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Principles of Ecology

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Population ecology -- the structure and dynamics of populations. ... Systems ecology -- studies interaction of human population with environment, ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Principles of Ecology


1
Principles of Ecology
  • its all connected

2
Outline
  • Definition
  • Areas of Study
  • Ecosystem Structure
  • Ecosystem Function
  • Key Principles
  • Limiting factors
  • Holocoenotic principle

3
Ecology
The scientific study of the relationships between
organisms and their environments.
4
E. Odums Layer Cake
5
Levels of Organization Spectrum
Ecological Focus
From Odum, 1971
6
Population ecology -- the structure and dynamics
of populations. Physiology -- individual
characteristics and individual processes, a basis
for prediction of processes at the population
level. Community ecology -- the structure and
dynamics of animal and plant communities.
Population ecology provides modeling tools for
predicting community structure and dynamics.
Systems ecology -- studies interaction of human
population with environment, major concepts
optimization of ecosystem exploitation and
sustainable ecosystem management. Landscape
ecology -- regional large-scale ecosystems with
the aid of computer-based geographic information
systems.
7
Ecosystem Structure
Abiotic Biotic
Inorganic substances Organic substances Climate P
roducers Macro-consumers Micro-consumers
8
Climate
Seasonal variation Spatial variation
9
Seasonal variation
driven by Earths annual rotation around the
sun equinoxes and solstices
10
Spatial Variation Global Scale
rainfall and temperature
11
Spatial Variation Global Scale
wind patterns
12
Spatial Variation Regional Scale
Elevation Proximity to water bodies Relationship
between winds and topographic features
13
Biotic Elements
Producers - plants Macro-consumers -
animals Micro-consumers - bacteria fungi
Individuals Populations a group of individuals
of any one kind at the same time and in the same
place Communities all populations occupying the
same area at the same time
14
(No Transcript)
15
Population A group of individuals of any one
kind of organism at the same place at the same
time.
16
Measuring Population
Numbers measured as Density Size measured as
Biomass Cover - Cover
17
Temporal Population Dispersal
Growing Stagnant Declining
18
Patterns of Population Growth
Exponential Growth
Cyclic (without control) with
Control Growth
19
Population Regulation
Extrinsic
Intrinsic
20
Population Regulation
Density Dependent Genetic Physiological Hormona
l Genetic Behavioral Dominance Territorialit
y Density Independent
21
Population Dynamics
Extrinsic factors/Intrinsic factors Density
dependent /Density independent factors
22
Species
A group of actually or potentially interbreeding
populations that are reproductively isolated from
all other kinds of organisms.
Differentiation caused by
Recombination
Mutation
23
Speciation
One Species
Two Varieties Same species
Two Species
Barrier or Distance
24
Community
All populations occupying the same area at the
same time. Vertical Structure
Horizontal Structure
25
Distinct Communities
Ecotone
26
Whittakers Vegetation Classification
superimposed On the range of terrestrial climates
From Ricklefs, 1979
27
Ecosystem Function
Food chains Energy circuits Natural
cycles Succession Control
28
Food Chains/Webs
29
Energy Circuits
Energy and Matter in Ecosystems or Landscape
Elements 1st Law of Thermodynamics Materials
are recycled. matter cannot be created
or destroyed Energy flows one way. You cant
even break even entropy increases energy
available for work decreases sun chemical
energy chemical energy mechanical energy
photosynthesis food
work
waste heat
waste heat
waste heat
waste heat
30
Net Primary Production
  • Gross Primary Production
  • Rate at which an ecosystem can solar energy into
    chemical energy as biomass
  • Net Primary Production
  • Rate at which producers use photosynthesis to
    store energy minus what they use for respiration
  • NPP GPP - R

31
Energy Pyramid
From Ricklefs, 1979
32
NPP is variable
  • Most productive ecosystem types
  • swamps and marshes (wetlands)
  • tropical rain forests
  • estuaries
  • Least productive ecosystem types
  • desert
  • open ocean

33
Natural Cycles - Physical
34
Natural Cycles - Chemical
  • Carbon
  • Phosphorus
  • Nitrogen
  • Oxygen

35
Succession
Directional species replacement
36
Cyclic Succession
Pioneering stage
Climax Community
From Odum, 1971
37
Sub-climax Communities
38
Control Feedback Loops Negative Feedback One
component stimulates a second, which then
inhibits the first, e.g., Predator Prey cycles,
parasitism. Positive Feedback One component
stimulates a second, which then stimulates the
first, e.g., Symbiotic relationship bull horn
acacia and ants
39
Predator Prey Relationship
40
Principle of Limiting Factors
there is always a limit
Too much or too little of any abiotic factor can
limit or prevent growth of a population.
41
  • Climate as a limiting factor
  • Chemical compounds as a limiting factor

42
Solar radiation
Holocoenotic principle
man
water
animals
other plants
fire
topography geographic position
soil
From Billings, 1952
gravity
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