Introduction to Ecology What is Ecology? - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Introduction to EcologySlide2

What is Ecology?

Ecology is the scientific study

of:

interactions

between organisms and the environment.

It is the study of the interactions

between:

different groups of organisms.

It is the study of the interactions between:organisms and the environment.

It is the study of the interactions that exists

between:

the

living and nonliving components of the environment.Slide3

These interactions occur on many levels, ranging from the

__________

level to a

_______

level

.

organismalglobal

The field of ecology was begun

in

1866

by

Ernst Haeckel

, a German biologist

.Slide4

The Role of Climate

What is the difference between weather and climate?

1

. Weather

is the day-to-day condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place.

2

. Climate

refers to the average, year-after-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region.Slide5

Climate is the result of many different factors:

The

trapping of heat by the

atmosphere

The latitude

The

transport of heat by winds and ocean

currents

The

amount of precipitation that

occurs

5. The

shape and elevation of the

landmassSlide6

The State of Today’s Environment

Problems we face:Slide7

The Exploding Human Population

One of the most significant environmental changes to occur on Earth

is:

the

exploding human population.

Between

1930 and 1999, the human population on earth tripled from:

2 billion to 6 billion.By 2050, it is projected that the world’s population will be

between:7.8 billion and 12.5 billion.

An

increasing population places great demands on the environment. A greater population requires more

_______,

more

_________,

and more

________

for the disposal of wastes.

food

energy

spaceSlide8

The Sixth Mass Extinction

There is evidence in the fossil record

of:

five

mass extinctions in Earth’s past history.

A mass extinction

is:

a

brief period of time in which large numbers of species die out and disappear

.

Many scientists are convinced that we are in the midst of the

sixth mass extinction

.

Currently, species are disappearing faster than at any other time since the last mass

extinction.

The

last mass extinction occurred

______________

ago and included the disappearance of the

_________.

Scientists estimate that about

_____

of the species in the world may

______________________.

65 million years

dinosaurs

d

isappear in this century

1/5

th

Slide9

The Damage to the Ozone Layer

The ozone in the upper atmosphere: protects

and shields the organisms on Earth from ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Ozone is a molecule composed

of:

three

atoms of oxygen.

An abundance of ____________________________________is causing damage to this protective layer of ozone.

chlorofluorocarbons

(CFC’s) Slide10

The Damage to the Ozone Layer

CFC’s that are produced by

__________________

react with

______,

causing

its ____________.

industrial chemicalsozone

destruction

Because of the protective nature of ozone, only

about:

1

% of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation gets through the ozone shield to reach the Earth.

Even

such a small amount of ultraviolet radiation is harmful in the form of

____________

and millions of cases of

______________

each year

.

sunburns

s

kin cancer

With the further depletion of the ozone

layer:

more

and more UV radiation will reach Earth’s surface.Slide11

Climate Changes

The greenhouse effect is the mechanism that __________

our planet from

the:

deep

cold of outer space.

Gases in our

atmosphere:such as carbon dioxide and water vapor, trap a portion of the sun’s energy, preventing it from escaping. This has a ______________

on Earth.

insulates

w

arming effectSlide12

EARTH

The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon and life on

Earth:

would

not be possible without it.

The

greenhouse effect is a natural occurrence in which heat is:

retained in the atmosphere by this blanket of greenhouse gases.Greenhouse gases allow solar energy

to:penetrate the atmosphere in the form of sunlight.

However

, these same greenhouse gases do not

allow:

the

heat energy to pass out of the atmosphere.

The heat trapped by these gases has a warming effect on Earth

.Slide13

However, human activities are changing the

_____________

of the atmosphere.

The:

_________________________________________releases

large amounts of ________________

into the atmosphere. compositionb

urning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) carbon dioxideSlide14

It is estimated that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by

______

over the last

______

years. The addition of large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases has led to

an

increased greenhouse effect, causing greater than normal:warming of the atmosphere

.25%

100

This increase in temperature may change

global weather patterns

and lead to

rising sea levels as polar ice melts

.Slide15

The Effect of Latitude on Climate

Because Earth is a sphere that is tilted on its axis, solar radiation strikes the surface of Earth at different angles. As a result of differences in latitude and the angle of heating, Earth has three main climate zones:

1

. Polar

zones

2. Temperate zones

3. Tropical zonesSlide16

Polar zones are cold areas where

the:

sun’s

rays strike Earth at a very low angle.

These

zones are located around the North and South poles.Slide17

The temperate zones are sites between

the:

polar

zones and the tropics.

This

area is more affected by the _______________________ over the course of a year. Therefore, the climate ranges from

___________ depending on the season. changing angle of the sun

hot to coldSlide18

The tropical zone is near the

equator

. The tropics receive

direct or nearly direct sunlight

all year long. This climate is almost always

warm

. Slide19

Heat Transfer in the Biosphere – Winds and Currents

The

_______________

of Earth’s surfaces is the driving force

behind:

winds

and currents. Winds and currents are responsible for _________________

throughout the biosphere.Winds occur because:warm air tends to rise and cool air tends to sink.

This creates air currents, or winds, that move heat through the atmosphere, from regions of sinking air to regions of rising air. The prevailing winds bring warm or cold air to a region, affecting its climate.

u

nequal heating

transporting heatSlide20

Heat Transfer in the Biosphere – Winds and Currents

Similar patterns of heating and cooling occur in Earth’s

_______.

Cold water near the poles

______

and then flows parallel to the ocean floor.

oceans

sinksIt eventually _____ again when it reaches warmer regions in a process called __________.

At the same time, winds are pushing the _____________ to new areas. The temperature of the surface currents affects the weather and climate of nearby ___________.

rises

upwelling

surface water

landmasses