Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Learning
Objec=ves
A"er
studying
this
chapter,
you
should
be
able
to:
1. Explain
what
environmental
factors
are,
both
abio=c
and
bio=c,
and
how
they
inuence
organisms
and
the
structure
and
func=on
of
ecosystems.
2. Explain
the
principle
of
limi=ng
factors
and
its
applica=on
to
the
environmental
problem
of
eutrophica=on.
3. Understand
the
key
ecological
ideas
of
tolerance,
resilience,
disturbance,
and
stability.
4. Explain
several
anthropogenic
stressors
and
understand
how
they
aect
organisms/ecosystems.
Environmental
Factors
Abio5c
factors:
Temperature
Moisture
Wind
and
currents
Nutrients
Toxic
substances
Bio5c
factors:
Direct
eects
such
as
preda=on,
parasi=sm
Indirect
eects
such
as
compe==on
for
space,
light
and
other
limited
resources
Western end of Lake Erie in summer 2003. Green water is the result of a Microcys(s (cyanobacteria) algal bloom.
h[p://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
October 2011
Watch
h[p://earthobservatory.nasa.gov
October 2011
Oriental hybrid lilies (Lilium Stargazer) can tolerate colder condi=ons in Northern Ontario only if there is protec=on against compe==on by weeds and herbivory.
This
Poten(lla
tridentata
growing
on
the
rocks
of
Lake
Superior
shore
is
exposed
to
drought,
lack
of
nutrients,
and
extreme
temperatures.
Extreme
Environments
Organisms
that
are
able
to
thrive
in
extreme
environments:
Thermophilic
(heat- loving)
archaea
microbes
in
deep
sea
vents
with
high
pressure
and
temperatures
above
100C.
Endolithic
bacteria
in
Earths
crust.
Bacteria
in
salt
deserts.
Lichens
at
high
al=tudes.
Anthropogenic
Stressors
Many
stressors
are
intensied
or
caused
by
human
ac=vity:
Changing
climate
Input
of
waste
chemicals
that
are
toxic
to
organisms.
Overharves=ng
Changing
land
cover
Past emissions have led to toxic concentra=ons of essen=al elements such as Cu or Ni in the soil around the smelters in Sudbury, Ontario.
Biomagnica=on
Humans
produce
toxic
substances
that
do
not
occur
naturally,
such
as
organochlorides
such
as
DDT
(Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane).
www.mindfully.org
www.dirtygreek.org
Biomagnica=on
Humans
produce
toxic
substances
that
do
not
occur
naturally,
such
as
organochlorides
such
as
DDT
Some
of
them
can
accumulate
in
food- chains,
producing
unexpected
eects.
(Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane).
Biomagnica=on
of
DDT
resulted
in
high
concentra=ons
in
top
predators
and
caused
nes=ng
failure
in
birds
of
prey.
Tropical
Deforesta=on
Support
at
least
half
of
Earths
species.
Skole
and
Tucker
reported
tropical
forests
occur
in
73
countries
and
once
covered
11,610,360
km2.
Brazil
contains
1/3
of
tropical
forests.
Highest
deforesta=on
rate.
1975
1986
1992
1988
1978
Edge
Eects
When
a
forest
fragment
is
isolated
due
to
cukng,
its
edge
is
exposed
to
greater
amounts
of
solar
radia=on
and
wind.
Ho[er
and
drier
environment
changes
the
vegeta=on
structure.
Interior Forest
Edge Agriculture
Ice age
Interglacial
Glacial Period
Carbon
released
from
fossil
fuels
contains
very
li[le
14C
Suess
(1955)
described
a
recent
decline
in
14C
Carbon
in
tree
rings
Suess
eect
Deple=on
and
Recovery
of
the
Ozone
Layer
In
1985,
Bri=sh
Antarc=c
Survey
discovered
major
reduc=on
in
atmospheric
ozone.
A[en=on
focused
on
stopping
chlorouorocarbons
(CFCs).
1987
Montreal
Protocol