Biogeography/Biodiversity
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The biosphere:
Is the global sum of all ecosystems.
Biogeography:
The spatial and temporal distribution of plants and animals and processes influencing the distributions
Resources
• All the things consumed by an organism - Consumption decreases the supply of resources
Plants need:
• Sunlight • CO2 from atmosphere • H2O from soil • Nutrients • Space to acquire resources
Animals need:
• O2 from atmosphere • H20 from the environment • Nutrient and energy sources • Space to acquire resources
Environmental Factors:
Are abiotic environmental factors that influence organisms, not consumed
Climatic Factors - Temperature
• Directly influences physiological processes - Indirectly influences resource needs
Climatic Factors- Light
Light availability is important in determining plant distribution patterns
Edaphic Factors =
Soil properties. - Soil texture and structure, organic matter, soil acidity and alkalinity, biological organisms
Geomorphic Factors:
Landform attributes
Landform attributes:
Slope steepness, aspect and position
Theory of Tolerance:
Each species is able to exist and reproduce successfully only within range of values for a particular environmental factor
R =
Plant grows and reproduces successfully
G =
Plant grows but cannot reproduce
S =
Plant survives or persists but cannot grow
T =
Tolerance range for that factor, beyond tolerance is lethal
O =
Optimum level
Ecological Niche
The total structural and functional role of a species in an ecosystem