BIOL 1004 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Plant Community, Pest Control, Conservation Biology
11 Sep 2016
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What is Ecology ?
«Scientific study of the interactions that determines the distribution and abundance of
organisms.»
Ecology includes the study of:
-Interactions among organisms
-Interactions between organisms & their environment
-The spatial and temporal distribution of organisms
Ecology as a science can help decision making: applied ecology
-Management of natural resources (e.g. forestry, fisheries, protected natural areas)
-Agriculture (e.g. pest management, nutrient cycles)
-Ecosystems services (e.g. pollination, carbon sequestration)
-Management of infectious diseases
-Conservation of biodiversity for its utilitarian and intrinsic value (conservation biology)
Global climatic factors affect the distribution and abundance of organisms and determine the
distribution of the world’s biomes
• Biomes are major type of plant association (communities) occupying a a broad geographic
region of land or water
The availability of energy varies globally
Uneven distribution of solar radiations: sunlight strikes most directly at the equator
The same amount of solar radiations is spread over a larger area near the pole than at the equator
Rainfalls vary globally
-Equatorial areas experience more evaporation than high latitude areas
-The rising moist air cools down and release its moisture leading to precipitation
-Cool and dry air masses move N and S and sink at ~ 30° latitude creating deserts
The movement of air masses drives prevailing winds and oceanic currents
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Scientific study of the interactions that determines the distribution and abundance of organisms. Ecology as a science can help decision making: applied ecology. Management of natural resources (e. g. forestry, fisheries, protected natural areas) Conservation of biodiversity for its utilitarian and intrinsic value (conservation biology) Global climatic factors affect the distribution and abundance of organisms and determine the distribution of the world"s biomes: biomes are major type of plant association (communities) occupying a a broad geographic region of land or water. Uneven distribution of solar radiations: sunlight strikes most directly at the equator. The same amount of solar radiations is spread over a larger area near the pole than at the equator. Equatorial areas experience more evaporation than high latitude areas. The rising moist air cools down and release its moisture leading to precipitation. Cool and dry air masses move n and s and sink at ~ 30 latitude creating deserts.
