Ecosystems and their Diversity

Biosphere

Ecosystems Community Population Organism

 Ecosystem  Community of populations together with its abiotic and biotic factors that surround and affect it  Small (lichen covered boulder on a hill side) or large (hill side)  Aquatic and terrestrial

 Ecotone  grey area between ecosystems  Transition area where organisms from both ecosystems interact  Lots of species diversity in this region pond ecotone field

 Artificial Ecosystems  Living community is planned or maintained by humans  School yard, local parks, farms, managed forests  Natural Ecosystems  Living community is free to interact with physical and chemical environment  not untouched just not planned or maintained by humans  Lakes, rivers, forests, deserts, meadows

 Canada has:  2 major Aquatic biomes 1.

Freshwater 2.

Salt water/marine  4 major Terrestrial biomes 1.

2.

3.

4.

Taiga (most) Tundra (north) Temperate Deciduous Forest (great lakes) Grasslands (prairies)

 Alberta’s aquatic ecosystems fit into the freshwater  Lakes, rivers, streams, ponds etc  Alberta’s terrestrial ecosystems fit into the Taiga and grassland biomes  Taiga (boreal forest)  Muskeg (bogs in boreal forest)  Grassland  Parkland, Foothills (ecotones)  Deciduous

 Use the table of some of abiotic and biotic factors found in the four major ecosystems of Alberta  Take a piece of chart paper and divide the paper into four quarters and label appropriately

Taiga

Muskeg

Grassland

Deciduous Forest  Place each factor in the quarter where you think it belongs be sure to justify  When finished give a brief description of each ecosystem

Ecosystem

taiga ● ● ● ● muskeg grassland deciduous forest ● ● ● ●

Alberta Ecosystems

Abiotic factors Biotic community

northern and central changeable weather soil contains some water and is acidic precipitation 50–250 cm/a black and grizzly bears wolverine weasels moose deer grouse owls spruce and pine trees shrubs, ferns, mosses, and lichens cold temperatures short growing season permafrost layer beneath soil low precipitation: 50–150 cm/a ● ● ● ecosystems ● central and southern more sunlight and warmer temperatures than muskeg or taiga rich, fertile soil precipitation 25–100 cm/a ● ● ● ● ecosystems central more sunlight and warmer temperatures than muskeg or taiga rich, fertile soil precipitation 75–250 cm/a black bear caribou ptarmigan rapidly flowering plants, moss, and lichens bison deer rabbits hawks yellow-bellied sapsuckers fescue grasses grasshoppers black bears weasels moose deer woodpeckers deciduous trees shrubs

 A group of organisms population). of one species that interbreed and live in the same place at the same time (e.g. deer

 Ecologists sample random populations within ecosystems to collect data that helps them better understand the species  Sampling Populations  Count species of a few samples of entire population then average them  Transects  Quadrants

Populations have a number of attributes that may be of interest to ecologists and we that we can measure during sampling:  Migration  Distribution and Abundance  Composition  Dynamics

 Movement of individuals into (immigration) and out (emigration) of population  Affects density, distribution, dynamics and composition of a population

Tells us more about the numbers of the pop

 Density-# of organism per unit area (avg number of individuals per quadrant and dividing by size of quadrant) Total abundance can be determined from this  Distribution-Location of individuals within an area (random, clumped or uniform)  Carrying Capacity-max # of individuals that can be supported

Data that enables up to determine whether the pop is declining or increasing

 Sex ratios-# of organisms of each sex  Population fertility-reproductive capacity of the females  Age structure-# of organisms of different ages  Capacity for survival-# of offspring that reach reproductive age  Length of reproductive life-age of sexual maturity & # of years the individual can reproduce

 What is it?

Information that helps us understand what is happening within the pop

 Growth Rate-change in the total population per unit time  Birth Rate- # of organisms born per unit time  Mortality Rate- # of organisms dying per unit time  Breeding Frequency-# of times that a organism reproduces each year  Birth Potential- # of offspring per birth

Ecologists study the following to find out more about specific species within a population:  Habitat and Range  Ecological Niche  Factors that limit growth  Abiotic and biotic factors

 A place or area with a particular set of characteristics, both biotic & abiotic  Each species is found in a specific habitat that its physical, physiological and behavioural adaptations equip it to survive and reproduce  One large area or a bunch of small areas that are similar

 Geographical area where the species is found  Species will only be found where its habitat is present



Functional position of an organism in its environment, comprising of its habitat and resources obtained there, and the periods of time which its active

 terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems can support a diversity of organisms because they have a variety of habitats and niches  Terrestrial Niches/habitats  Aquatic Niches/habitats

Canopy Understorey Forest floor

 Canopy  Upper area of vegetation, lots of sunlight, diverse number of birds  Sub canopy  Usually shrubs and smaller trees, many browsers such as deer and moose  Forest floor  Lowest area, continuous shade, shelter nesting sites, supports many types of insects, shade loving plant  Soil  Temperature levels determine decomposition & organic matter

Benthic zone

 Littoral zone  Shallow, most productive part of the lake, plants and algae take full advantage of sunlight for photosynthesis  Limnetic zone  Enough light for photosynthesis to occur, plankton is the food for the higher level consumers  Profundal zone  Not enough light for photosynthesis, not alot of oxygen, carp and other invertebrates that can handle low o levels  Benthic zone  The :ground”, rooted and bottom dwelling organisms, amount of sunlight and temperature depend on depth of water

 Abiotic and biotic conditions that limit the number of individuals  Species cannot grow in an unlimited fashion for a sustained period of time  Control the growth, distribution, survival of a species  Anything in short supply (e.g. nutrients or sunlight)

 Soil  Provides nutrients for all plants that grow on land  Determined by nature of rock in which it was formed, nature of plants & H2O acidity  Water (availability, depth of water table, pressure)  Organisms need water to survive  Determined by amount & type of ppt, how much collects then stays in soil, depth of water

 Temperature  Affects other abioitc and biotic factors  Vary throughout year  Sunlight  Provides energy to system  Depends on closeness to equator, seasons and location in ecosystem  Chemical Nutrients  Important to survival of organisms  Determined by seasons, soil, temperature, , amount dissolved

 Competition  Intraspecific= members of same population compete with each other for limited resource (food, water, sunlight, mates, shelter, breeding sites etc)  Interspecific= members of two different populations compete (exotic species) resulting in extinction of one or both of the populations  Predators  Parasitism=one organism (parasite) derives its nourishment from another organism (host) which is harmed in some way

 Scientists use classification system to understand similarities and differences between species  Science of classifying =Taxonomy (Taxonomists)

 7 levels of classification  Kingdom  Phylum  Class  Order  Family  Genus  Species

Kingdom

Eubacteria  Eubacteria  Archaebacteria  Protista  Fungi  Plantae  Animalia Archaebacteria Protista Fungi Plantae Animalia

General characteristics

● simple organisms lacking nuclei (prokaryotic) ● either heterotrophs or autotrophs ● all can reproduce asexually ● live nearly everywhere ● prokaryotic ● heterotrophs ● live in salt lakes, hot springs, animal guts ● most are single celled; some are multicellular organisms; eukaryotic ● some are autotrophs, some are heterotrophs, some are both ● reproduce sexually and asexually ● live in aquatic or moist habitats ● most are multicellular ● all are heterotrophs ● reproduce sexually and asexually ● most are terrestrial ● all are multicellular ● all are autotrophs ● reproduce sexually and asexually ● most are terrestrial ● all are multicellular ● all are heterotrophs ● most reproduce sexually ● live in terrestrial and aquatic habitats

Cell wall

often present (contains peptidoglycan) present (does not contain peptidoglycan) absent present present absent

Representative organisms

bacteria, cyanobacteria methanogens, extreme thermophiles, extreme halophiles algae, protozoa mushrooms, yeasts, bread moulds mosses, ferns, conifers, flowering plants sponges, worms, lobsters, starfish, humans

 Developed by Carl Linneaus as a way to scientifically name and classify organisms  Based on physical and structural features (anatomy, embryology, and ancestry)  More features in common the closer the relation  2 part name (usually Latin) 

Genus species

Pg 139

 Classification manuals that are constructed to help conduct their identification work  A series of choices about the structure of the organisms must be made and each choice leads to a new branch  If each choice is made correctly then the end result will be the organisms name

The Key 1. (a) baleen plates (b) teeth 2. (a) dorsal fin (b) no dorsal fin 3. (a) long pectoral fin (b) short pectoral 4. (a) no dorsal fin fin (b) large dorsal 5. (a) small nose fin (b) large projection from nose 6. (a) mouth on ventral surface (underside) of head (b) mouth at the front of head Go to 2.

Go to 4.

Go to 3.

bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangline) blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) Go to 5.

killer whale (Orincus orca) Go to 6.

narwhal (Mondon monoceros) sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) Pg 162