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A population is a group of individuals of the same species living in an area.
Population ecology focuses on factors affecting how many individuals of a species live in an area.
A community is a group of populations of different species in an area.
Community ecology deals with the whole array of interacting species in a community.
An ecosystem is the community of organisms in an area and the physical factors with which they interact.
Ecosystem ecology emphasizes energy flow and chemical cycling among the various biotic and abiotic components.
A landscape is a mosaic of connected ecosystems.
Landscape ecology deals with arrays of ecosystems and how they are arranged in a geographic region.
The biosphere is the global ecosystem, the sum of all the planet’s ecosystems
Global ecology examines the influence of energy and materials on organisms across the biosphere.
Ecologists recognize two kinds of factors that determine distribution: biotic, or living factors, and abiotic, or nonliving factors.
Biotic factors that affect the distribution of organisms may include:
Abiotic factors affecting distribution of organisms include:
Most abiotic factors vary in space and time
Environmental temperature is an important factor in distribution of organisms because of its effects on biological processes.
Water availability in habitats is another important factor in species distribution. Desert organisms exhibit adaptations for water conservation.
Salt concentration affects water balance of organisms through osmosis. Few terrestrial organisms are adapted to high-salinity habitats.
Light intensity and quality affect photosynthesis. Water absorbs light, thus in aquatic environments most photosynthesis occurs near the surface. In deserts, high light levels increase temperature and can stress plants and animals.
Many characteristics of soil limit distribution of plants and thus the animals that feed upon them:
Four major abiotic components of climate are temperature, water, sunlight, and wind.
The long-term prevailing weather conditions in an area constitute its climate.
Global climate patterns are determined largely by solar energy and the planet’s movement in space. Sunlight intensity plays a major part in determining the Earth’s climate patterns. More heat and light per unit of surface area reach the tropics than the high latitudes.
Seasonal variations of light and temperature increase steadily toward the poles.
Global air circulation and precipitation patterns play major roles in determining climate patterns. Warm wet air flows from the tropics toward the poles.
Air flowing close to Earth’s surface creates predictable global wind patterns
Cooling trade winds blow from east to west in the tropics; prevailing westerlies blow from west to east in the temperate zones.
The Gulf Stream carries warm water from the equator to the North Atlantic. Oceans and their currents and large lakes moderate the climate of nearby terrestrial environments.
During the day, air rises over warm land and draws a cool breeze from the water across the land. As the land cools at night, air rises over the warmer water and draws cooler air from land back over the water, which is replaced by warm air from offshore.
Mountains have a significant effect on:
Rising air releases moisture on the windward side of a peak and creates a “rain shadow” as it absorbs moisture on the leeward side
The angle of the sun leads to many seasonal changes in local environments.
Lakes are sensitive to seasonal temperature change and experience seasonal turnover.
Microclimate is determined by fine-scale differences in the environment that affect light and wind patterns
Proximity to bodies of water and topographic features contribute to local variations in climate. Seasonal variation also influences climate.