PEOPLE AND THE EARTH’S ECOSYSTEMS REVIEWER Polar Ice
LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION IN ECOLOGY - Coldest place of terrestrial biomes
- Known for barren landscapes, glaciers, and huge
Correct Sequence of Levels in Ecology ice sheets
- Organisms --> Populations --> Communities --> - 0°C monthly that allows snow and ice to
Ecosystems -> Biosphere accumulate
- Polar areas are covered in ice with some ice-free
Organisms, Populations, and Communities areas called Nunataks.
- Extremely cold, dry and windy
- In a forest, each pine tree is an organism. Together,
- Primary producers – marine algae / phytoplankton.
all pine trees make up a population. All the plant
and animal species in a forest comprise a Tundra
community. Three Types of Niche
- Population: A group of the same species of - Extreme coldness and dryness caused by
1. Spatial / Habitat Niche – deals with the physical extremely low precipitation
organism living in the same place and time.
space occupied by the organisms. - Still wet because water evaporates slowly
- Community: All populations that occupy the same
2. Trophic Niche – on the basis food level of an - Ground remains frozen year-round
region.
organization, it is distinguished. - Layer of permanent frozen ground called
Ecosystems 3. Multidimensional / Hypervolume Niche – considers permafrost.
number of environmental factors both biotic and - plants are small and have short growing seasons
- Includes living organisms and the environment in
abiotic. - Animals have thick fur
which they live.
- The living and non-living components of an area. TERRESTRIAL BIOMES Taiga
Biosphere Description - Northern Coniferous Forest / Boreal Forest
- Largest terrestrial biome on Earth
- Encompasses all the ecosystems on Earth. - Terrestrial Biomes are ecosystems with distinctive
- Cool high elevations in more temperate latitudes
- Global ecosystem; the parts of the planet and its communities of life and found in land.
- Long, cold winters and short, wet summers
atmosphere where life is possible. - Different biomes exist because of the variations of
- Possible precipitation in the form of snow
light, temperature, and moisture across the
Habitat - Soil is thin, nutrient poor and acidic, but evergreen
biosphere.
trees are abundant here
- An ecological area where a plant, animal or other - Temperature and moisture are the main factors
- Only some mammals and birds stay year-round,
individual lives. that determine the dominant plants in each
because of cold and relative dryness.
- An organism’s “address” location.
- The vegetation then influences which other
Niche organisms can live in each area.
- Role or position that an individual has in its - Other abiotic factors are wind, rocks, soil, and
environment periodic disturbances.
- An organism’s “occupation”
Temperate Forest Chaparral HUMAN EVOLUTION
- Temperate Coniferous Forest - Mediterranean shrubland Human Evolution
- Mild winters, cool summers, abundant rain - Coastal areas; cool, moist and mild rainy winters,
- the evolutionary process that began from the
- Common in coastal areas that have mild winters and long, hot, dry summers
evolutionary history of primates of genus Homo
and heavy rain - Environmental Stresses: Short growing season,
and eventually to the emergence of anatomically
- Life includes large evergreens, amphibians, low-nutrient soil, and frequent fires
modern humans
mammals, and fish - Plants are resistant to fire and drought thrive;
some shrubs have strands of dense, spiny shrubs Population
Temperate Deciduous Forest
with tough evergreen.
- all the organisms of the same species that live in a
- Sufficient moisture to support the growth of large
Desert particular geographical area
trees
- Warm summers, cool winters, consistent rainfall - Driest of all terrestrial biomes HUMAN EVOLUTION ANATOMICAL CHANGES
- Precipitation is fairly distributed throughout the - Low and unpredictable precipitation
year, ground water can be temporarily unavailable - It might be cool or hot Bipedalism
if the soil freezes on very cold winter days - These belts are particularly dry because of global - main cause of skeletal changes
- Broad-leaf deciduous trees air circulation, which results from descending dry - liberated hands for reaching and carrying food
- Distinct annual rhythm in which trees drop leaves air absorbing available moisture - saved energy during movement
and become dormant in winter, then produce new - its plants store water and most animals are active - enabled running and hunting for long distances
leaves in spring. at night - enhanced the field of vision
Temperate Grassland Tropical Savanna - helped avoid hypothermia because it reduced the
surface area exposed to direct sun
- Shares characteristics of tropical savanna; found in - grassland with scattered individual trees
regions of relatively cold winter temperatures - warm year-round SKELETAL CHANGES BROUGHT BY THE EVOLUTION OF
- Hot summers, cold winters; moderately moist - 3 seasons: (1) Cool and Dry, (2) Hot and Dry, (3) BIPEDALISM
- Key to the persistence of grasslands is seasonal Warm and Wet A. femur evolved into a slightly more angular position
drought, occasional fires, and grazing by large - Most savanna soils are low in nutrients, due in part to shift the center of gravity toward the geometric
mammals, all prevent wood shrubs from invading to their porosity center of the body.
and becoming established - Relatively simple in physical structure but often B. knee and ankle joints became increasingly robust
- Soil tends to be deep and among the most fertile in rich in number of species to support weight better.
the world, one of the reasons is grasslands have an - Animals are most prominent in rainy seasons and C. Human vertebral column became S-shaped and
abundant amount of mulch, or decaying plant there are few trees or shrubs. the lumbar vertebrae became shorter and wider to
material that is deposited each year. support the increased weight on each vertebra in
the upright position.
D. big toe moved into alignment with the other toes to
help in walking forward.
E. arms and forearms shortened relative to the legs POPULATION DEMOGRAPHY
making it easier to run.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF POPULATION GROWTH Demography
F. foramen magnum migrated under the skull, a more
anterior position; and Population - the study of human populations – their size,
G. the pelvic region: the long downward facing iliac composition and distribution across space – and
blade was shortened and widened to keep the - group of individuals of same species living in the
the process through which populations change.
center of gravity stable while walking. same geographic area at the same time.
BIG THREE OF DEMOGRAPHY
Encephalization Biotic Potential
Fertility
- The human species developed a much larger brain - the ability of a population of living species to
than that of other primates. Because of its size, it increase under ideal environmental conditions – - The human female is generally fertile from early
enabled social learning and language acquisition in sufficient food supply, no predators, and a lack of teens to about mid-forties. The human male
young humans. disease. generally remains fertile throughout adulthood,
o Temporal Lobes - contain centers for though sperm count and quality diminish from
DIFFERENCES IN BIOTIC POTENTIAL
language processing middle-age onward.
o Prefrontal Complex - related to complex - many large animals (humans or elephants), will - Women ovulate at about the fourteenth day of their
decision-making and moderating social only produce 1 offspring per year cycle, this obviously being the most fertile time for
behavior have increased in size. - small organisms may produce thousands of females.
offspring per year - Men can ejaculate and produce sperm at any time
Sexual Dimorphism - Humans have a lower biotic potential than most of the month, but their libido dips occasionally,
other organisms and yet, human population which may be in relation to an internal cycle.
- two sexes of the same species differ in
characteristics aside their sex organs. continues to grow steadily.
Mortality
- reduced degree of sexual dimorphism in humans. Environmental Resistance
o Hidden Estrus - (concealed ovulation). - The effect of mortality on population structures is
This means that female humans are - the sum of the environmental factors (such as to reduce the component of the population in which
fertile year-round. drought, mineral deficiencies, and competition) the mortality occurs.
that tend to restrict the biotic potential of an - Historically, the most dangerous ages were
Ulnar Opposition organism or kind of organism and impose a limit on infancy and old age.
- the contact between the thumb and the tip of the numerical increase
Migration
little finger of the same hand. This feature is unique Carrying Capacity
to the genus Homo. This trait facilitates precision - In areas where natural disasters or politico-
and power grip of the human hand. - the maximum number of a given species that can military concerns lead to entire populations being
be sustained by resources in a given environment. displaced the initial population structure will be
- Amount of Resources Used = Amount of Resources unchanged, though post-migration the population
Produced will have altered to reflect those who have
survived the process, typically showing increases
in older children and younger adults.
Birth and In-migration (Immigration) - Biodiversity also has a role to play in the stability
of the ecosystem and global climate.
- Enter a population
o Deforestation removes trees responsible
Death and Out-migration (Emigration) for the conversion of carbon dioxide into
oxygen.
- Leave a population o Deforestation also leads to soil erosion
Intrinsic Explanation Mortality where other species of plant suffer, with
the forming of desert-like areas as a
- are based on long-standing correlations reported result.
between life span and individual metabolic rate.
ECOLOGICAL BIODIVERSITY
Extrinsic Explanation Mortality
- is measured by looking at its three levels: species,
- based on the observation that organisms in natural ecosystem and genetic diversity.
environments typically die as a result of disease,
predation or accident, well before they reach their THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY
maximum possible life span. - Threat of Urbanization
PEOPLE AND FORESTS o The city of London, for example, is
becoming home to increasingly more
6 TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY wildlife who have adapted to live in an
urban environment.
1. Forest Diversity
- Threat of Pollution
2. Marine Diversity
o Deforestation has dramatic effects on
3. Plant Diversity
climate and biodiversity.
4. Race Diversity
- Threat of Climate Change
5. Genetic Diversity
o Higher temperatures through climate
6. Bird Diversity
change mean increased biodiversity in
3 FORESTS some regions
- Threat of Invasive Species
1. Taiga
o Consider the American gray squirrel
2. Deciduous Forest
decimating red squirrel populations in
3. Rainforest
England
WHY IS BIODIVERSITY IMPORTANT? - Threat of Overexploitation
o Overfishing and overharvesting either
- A healthy ecosystem has a rich level of remove competition for other species
biodiversity. causes a huge shift in the stability of
o The less inhabitable an ecosystem, the species richness and diversity.
less life it can support.
