BIOL-2356EL Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Ecophysiology, Population Ecology, Soil Ph
4 Mar 2020
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Studies the response of an organism to its abiotic environment. Ecophysiologists study an organism"s physiological responses to the abiotic environment, such as temperature, moisture, light, nutrients, o2, co2. Example: photosynthetic rate of black spruce depends on actual temperature and the growth temperature of the plant. Trees grown at a warmer temperature require higher temperatures for optimal performance. Investigates interspecific differences in responses to the abiotic environment. Example: pitcher"s thistle is physiologically adapted to survive the extreme environment of sand-dunes along the shores of the great lakes. It is limited to those environments and it is rare. Common thistle is less specific in its adaptation and a common weed. An organism has a biotic environment the biotic environment consists of organisms of other species, e. g. , in a prey-predator relationship. Community: the interacting organisms of all species in a given area. Community ecology (synecology): studies interspecific interactions and the results of these, such as diversity and species composition.
