Climate, Niches, & Community Interactions

Weather vs. Climate Weather Climate Weather is the day to day conditions of the earth’s atmosphere. Climate is the year to year patters of temperature and precipitation.  A microclimate can form when environmental conditions vary over small distances. Factors that effect climate: Trapped solar energy Latitude Heat transport by winds and currents

Solar Radiation and The Greenhouse Effect The balance between heat that stays in the biosphere and that lost to space determines earth’s average temperature. The Greenhouse Effect allows solar radiation to enter our biosphere but slows the loss of reradiated heat to space. If the greenhouse gasses rise, more heat is trapped and earth is warmed. If greenhouse gasses drop, so does the temperatures. Greenhouse EffectGlobal Warming GW is the enhanced greenhouse effect brought on by human activities such as the burning fossil fuels.

Latitude and Solar Energy Near the equator, solar energy is the most intense because is almost directly overhead at noon all year. The poles have less direct sunlight, and therefore heat, from the sun This unequal distribution of heat creates three distinct climate zones: Tropical Temperate Polar

The 3 ways communities interact are: Competition Predation Symbiosis

Niche Every species has its own range of tolerance, or the ability to survive and reproduce under a certain set of environmental conditions. A Niche is the range of physical and biological conditions in which a species lives and the way the species obtains what it needs to survive

Competitive Exclusion Principal States: No two species can occupy exactly the same niche in exactly the same habitat at the same time. If two species attempt to occupy the same niche, one species will be better and competing for these limited resources and eventually exclude the other species. By causing species to divide resources, competition helps determine the number and kind of species in a community and the niche each species occupies.

Competition Intraspecific – between the same species Interspecific – between different species

Predation Predator-Prey relationship : When one animal (predator) captures and feeds on another animal (prey). Predators can affect the size of prey populations in a community and determine the places prey can live and feed Herbivore-Plant relationships : Herbivory is when an organism feeds on producers. Herbivores affect both the size and distribution of plant populations in a community and determine the places that certain plants can grow. Keystone species : A species in the environment that is not usually abundant in the community but exerts a strong control over the structure of the community. Example: Sea Otters. A century ago otters nearly disappeared and so did the kelp forests. Why?

Yellowstone Wolves Video Clip

Symbiosis Any relationship which two species live closely together (and at least 1 benefits ) The three types are: Mutualism Commensalism Parasitism

Mutualism an interaction between species in which BOTH benefit (+,+) Commensalism an interaction between species in which one benefits, and the other is not helped or harmed (+,0) Parasitism an interaction between species in which one benefits and one is harmed (+,-)