CHAPTER 6ECOLOGY:

Preserving the Animal Kingdom

Ecology- is the study of the

relationships of organisms to their environment and to other organism.

ANIMALS AND THEIR ABIOTIC ENVIRONMENT

Habitat – environment biotic – all living abiotic – nonliving

Tolerance range – animals live within a certain range of values

Range of optimum – a certain range of values within the tolerance range

Limiting factor – out of an animals tolerance range

Taxis – animal’s response to an abiotic factor phototaxis – respond to light

Energy- ability to do work Heterotrophic - other feeder Autotrophic - organism carry on photosynthesis or other carbon – fixing activities that supply their food source Energy budget -total energy intake and a description of how that energy is used and lost

Temperature - influences the rates of chemical

reactions in animal cells ( metabolic rate ) and affects the animal’s overall activity.

Torpor - is a time of decreased

metabolism and lowered body temperature

Hibernation - occurs in small mammals

Winter sleep- occurs in some larger

animals

Aestivation - is period of inactivity in some animals

that must withstand extended periods of drying

Other Abiotic FactorsMoisture light Geology and soil

Populations- groups of individuals of the same species that occupy a given area at the same time and have unique attributes.

POPULATION GROWTH Type 1 (convex)- survive to an old age , then die rapidly Type 2 (diagonal)- have constant probability of death throughout their lives Type 3 (concave)- experience very high juvenile mortality

Exponential growth- population increases by the same

ratio per unit time Environmental resistance Carrying capacity

- symbolized by K Logistic population growth

- growth curves assume a sigmoid, or flattened S, shape and the population growth

POPULATION REGULATION- the conditions that an animal must meet to survive are unique for every species.

Population Density Density – independent factors- influence the number of animals in a population without regard to the number of individuals Density – dependent factors- more severe when population density is high ( or sometimes very low ) than they are at other densities.

Intraspecific Competition- competition among members of the

same species

INTERSPECIFIC INTERACTIONS Herbivory and predation Interspecific competition Coevolution Symbiosis

- competition among members of the same species

Intraspecific Competition

Herbivory and Predation

Herbivores – animals that feed on plants

Predators – feed by killing and eating organism

- when members of different species compete for resources

Interspecific competition

- when species are competing for the same resource or during predator – prey interaction

Coevolution

symbiosis- arising through coevolution come

from two different species living in continuing, intimate associations

*Parasitism*Commensalism*Mutualism

- which one organism lives in or on second organism called host

Parasitism

Commensalism- which one member of the relationship benefits , and the

second is neither helped or harm

- relationship that benefits both members

Mutualism

Other Interspecific Adaptations Camouflage - occurs when animal’s patterns help hide the animal Cryptic coloration Countershading*Aposematic coloration -when an animal shows to the predator their condition by conspicuous coloration. Mimicry - when species resembles one, or sometimes more than one, other species and gains protection by the resemblance

- when animal takes on color patterns of environment to prevent the animal by seeing from other animals

• Cryptic coloration

Countershading- common in frog and toad

Mimicry- species resembles one or more than

one , other species and gains protection by the resemblance

Communities- all populations living in an area Dominant species- species that are responsible for establishing community characteristic Community (species) diversity/richness- characterized by the variety of species contain.

THE ECOLOGICAL NICHE- includes all the attributes of an animal’s lifestyle

Community Stability Succession-a process by which the dominant members of the community change a community in predictable ways Pioneer community - the first community to become established in an area. Seral stage Sere Climax community- usually have complex structure and high species diversity

Food Chain - sequence of organism through which energy moves in an ecosystem

TROPHIC STRUCTURE OF ECOSYSTEM

- complexly interconnected food chainsFood webs

*BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

Cycling within Ecosystem

The flow of chemical elements and compounds between living organisms and the physical environment.

ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMSEcological Problems- Known process that has negative effects on the sustainability of the environmental quality necessary for well being of organisms living in it.

Human Population Growth Environmental PollutionResource Depletion And Biodiversity

Human population growth - is the root of virtually all environmental problems - tend to grow exponentially

Environmental Pollution defined as the undesirable change in

physical, chemical and biological characteristics of our air, land and water

Classification of environmental pollution Pollution can be broadly classified according

to the components of environment that are polluted.

1. Air Pollution any imbalance in the ratio of oxygen, carbon

dioxide and nitrogen.

Air PollutionHuman Effects on Air pollution: Affects respiratory

system Skin cancer Damage to eyes

and immune system

2.Water Pollution Any physical, biological or chemical change in water quality that adversely affects living organisms or makes water unsuitable for use.Sources of water pollution:

Human Effects on Air Pollution: Waterborne diseases

(typhoid, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis, jaundice)

The presence of acids/alkalies in water destroys the microorganisms, thereby hindering a self-purification process in the rivers or water bodies.

3.Soil Pollution(Land Degradation)Due to: Deforestation Dumping of solid

wastes

RESOURCE DEPLETION AND BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity - the variety of living organisms in an

ecosystem

The problems of threatened biodiversity have solutions, but none of the solution is quick and easy.

1. Money 2. Realization 3. International ethics