
em
Spec
ies
0% 0%
95%
5%
1. Population
2. Biome
3. Ecosystem
4. Species
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24
The Atmosphere, Water and Soil pictured below are examples of…
.
.
.
.
.
.
Bio
tic F
acto
rs
Abio
tic F
acto
rs
Eco
syst
em
Popul
atio
n
Com
munity
5%
74%
0%0%
21%
1. Biotic Factors
2. Abiotic Factors
3. Ecosystem
4. Population
5. Community
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24
The rabbit and wolf below represent a/an…
.
.
.
.
.
.
Bio
tic F
acto
rs
Abio
tic F
acto
rs
Eco
syst
em
Popul
atio
n
Com
munity
89%
6%
89%
17%11%
1. Biotic Factors
2. Abiotic Factors
3. Ecosystem
4. Population
5. Community
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24
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