Chapter 50 Notes.pptVIP

Chapter 50 Notes An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere The Scope of Ecology The interactions between organisms and their environments determine the distribution and abundance of organisms - Why are there no malaria-carrying mosquitoes in Minnesota? - Why are there so many deer in Ohio? The Scope of Ecology What factors limit the geographic range, or distribution, of a species? What factors determine the abundance of a species? The environment of any organism will include both biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) components. The Scope of Ecology Ecology can be divided into four increasingly comprehensive levels of study Organismal ecology: concerned with the morphological, physiological, and behavioral ways in which organisms meet the challenges of biotic and abiotic environments The Scope of Ecology Population ecology: concentrates on factors that affect how many individuals of a particular species live in an area Community ecology: deals with interacting species in a community The Scope of Ecology Ecosystem ecology: emphasis is on energy flow and the cycling of chemicals among biotic and abiotic components Biosphere: the global ecosystem; the sum of all the earth’s ecosystem Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms Darwin and Wallace began to recognize broad patterns of geographic distribution Biogeography: the study of the past and present distribution of individual species Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms Species dispersal contributes to the distribution of organisms ex. Why are there no Kangaroos in North America? - one way to determine if dispersal is a key factor limiting distribution is by observing when humans have transplanted a species Factors Affecting the Distribution of Organisms - if a transplant is successful, then the potential range is larger than its actual range - if a transplant is unsuccessful, meaning it is unable to survive and reproduce, then we need to d