Class notes
Ecology - powerpoint and lecture notes
- Course
- ECOL 1000
- Institution
- University Of Georgia
Comprehensive and detailed powerpoint and lecture notes.
[Show more]
Content preview
Wednesday, January 8, 2020Ecology Notes
What is ecology? !
- Study of interactions between organisms and their environments!
- Think about:!
• Organism !
• Environment (abiotic and biotic)!
What is environmental science?!
- Study of ALL aspects of environment!
• Includes human interaction!
• Is interdisciplinary and broad!
- Can assign value to ecological problems!
• Can judge situations as good or bad!
Population!
- Exponential population growth- population grows exponentially!
• dN (population size) / dt (time) = rate of change in population change = rN !
- r= intrinsic rate of increase !
- N =population size!
• Assumes unlimited resources and constant environment!
- Logistic growth- something causes growth rate to slow/stop and population plateaus!
• dN / dt = rN(1-N/K)!
- K= carrying capacity!
- The bigger population gets, the smaller the growth rate gets!
- Density-independent- factors the affect population growth regardless of size!
• Temperature, precipitation, catastrophic events!
- Density-dependent- factors that affect growth in accordance with size!
• Resource availability, disease, competition !
1
, Wednesday, January 8, 2020
- Population regulation- when population raises and falls below carrying capacity in
repetitive manner!
- Life table- summarizes age-specific schedules of survival and fecundity (typically for
females) in convenient format!
• Age | Number Alive | Mortality rate for age | Fecundity!
• Cohort- group of individuals of same age-class (single birth year/age)!
Ecosystem Services!
- Ecosystem services: many and varied benefits that humans freely gain from the
natural environment and from properly-functioning ecosystems!
• Idea has existed for centuries!
- Modern notions began brewing in 1950s!
• Term was coined and promoted to explain environmental issues beginning in
1970s!
• Examples:!
- Supporting services: nutrient cycling, photosynthesis, soil formation, pollination!
• Pollination: abiotic (wind, water, rain), biotic (>100k species)!
- Honeybees pollinate crops worth >$200B annually!
- Provisioning services: food, potable water, medicine, raw materials, energy!
• Pharmaceutical discovery: aspirin (willows), opiates (poppies), penicillin (fungi)!
- Regulating services: waste decomposition, resource purification, pest control!
- Cultural services: cultural, recreational, educational, aesthetic, scientific!
- Natural capital: world’s stock of natural resources, which includes geology, soils, air,
water, and all living organisms!
- Ecological footprint: ecological assets that a given population requires to produce its
natural resources it consumes and absorb its waste. T!
• Tracks use of six categories of surface areas:!
- Cropland!
- Grazing land!
- Fishing grounds!
- Built-up land !
2
, Wednesday, January 8, 2020
- Forest area!
- Carbon demand on land!
Water!
- Hydrological cycle: how water moves around planet!
• There’s generally no creation of water, same water recirculates!
• Transpiration/evaporation is going from liquid—>gas!
• Condensation+precipitation is going from gas—>liquid!
• Biotic use—>runoff—>infiltration—>biotic use is movement of liquid water!
- What moves with water?!
• Sediment, pollution, etc.!
- Watershed: any area of land where precipitation collect and trains off into a common
outlet, such as into a river bay, or other body of water !
• Connects the landscape!
• Human communities in same watershed use snd compete for water resources!
- Aquifer: underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock, rock fractures or
unconsolidated materials!
- Water table: upper-surface aquifer where water is accessible!
- Saltwater intrusion: movement of saline water into freshwater aquifers, which can
lead to groundwater quality degradation!
• Canals being built can increase this condition!
• Global warming is another cause of this!
- Tri-state water wars: battle for limited water between GA, FL, AL!
• Competing interests: upstream consumption and recreation in Atlanta;
downstream use for agriculture, power generation, consumption; fisheries in
Apalachicola Bay!
- Legislation!
• Clean Water Act (1972)!
- Landmark legislation to: restore and maintain chemical, physical, and biological
integrity of nation’s water”!
• Clean Water Rule (2015)!
3
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller anyiamgeorge19. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $9.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
67163 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now