Ap Bio Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Discovering Ecology

Overview

* Variable harlequin toad- thought to be extinct was discovered, thought to be killed by disease- causing fungus

* the fungus ran rampant throughout the forest because of an increase of clouds and global warming (ideal environment created)

* ecology- the study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment

* ecology is a rigorous experimental science that requires a breadth of biological knowledge

* ecologist observe nature, generate hypotheses, manipulate environmental variables and observe outcomes

Global Ecology

biosphere- the entire portion of Earth inhabited by life; the sum of all the planet’s ecosystems

global ecology- the study of the functioning and distribution of organisms across the biosphere and how the regional exchange of energy and materials affect them

Landscape Ecology

landscape- an area containing several different ecosystems linked by exchanges of energy, materials and organisms

landscape ecology- the study of how the spatial arrangement of habitat types affects the distribution and abundance of organisms and ecosystem processes

Ecosystem Ecology

ecosystem- all the organisms in a given area as well as the abiotic factors with which they interact; one or more communities and the physical environment around them

ecosystem ecology- the study of energy flow and the cycling of chemicals among the various biotic and abiotic components in an ecosystem

Community Ecology

community- all the organisms that inhabit a particular area; an assemblage of populations of different species living close enough together for potential interaction

community ecology- the study of how interactions between species affect community structure and organization

Population Ecology

population- a group of individuals of the same species that live in the same area and interbreed, producing fertile offspring

population...