Ecosystems in Space

Biology 100/101
Lecture 2: Ecosystems in Space
(Print Version)

Announcements &
Assignments

Lecture Objectives

Web Resources

Terminology:
Assemblages of organisms

Terminology:
Assemblages of organisms
& the environment

Biome Location

Characteristics
of Biomes

Lecture Syllabus

IB 100/101 Home Page

Announcements

Text readings in Life by Ricki Lewis: Testing Your Knowledge: Thinking Scientifically

Chapter 43 (Communities and Ecosystems
Pgs 853-859, 861-862)
Chapter 44 (Biomes and Aquatic Ecosystems) page 875, Questions 1-3
Page 895, Questions 1 and 4 Page 876, Question 2

Today's topic: Organization and integration of life from the individual up to the biosphere

Objectives:

After studying this material you should be able to:

Define and explain the relationships among these concepts: populations, biological communities, ecosystems, biomes, and biosphere.

Give an explanation why many species can coexist in an ecosystem when they are competing for limited resources.

Explain why different regions of the globe have different climates, and consequently support different biomes. Describe and explain the effect the following have on the climate (rainfall and temperature) of an area:

latitude

altitude

tilt of the axis of the earth

global air circulation patterns

global ocean currents

proximity to bodies of water

mountain ranges

Describe the characteristics of the following major terrestrial biomes: tundra, desert, prairie (grassland), temperate deciduous forest, temperate rain forest, tropical rain forest.

Key Terms:

population	biological community	ecosystem
biosphere	biome	habitat
abiotic factors	biotic factors	ecological niche

Terminology: Assemblages of organisms

Species: "A group of organisms with similar structural and functional characteristics which breed only with one another".

Population: A collection of individuals of the same species.

Biological Population: "A group of interbreeding organisms living in the same area." (Lewis, Life - glossary)

Biological Community: "...a community includes all the organisms, sometimes hundreds of species, in a given area." (Lewis, Life - pg. 855)

Champaign-Urbana, your room, even your roommate, all harbor biological communities...

Millions of mites!

Body Beasts: No man is an island. He is an ecosystem. National Geographic, Dec. 1998

Q & A concerning Head Lice from National Geographic

Terminology: Assemblages of organisms + the environment

Ecosystem:"All organisms and their nonliving environment in a defined area", (Lewis, Life - glossary)

Includes all biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors in the environment.

Ecosystems may be:

Large or small

distinct or indistinct

Nested

Habitat: "the physical place where an organism lives" (Lewis, Life - glossary)

(WHERE individuals live)

Niche: "all resources a species uses for survival, growth, or reproduction" (Lewis, Life - glossary)

(HOW (and where) individuals "MAKE A LIVING")

Differences in niches among species allow multiple species to occupy ecosystems

Biome: "one of several major types of terrestrial ecosystems" (Lewis, Life - glossary)

At large spatial scales groups of interacting ecosystems are called Biomes, characterized by a particular type of vegetation (or animal life*) and largely determined by temperature and rainfall or salinity*

Spread over large areas

Not sharply separated

*Aquatic: freshwater (e.g., lakes, ponds, rivers) and marine (e.g., coastal and oceans).

Biosphere "the ecosystem of the entire planet" (Lewis, Life - glossary)

At the largest scale the biosphere is the living shell around the planet

In what biome is Champaign-Urbana located?

Biomes of Central and North America Image

Tallgrass Prairie Photo

Prior to settlement, more than 60% of Illinois, approximately 22 million acres, were covered with prairie. Today, just over 2,000 acres remain, less than one-hundredth of one percent. Tall grass prairies are endangered ecosystems in Illinois.