Basic Concepts in Environmental Science

7/30/2019 Basic Concepts in Environmental Science

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What is ecology?

What is an ecosystem? Elements of an ecosystem

Nutrient cycles

Biomes


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Ecology - study of the different ways

organisms interact with other organisms

and their environment

Environment- non-living surroundings in which

the organism lives


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Ecologists - people who study ecology

study 3 areas:

1. how organisms interact with other organisms

like themselves

2. how organisms interact with other kinds of

organisms

3. how organisms interact with the nonliving parts

of their environment


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Ecological system / Ecosysteminteractionof all living and nonliving things in a givenarea (maybe as small as an aquarium or a

field, or as large as a lake or a forest)Biosphereworld ecosystem; includes all

the living things on the earth and the wholenonliving environment with which the living

things interact Living things can only live in the biosphere, or those

parts of the earth that can supply water, oxygen andnutrientsthe things that are needed to support life


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Living things play different roles in an

ecosystem producers /autotrophs

consumers / heterotrophs

decomposers


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able to produce their own food from

simple substances in the environment

make their own food by using energy

from the sun or by using energy from

certain chemical substances; with this

energy they put together simple

substances to form complex onesall green plants and certain protists


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organisms that depend upon other

organisms as a source of food because they

are not able to produce their own food

tissues contain elements as carbon,hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen; takes in these

elements in the form of complex

compounds if it eats an organism such as aplant or animal; compounds are broken

down in consumers body during digestion


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Herbivoresanimals that feed on plants;also called primary consumers

Carnivoresanimals that feed on other

animals secondary consumers - carnivores that eat

herbivores

tertiary consumerscarnivores that feed on

other carnivoresOmnivorean animal that feeds on both

plants & animals


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special consumers that feed on dead

matter; break down compounds of a dead

organism; thus important elements are

returned to the environment to be used

again by living things

bacteria & fungi


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Lake Forest Field

Decomposers Fungi / Bacteria Fungi / Bacteria Fungi / Bacteria

Carnivores

(Tertiary

Consumer )

Humans Hawks Snakes

Carnivores

(Secondary

Consumer)

Bass Small Birds Frogs

Herbivores

(PrimaryConsumer )

Bream Beetles Crickets

Producers Shore Plants Trees Grass


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Limiting Factor - Factor that limits the

growth of organisms or where an

organism can live

Types:

A. Biotic factorsliving things (ex. Food

sources)

B. Abiotic factorsnonliving things (ex.Temperature, sunlight, water, air and soil)


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blue-green algae that live in hot springs(limiting factor for other organisms)

some living things able to live at below

freezing temperature tropical orchids grow best in shadedifferent types of soil

(sandy, clay)

contain different amounts of minerals, organicmaterial, water & air

determines kind of plants that can live there

determine the kind of animals that live there


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Types of Nutrients: Macronutrients - nutrients that are needed in fairly

large quantities (C, H, O, N, Ca, K, P, S, Mg, Na)

Micronutrients - needed in much smaller quantities(Fe, Cu, Mn, B, Zn, I, Mo, Cl, Co, V, F, Se)

Total supply of nutrients on earth =

constant (do not increase )

Cyclemovement of a nutrient throughthe various parts of the ecosystem over and

over again


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Biome- large ecological region of a

certain type

Has certain characteristics that make it

different from other biomes (different

plants, animals)

2 important environmental factors:

rainwater and temperature


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Very cold biomeWide band of land that nearly surrounds the

Arctic Ocean; around the Antarctic Ocean

Land characteristics: Bogs, ponds, swamps,Permafrostpermanently frozen layerPlants: Mosses, lichens, grasses, sedges

(most trees cannot grow)

Animals: insects, birds, bears, moose,caribou, rabbits in summer (migrate toother warmer place for winter)


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Largest biome on the earths surfaceNorthern part of Asia, Europe, N. AmericaSouth of Tundra

Plants: mosses, lichens, small plants (soilwarm in summer but wet); spruce firtrees

Other known as coniferous forest biomeAnimals: moose, deer, wolves, lynx,

porcupines, squirrels, beavers, bears;insects, birds


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Part of N. America, S. America, Asia,

Europe

Has seasons, average rainfall of 100

cm/yr

Deciduous trees loses leaves in winter

Plants: beeches, maples, oaks, hickories

Animals: deer, bears, squirrels, skunks,rabbits, raccoons, opossums; reptiles,

amphibians, insects, birds


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C. America, S. America, C. Asia, parts of

Africa & Australia

Rains almost everyday

More plant species than many other

biome

Animals spend most of lives in trees

wooly monkeys, sloths, squirrels, bats,spiders, insects

Soil not productive for farmland


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Australia, Africa, Asia, N. America, S.America1/3 of the U.S.

Common plants are grassesCalled prairie, steppe, pampa, veld and

savannaAnimals: gazelles, rhinoceros, giraffes, water

buffalo (herbivores); bison, pronghornantelopes, rabbits, gophers, groundsquirrels, prairie chicken, pheasants


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W. United States, S. America, N. Africa, C.

Asia, C. Australia, India

Very hot; cold winters

Low rainfall (less than 25 cm/yr)

Plants: grow rapidly when rains; other

short stem with many branches; some

have very thick leaves; lose leavesduring drought; have thorns for leaves


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Streams, rivers; ponds, lakes

Plants: algae, rooted plants

Animals: bottom feeders (mussels, snails,

worm, crayfish); rotifers, insects, fish,

frogs, turtles, salamanders, birds


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Ecosystem that contain salt water

2 parts of ocean: ocean floor & open

ocean


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Intertidal - land between high tide & low tide Animals: worms, crabs, oysters, barnacles

Littoralarea from intertidal to continental shelf gets sunlight for green plants for photosynthesis

Animals: flounders, stingrays, mollusks (in sandybottoms)

Sea cucumber, clams, sea urchins (in muddy bottoms)

Benthicnot enough sunlight for green plant togrow Animals: one-celled bacteria & other blue green algae


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Photic zonearea where light has effect

nearly all plant production

different kinds of animals live

Aphotic zonemost organisms arescavengers & decomposers

no living plants

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Basic Concepts in Environmental Science