Environmental Sciences Towards a Sustainable Future Chapter 2

1
Environmental Sciences Towards a Sustainable
Future Chapter 2
No need to change anything.

• Ecosystems What They Are
• Version 1.2 Term 20051

2
You Need To Learn To Laugh At Yourself In Order
to Survive. Have Fun And Enjoy Life.
3
A BCC Professor
This years class is really in for it.
4
30 years of teaching can get to you.
5
It makes one really go ape.
6
The Biosphere
Time to get serious.
In general, it consists of all the species on
Earth, along with their environments and
considered as one vast ecosystem. Separate local
ecosystems which are individual units of
sustainability are interconnected and form the
biome and the biosphere.
7
Ecosystem Services and Functions
People are not aware of the dollar value
associated with ecosystems.
Gas, climate and water regulation Water
supply Erosion control Soil formation Pollination
Biological control Food production
Recreation Raw materials Nutrient cycling Waste
treatment
8
Important Definitions

• Biosphere the overall ecosystem of the
  earth.The sum total of all the biomes and smaller
  ecosystems.
• Biome a group of ecosystems that are related by
  having a similar type of vegetation governed by
  similar climatic conditions.
• Ecosystem a group of plants, animals, and other
  organisms interacting with each other and their
  environment.
• Deserts, grasslands, tundra, and deciduous
  forests and tropical rain forests

9
What Are Ecosystems?

• A grouping of plants, animals and microbes
  occupying an explicit unit of space and
  interacting with each other and their
  environment.
• Environment a combination of all things and
  factors external to the individual or population
  of organisms in question.

10
The Authors Style of Presentation
Students should be aware that the author like to
categorize topics in order to simplify discussion
in the the text. Furthermore, the author likes to
explain the same concept from several points of
view. The student is cautioned to recognize this
style and not become confused. For example, the
author might look at a topic first by looking at
the chemical properties and then later by looking
at the physical properties. One scheme of
classification that the author uses is to divide
the world into those things that are living
(biotic) and those that are not living (abiotic).
Another scheme is to classify living organisms
in terms of who eats who.
11
More about Authors Style of Presentation

• In addition to examining concepts from several
  points of view the author likes to use several
  methods to explain the same topic.
• The author generally uses 3 or more methods of
  presentation.
• First is written text usually a paragraph.
• Next, he may use a picture or a table, and
• Finally, a graph is frequently used.
• The student should be aware that the author has
  not changed topics but is trying to clarify a
  point. If the student does not realize this style
  it is very easy to become confused.

12
Biotic - A really important term.

• Biotic living
• Biotic community includes all vegetation and
  animals from the largest to the smallest
  including microbes.
• Biotic Communities
• The plant community
• The animal community
• The microbial community

13
More Important Terms

• Abiotic non living factors which support or
  limit a biotic community.
• Water, temperature, salinity, etc.
• Species entirety of a population that can
  interbred and produce fertile offspring.
• Population individuals of a certain species
  that live within a given area.
• Ecology study of ecosystems and the
  interactions that occur among organisms and
  between organisms and their environment.

14
Autotrophs and HeterotrophsTwo Categories of the
Biosphere

• The distinction is made on the basis of whether
  they do or do not produce the organic compounds
  they need to survive. (Compounds containing
  carbon.)
• Autotrophs do produce organic compounds
• Green plants and chemosynthetic bacteria
• Heterotrophs do not produce organic compounds
• Must feed on organic materials
• Cattle, deer, humans, etc.
• Major Categories
• Consumers animals such as cows, sheep, wolves,
  humans, etc.
• Detritus feeders (decomposers)

15
How Ecosystems Are Formed?Given a specific set
of conditions (moisture and temperature), certain
plants and animals will develop. This can predict
if there is life on other planets.
Abiotics
(moisture and temperature)
predict
Plants
moisture forest and
temperature forest type
predict
Animals
(lynx or bobcat)
Abiotic means not living objects such as rock,
water, temperature, etc.
16
Transitions of Ecosystems Ecotones on land
17
Land to Aquatic ecosystems ecotone
18
3 Views of the Biotic Structure of an
EcosystemThe text looks at the same material 3
different ways. Dont get confused.

• Food chain
• Who eats who and in what order
• Nuts are eaten by squirrels and foxes eat
  squirrels
• Food Webs
• Interconnected food chains
• Trophic (feeding) levels
• All organisms belong to various feeding levels
• Producers, herbivores, carnivores

19
Major Trophic Categories

• Producers use sunlight to convert C02 and water
  into glucose and organic matter (via
  photosynthesis).
• Consumers feed on producers and other
  consumers.
• Detritus feeders (decomposers) feed on dead
  organisms or their products.

These 3 groups produce food, pass it along the
food chain and return the starting material to
the abiotic parts of the environment.
20
Trophic Categories and Terminology
Organisms considered as neither plant or animal.
21
A categorization depending on whether the
organisms produce organic compounds or use them.
22
Predators, Parasites Pathogens
Pathogens could be a subset of Parasites.
23
Green Plant Photosynthesis
Sunlight is the fuel that runs the photosynthesis
engine.
Glucose (sugar) is the source of energy that is
passed on to a consumer and also promotes tissue
growth in the plant.
24
Organic vs Inorganic
Organic generally refers to living (biotic)
organisms that produce or use carbon such as
corn, sheep, and wolves. Inorganic generally
refers to non-living objects (abiotic) such as
water, air, minerals, etc. that do not contain
carbon. The definition above is not 100 correct
since we can manufacture in the laboratory
non-living compounds that do contain carbon.
25
Inorganic and Organic Characteristics
Abiotic non-living matter made up of inorganic
materials.Biotic living organisms made up of
organic materials.

• Inorganic
• Oxygen
• Carbon dioxide
• Nitrogen
• Water
• pH

• Organic
• All living things
• Products of living things
• Molecules proteins, lipids carbohydrates

26
Inorganic Materials and Organic Organisms
27
Consumers Based on Trophic Category

• Primary Consumers (Herbivores) feed directly on
  Producers plant eaters.
• Secondary Consumers (Carnivores) feed on
  primary consumers animal eaters
• Omnivores feed on both plants and animals.
• Parasites organisms considered as neither plant
  or animal.
• Have an intimate relationship with their prey and
  feed on it over an extended period of time.
  Usually without killing it.

28
Symbiotic Relationships Living Together

• Mutualism non-feeding
• A relationship beneficial to both species.
• For example flowers and insects.
• Parasitism - feeding
• one in which a parasite obtains benefits from a
  host without killing it.
• Lichens composed of a fungus and alga. The
  fungus protects the alga in dry habitats and the
  alga produces food for the fungus

29
Trophic relationships Among Producers and
Consumers
30
The Detritus Food Web
The trophic feeding relationships among primary
detritus feeders, secondary detritus feeders and
consumers.
31
Trophic (feeding) Levels
Third-order Consumer
Secondary Consumer
Primary Consumer
Producer
32
Trophic Categories
33
Terrestrial Food Webs A food web is the transfer
of energy through food chains.
The interaction of food chains forms a food web.
Specific pathways, such as from nuts to
squirrels to foxes is a food chain.
34
Marine Food Web
35
Trophic Level Energy Exchanges On the average
10 of the energy is passed to the upper levels.
Third-order Consumer
1Kcal cannibals
- 10
Secondary Consumer
10 Kcal people
- 10
Primary Consumer
100 Kcal Cattle
-10
Producer
10,000 Kcal solar energy
36
I want meat! I am a secondary consumer, a
Carnivore.
37
Biomass and the Pyramid

• Defined as the total combined mass (weight) of
  all the organisms at each trophic level.
• Usually 3 or 4 trophic levels per ecosystem
• Each trophic level produces much less biomass
  (energy) than it consumes.
• In terrestrial systems the biomass is about
  90-99 less at each higher trophic level.
• Grasslands produce approximately 20,000 pounds of
  biomass per acre. A herbivore ( for example a
  cow) will be approximately 2,000 pounds of
  biomass. A human who eats herbivores will be
  about 200 pounds of biomass. Perhaps we should
  skip the middle man and just eat grass. It would
  be much more energy efficient.

38
The Biomass PyramidIt takes a lot of mass from a
lower lever to feed and upper lever.
1
10
100
39
Trophic Levels Pyramid of Biomass
fourth-order consumers
third-order consumers
secondary consumers
primary consumers
producers
40
Trophic Levels Pyramid of Energy
Which level is occupied by third-order
consumers? secondary consumers? primary
consumers? producers?
41
Nutrient Cycles and Energy Flow
Movement of nutrients is shown by the (blue
arrows). Sun light is the source of all energy.
Energy movement is shown by the (red) arrows.
Both nutrients and energy flow is shown by the
(brown) arrows. Nutrients flow in a cycle ,
being used over and over.
42
MutualismA relationship that provides benefit to
both species.
The bees get nectar (food) and pollinate the
flowers (produce fertile seeds.)
43
A Symbiotic Mutualistic Relationship Lichens
composed of a fungus and an alga
The fungus protects the alga in dry climates and
the alga provides food for the fungus. This
intimate relationship is called symbiotic.
44
Resource PartitioningBirds fly at different
heights
45
Factors to which organisms respond

• Conditions abiotic factors that vary in space
  and time
• Not used up by an organism
• Temperature, wind, acidity, salinity, fire
• Resources abiotic or biotic factors that are
  consumed by organisms.
• Objects of competition by organisms
• Water, chemical nutrients, light, oxygen.

46
Organism Growth Factors

• Different organisms thrive under different
  environmental conditions.
• Optimum level A condition at which an organism
  thrives best. Sufficient light, water, etc.
• Range of Tolerance The range in which organisms
  will survive and grow.
• Zones of Stress the extremes of a range of
  tolerance for an organism.

47
Law of Limiting FactorsYes, you can have too
much of a good thing.There is an optimal level
at which organisms respond best.
Too Cold
Too Hot
48
The Role of Climate in Global Biomes

• Climate the average temperature and
  precipitation.
• Different temperature and rainfall conditions
  occur in almost any combination.
• The amount of rainfall and temperature will
  effect the particular biome.
• Examples
• Temperate deciduous forest biomes are found where
  the annual rainfall is 30-80 inches.
• Grassland biomes are found where the rainfall is
  10-60 inches.
• Desert biomes are found where the rainfall is
  less then 10 inches per year.

49
Major Terrestrial Biomes

• Deserts
• Hot and dry
• Grasslands and Prairies
• Seasonal rainfall warm
• Tropical Rain Forests
• Daily rainfall warm
• Temperate (deciduous) Forests
• Seasonal rainfall warm
• Coniferous Forests
• Seasonal rainfall cold
• Tundra
• Cold and dry

50
Distribution of Terrestrial Biomes
51
Distribution of Terrestrial Biomes
52
Major Biomes related to Temperature Rainfall
Colder
Rainfall determines if an area will support a
forest. But temperature will determine the kind
of forest. For example, Tropical, Deciduous or
Coniferous.
Dry to Wet
Hotter
53
Effects of Latitude and Altitude on GrowthAssume
that you are in a rain forest and then go up a
nearby mountain.
54
Microclimates Shade and Sunlight
55
Historical Progression of Systems

• Natural Systems
• Developed by Mother Nature.
• Human Systems
• Created by Humans
• A total system including animal husbandry,
  agriculture and all human developments.

56
Human Ecosystems Differs from Natural Systems in
several ways.

• Produce abundant food
• Control water flow rate and direction
• Overcome predation and disease
• Construct our own sub-ecosystems
• Overcome competition with other species
• Destroy natural systems
• Pollution, agriculture, development, etc.

57
Three Revolutions

• Human Ancestry -100,000 years ago.
• Start of present day human evolution
• Neolithic Revolution 12,000 years ago
• The thinking human. Logic, organization
• Animal husbandry and agriculture started
• Industrial Revolution 17th 18th Century
• Scientific and technological beginnings
• Environmental Revolution Today??
• Stewardship and sustainability

58
Calculate Your Own Ecological Footprint
Click on the picture to go to this web site. Or
type the site address below in your browser.
Print out the page that shows Your "Living
Lightly" Score and hand it in at the beginning
of the next class.
http//www.eartheducation.com/eeanb-5r01.asp
59
(No Transcript)
60
(No Transcript)
61
(No Transcript)
62
Scoring
The first thing we did to calculate your score
was to tally up the number of points you have for
each of the Environmental Habits Participation
sections. Items in the left column are worth 0
points, those in the middle column are worth 2
points, and those in the right column receive 5
points. Your total points for each section below.

225
63
THE LIVING MORE LIGHTLY PROFILE
64
Using the PrtScn Key
On old computers, pressing the PrtScn key would
cause whatever was on the screen to be printed on
the printer. On modern computers, pressing the
PrtScn key copies the information on the screen
into memory. To get a printed copy the the
screen, you must 1st open a word processing
application such as Notepad, WordPad, Word or
WordPerfect. Then pastes the data in memory to
the application page by clicking on Edit in the
toolbar and Paste in the dropdown menu. When the
screen is shown on the word processing document,
click on File in the Toolbar and click print.
There are other ways to accomplish this task.
65
The EndChapter 2