PL SC221 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Water Cycle, Climax Community, Primary Succession
Document Summary
Ecology studies relationships of organisms to each other and to their environment. Community = 2 or more populations in an area. Ecosystem = all the organisms in an environment and the physical environment (includes abiotic factors) Food web, changes in time (succession), species diversity, climate change, invasive species. Communities are constantly changing in response to disturbances. Succession is not predictable, even if you know the area really well you still might be surprised about what happens. Larger plants become established immediately or after soil builds up. Mosses grow on moist surface of rocks; they allow ferns to grow there as well. Species become established from existing seeds; some may reprout from roots or stems. On burned or logged lang, fire is common in places like utah. Good news: most of earth"s surface is water. Bad news: <1% of earth"s water is fresh and in liquid form. And 99% of this small percentage is underground in aquifers.
