Introduction to Ecology

Review of Ecosystems
o o o o Biomes Habitat & Niche Ecological Succession Flow of Energy
What about the bleeding Earth, Can't we feel its wounds? What about nature's worth? It's our planet's womb.
-Earth Song, Michael Jackson (1995)
RIP MJ

Ecology
Environment

Organisms

o Gr. oikos, house

Ernst Haeckel (1866), German biologist

Biosphere
o Self-contained o Patchy

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS reveal the limits of the biosphere

Understand basic concepts in ecology Analyze environmental issues and plan for better practices

Biomes

Biomes

Ecosystem
o Not self-contained! o Abiotic Biotic

Removing biotic elements can dramatically affect an ecosystems abiotic conditions

The Philippine Eagle, Pithecophaga jefferyi, also known as the Great Philippine Eagle, Haribon, or Monkey-eating Eagle, is a bird of prey belonging to the family Accipitridae and the worlds largest eagle. It is the only member of the genus Pithecophaga and is genetically believed to be most closely related to the snake eagles. This eagle is endemic to the Philippines and can be found on four major islands: eastern Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao, with most of the population living on Mindanao. It lives in dipterocarp and mid-montane forests, particularly in steep areas. The Philippine Eagle eats flying lemurs, Asian Palm Civets, reptiles, birds, and occasionally monkeys. Pairs are known to hunt cooperatively, with one eagle distracting a group of monkeys while the other swoops in unnoticed for the kill. A pair requires a large expanse of territory of up to 130 square kilometers (50 sq mi). These eagles are believed to live for up to 60 years. Philippine Eagles mate for life and breeding occurs between September and February, depending on rainfall, prey accessibility, and which island the birds live on. Nests resemble huge platforms made of sticks. One egg is laid and incubation lasts for 58 to 68 days. The parents will care for their offspring for nearly twenty months.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Eagle

Habitat & Niche

o Habitat o Niche o Competitive exclusion principle

Ecological Succession
o Directional o Usually predictable o Pioneer species o Dominant species o Climax community

o Ecological pyramid Shows the relative amounts of energy/matter contained within each trophic level o Trophic level Gr. trophe, food or nourishment feeding level

ENERGY & NUTRIENTS

Building the Web of Life

Energy and Nutrients

Ecological Pyramids

Energy and Nutrients

Ecological Pyramids

Energy and Nutrients

Ecological Pyramids

Energy and Nutrients

Feeding Relationships
o Food chain

Energy and Nutrients

Feeding Relationships
o Food web

Image Sources
o Slide 2, 5, 7, 10 - http://www.photos.ph/jverzosa o Slide 4, 6 - http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/ o Slide 8 Tundra - http://www.duke.edu/web/nicholas/bio217/rsf4%20awc7/ caribou_tundra.jpg Rainforest - http://media.photobucket.com/image/philippine%20rainforest/ gors_iligan1/Ilig___bove204.jpg Desert - http://www.saharamet.com/desert/photos/desert2.jpg o Slide 9 River - http://www.cc.gatech.edu/cpl/projects/graphcuttextures/data/interaction/ LittleRiver.jpg Ocean - http://www.treehugger.com/ocean-turtle.jpg Mangrove - http://www.uvm.edu/giee/ateliers/philippines03/Philippines _mangrove.jpg

Image Sources
o Slide 11 - http://images.world66.com/ph/il/ip/philippine_ eagle _1_galleryfull o Slide 12, 13, 14 10 succession - http://student.britannica.com/comptons/ article-273236/ecology 20 succession - http://student.britannica.com/comptons/ article-273237/ecology o Slide 15 - http://amykane.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/08/09/ lichen2_2.jpg o Slide 16 - http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/hardtoget/ma149/images/ figure15.jpg o Slide 17, 18, 19 Biology by Miller and Levine 2002 o Slide 20, 21 Biology: Concepts and Connections by Campbell 2002

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