2017 ECOLOGY (B&C)

KAREN LANCOUR
National Bio Rules Committee
Chairman
karenlancour@charter.net
 Ecology Events
• Ecology – principles of ecology related to terrestrial
environments – 2 year rotation by biomes ( 1-
tundra & forests & 2-deserts & grasslands)
• Water Quality – principles of ecology related to
aquatic environments – 2 year rotation by aquatic
biomes (1-freshwater & 2- marine & estuary)
• Green Generation (Environmental Science) – man’s
impact on ecology and possible solutions – 2 year
rotation by problem issues (1-Aquatic, Air, Climate
& 2-Terrestrial, Population Growth)
 Event Rules – 2017

DISCLAIMER
This presentation was prepared using draft
rules. There may be some changes in the final
copy of the rules. The rules which will be in your
Coaches Manual and Student Manuals will be the
official rules.
 Event Rules – 2017

• BE SURE TO CHECK THE 2017 EVENT

RULES FOR EVENT PARAMETERS
AND TOPICS FOR EACH
COMPETITION LEVEL
 TRAINING MATERIALS
• Training Power Point – content overview
• Training Handouts – content information
• Sample Tournament – sample problems with key
• Event Supervisor Guide – prep tips, setup needs,
and scoring tips
• Internet Resources & Training Materials – on the
Science Olympiad website at www.soinc.org under
Event Information
• A Biology-Earth Science CD, an Ecology CD as well
as the Division B and Division C Test Packets are
available from SO store at www.soinc.org
 EVENT COMPONENTS
• Ecology Content – 2017
– PART 1-Principles of Ecology (about 1/3)
– PART 2- Terrestrial Ecosystem - Tundra, Taiga and
Forests of North America (about 1/3)
– PART 3- Human Impact on Ecosystems (about
1/3)
• Process skills in data, graph and diagram analysis
• Event parameters – check the event parameters in
the rules for resources allowed.
PART I: General Principles of Ecology

ECOLOGY – how organisms interact with one another

and with their environment
ENVIRONMENT – living and non-living components
• ABIOTIC – non-living component or physical factors
as soil, rainfall, sunlight, temperatures
• BIOTIC – living component are other organisms.
 ECOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION

• INDIVIDUAL – individual organisms

• POPULATION – organisms of same species in
same area (biotic factors)
• COMMUNITY – several populations in same
area (biotic factors)
• ECOSYSTEM – community plus abiotic factors
• BIOSPHERE – all ecosystems on earth
 ECOLOGY OF INDIVIDUALS

• Homeostasis – delicate balance

• Components
– Physiological Ecology
– Temperature and Water Balance
– Light and Biological Cycles
– Physiological Ecology and Conservation
 ECOLOGY OF POPULATIONS

• Properties of populations
• Patterns of distribution and density
• Intra-specific competition
• Population dynamics
• Growth and regulation
• Altering population growth
• Human impact
Growth Curves
Human Population
 Survival Curves

• Survivorship is the percentage of remaining

survivors of a population over time; usually
shown graphically.
Type I survivorship curve: most
individuals live out their life span and
die of old age (e.g., humans).
Type II survivorship curve: individuals
die at a constant rate (e.g., birds,
rodents, and perennial plants).
Type III survivorship curve: most
individuals die early in life
(e.g., fishes, invertebrates, and
plants).
 ECOLOGY OF COMMUNITIES

• Closed vs. Open communities

– Closed – sharp boundaries
– Open – Lack boundaries
• Species abundance and diversity
• Trophic Structure of Communities
– Food chains
– Food web
– Trophic pyramid
 INTERACTIONS AMONG SPECIES

• Interactions
• Interspecific
competition
• Predation
• Exploitation
• Symbiosis
 Types of Species Interactions

• Neutral – two species do not interact

• Mutualism – both benefit
• Commensalism – one benefits, other neutral
• Parasitism – one benefits, one harmed
but not killed
• Predation – one benefits, other killed
Predator - Prey Relationship
 Food Chain
• Producer
• 1st order Consumer or
Herbivore
• 2nd order Consumer or 1st
order Carnivore
• 3rd order Consumer or 2nd
order Carnivore
• 4th order Consumer or 3rd
order Carnivore
• Decomposers – consume dead
and decaying matter
Food Web
 ECOLOGY OF ECOSYSTEMS

• Energy Flow
– Energy Flow Pyramids
– Bio-mass Pyramids
• Community Succession and Stability
• Nutrient Recycling – nutrient cycles
 Energy vs Nutrient

• Nutrients – cyclic
(Biogeochemical
Cycles)
• Energy flow – one
way
 Ecologic Pyramids
Ecological pyramid - a graph representing trophic
level numbers within an ecosystem. The primary
producer level is at the base of the pyramid with
the consumer levels above.
Numbers pyramid - compares the number of
individuals in each trophic level.
Biomass pyramid - compares the total dry weight
of the organisms in each trophic level.
Energy pyramid - compares the total amount of
energy available in each trophic level. This energy
is usually measured in kilocalories.
Numbers Pyramid
Biomass & Energy Flow Pyramids
 Biogeochemical Cycles
• Hydrologic Cycle

• Phosphorus Cycle

• Nitrogen Cycle

• Carbon Cycle
Hydrologic (Water) Cycle
Phosphorus Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
Carbon Cycle
 Biosphere
• Types of Ecological Spheres
– Biosphere
– Lithosphere
– Hydrosphere
– Atmosphere
• Biogeochemical Cycles
• Disruption of Biosphere
• Specie Extinction & Biosphere Destruction
 ECOSYSTEM STABILITY
• Ecosystem stability and the response
of ecosystems to disturbance are of
crucial importance
• Biological diversity acts to stabilize
ecosystem functioning in the face of
environmental fluctuation.
• Variation among species in their
response to such fluctuation is an
essential requirement for ecosystem
stability
• Climate change and other human-
driven (anthropogenic) environmental
changes will continue to cause
biodiversity loss in the coming decades
BIOLOGICAL
DIVERSITY
ADAPTATION
 TYPES OF ADAPTATIONS

Structural, Physiological and Behavioral

help species to survive in their
environment. Most organisms have
combinations of all three types
 Extinction
There are natural causes

Man’s activities have

accelerated extinction
rates.
 Part 2: ECOLOGY OF
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS

• 2017 – Terrestrial Ecosystems of NA

– Tundra
– Taiga (Boreal Forest or Coniferous Forest)
– Deciduous Forests
• 2018 – Terrestrial Ecosystems of NA
– Grasslands
– Deserts
Terrestrial Ecosystems
Latitude vs. Altitude
 Ecosystems:
Temperature and Climate for Terrestrial Biomes
Adaptations of Plants & Animals

• Not intended to be a taxonomic event

• Emphasis on adaptations of common plants
and animals to each biome
• Common members of food chains and food
webs of each biome
• Limiting factors for each biome
 TUNDRA OF NORTH AMERICA
• About one fifth of the
land surface of the
earth is tundra.
• Located next to icy
zones in the arctic
encircling North Pole
down to Taiga. (Arctic
Tundra)
• Located at the top of
mountains above the
tree line ( Alpine
Tundra)
 TUNDRA OF NORTH AMERICA

 Simple vegetation structure

 Limitation of drainage
 Energy and nutrients in the form of dead organic
material
 Large population oscillations
 TUNDRA – Abiotic Factors
• Angle of incidence for incoming solar radiation is low and twilight
lasts many hours
• Temperature - extremely cold - from -30oC to -40oC in winter;
average winter temperature of - 34 degrees C ( -30 degrees F).
Highest summer temperature is only about 10o C
• Annual precipitation (mostly as snow) is 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25
cm) which is desert-like
• Winds - often reach speeds of 30 to 60 miles (48 to 97 km/hr)
• Sunlight - During the winter there are only a few hours or less of
sunlight in the summer, there is sunlight almost 24 hours a day.
• Ground surface - spongy, uneven as a result of freezing and
thawing
• Permafrost - Plains of tundra are covered with snow, ice and
frozen soil most of the year
• Growing Season - Short season of growth and reproduction -
from 50 to 60 days
Tundra Energy Pyramid
TUNDRA of North America
Plants of the Tundra
• About 1,700 kinds of plants
• Tiny flowering plants (4
inches or less in height)
• grasses
• lichens – crustose
and foliose
• sedges
• willows
 TUNDRA – Plant Adaptations
• Many of the plants are perennials so they can
store food from season to season
• Must adapt to strong winds and disturbances in
soil
• Plants are short and group together
• Form little cushions or mats close to the ground
where ground is warmer than the air
• Carry out photosynthesis at low temperatures
and low light intensities
• Adapt to short growing seasons by reproducing by
asexually rather than sexually
Tundra Food Web
 Animals of the TUNDRA
• Primary consumers (Herbivores) – lemmings,
insects, musk oxen, reindeer
• Secondary consumers ( Carnivores) – snow
owls, arctic foxes, polar bears
• Migratory birds: ravens, snow buntings, falcons,
loons, sandpipers, terns, snow birds, and various
species of gulls
• Insects: mosquitoes, flies, moths, grasshoppers,
blackflies and arctic bumble bees
• Fish: cod, flatfish, salmon, and trout
• Reptiles and amphibians are few or absent
TUNDRA: Animal Adaptations
• Must adapt to extremely cold
winters
• Breed and raise their young very
quickly during the short summers
• Many as birds migrate south in the
winter
• Many of those that stay -
hibernate during the winter
• Constant immigration and
emigration – Population constantly
oscillates
 Environmental Importance
of the TUNDRA
 Filters millions of liters of water
 Stores large amounts of carbon
 Permafrost layer doesn’t normally thaw
out, so the organic matter stored in them is
effectively trapped forever
 Global warming lowers the thaw depth,
and the peat and organic matter begins
decaying inputting of CO2 to the
atmosphere
 TUNDRA: Role in Earth’s Climate
• global warming is happening at twice the rate of
more temperate regions of the earth
• affects the release or retention of greenhouse
gases such as carbon dioxide and methane
• methane is 20 times more efficient at trapping
warmth than carbon dioxide
• soil nutrients, plant type, and plant biomass will
be affected by changes in soil moisture and can
modify the amount and types of greenhouse
gases
• the climate balance could tip not just in the
Arctic, but throughout the world
 TAIGA OF NORTH AMERICA

• 2nd largest forest in the

world
• Ring Artic between Artic
and Deciduous Forest – 50
to 60 degrees North
Latitude
• Upper elevations of
Mountains
Taiga or Boreal (Evergreen)
forests of North America
 Taiga – Abiotic Factors

• Angle of incidence for incoming solar radiation is low and

twilight lasts many hours
• Seasons- short, moist and moderately warm summers &
long, cold, dry winters.
• Temperature: -65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit
• Variable precipitation: 6-40 in (15-100 cm).
• Soils – thin because they were scraped by glaciers and
very acid because of decomposition of pine needles
• Absence of earth-churning invertebrates as earthworms
so soil is hard and compact
• Fire a major factor in maintaining biome
 Environmental Importance
of the Taiga

– Filters millions of liters of water

– Stores large amounts of carbon
– Produces oxygen
– Rebuilds soils and restores nutrients
– Bogs and marshes provides habitats for large
numbers of species from fish to birds
Taiga - Food web
 Taiga: Types of Plants

• Conifers are major producer

• Most common types – spruce, balsam fir and pine
• Others – hemlock, cedar, redwood, junipers
• Latitude and altitude influences species
• Berry-producing shrubs important to birds, mammals
and people
• Some types of fungi, lichens, and mosses
 Taiga: Plant
Adaptations

• Trees have upside down cone shape so snow slides off the
branches
• Branches are flexible to hold great amounts of snow and not
break
• Trees grow thin and close together to protect them from cold
and wind
• Needles are waxy for protection from freezing temperatures
and prevent them from drying out
• Needles are present year round and deep green to absorb the
maximum warmth from the sun
• Thick bark which does not easily burn and protects inner layers
from heat and cones protect the seeds
 Taiga: Types of Animals
• Insects – millions of insects in the summer
• birds – up to 3 billion insect-eating birds breed each year in Taiga –
over 200 species
• Seed-eaters like finches and sparrows as well as omnivorous birds
as crows stay all year
• Crossbill has specialized bill for prying open cones and nuthatch
can break the cones open
• Herbivores as small mammals, snowshoe rabbits, red squirrels,
voles and lemming
• Predators feeding on small mammals as owls, wolves, lynx,
bobcats, minks, wolverines, weasels, mink, otters, martens, fishers
• Deer, elk and moose
• Largest predators as grizzlies, lynx, and mountain lions will also
feed on weakened or young deer, elk or moose
Taiga: Animal Adaptations for long cold
winters and hot summers
– migrate south in winter
(birds)
– go into hibernation during
winter
– store extra fat layers on their
bodies for winter
– change diets from season to
season
– grow extra fur on the bottom
of their feet to tread on
snow easier (lynx and
snowshoe rabbit)
– change fur color and coat
thickness from season to
season
– live under snow in winter in
snow tunnels (lemmings,
mice, shrews, voles)
 Taiga: Role in Earth’s Climate
• It stores large quantities of carbon stored as plant
material on forest floor (up to 10 feet in some areas)
• 1 cm of plant material can hold 2.5 tons of carbon per
acre
• Taiga acts like a large refrigerator preventing fallen trees,
needles and other debris from decomposing
• Heating up the taiga is causing the following problems:
Litter decomposes putting carbon into the atmosphere
Increases in forest fires
Infestation by bark beetles which is killing the trees
Dead trees - tinder to fuel the forest fires and adding
more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
 Forests

• Trees
• Canopy
• Food web
• Special adaptations
• Plant and animals
• Special environmental issues
• Effect of human populations
 TEMPERATE DECIDUOUS FOREST
• The average temperature of
the forest is about 50
degrees Fahrenheit.
• The average rainfall here in
the forest is 30 to 60 inches
a year
• The deciduous trees lose
their leaves in fall with
spectacular fall colors and
they grow back in spring
 CLIMATE CHARACTERISTICS
• Temperature varies from -30° C to 30° C.
• Precipitation (75-150 cm) is distributed evenly
throughout the year.
• Soil is fertile, enriched with decaying litter.
• Canopy is moderately dense and allows light to
penetrate, resulting in well-developed and richly
diversified understory vegetation and
stratification of animals
• There are four seasons so animals & plants have
special adaptations to these yearly changes
 Layers of the
Temperate
Deciduous Forest
• Tree stratum - the tallest layer, 60 -100 feet high, with
large oak, maple, beech, chestnut, hickory, elm,
basswood, linden, walnut, or sweet gum trees
• Small tree or sapling layer - short tree species and
young trees
• Shrub layer - shrubs like rhododendrons, azaleas,
mountain laurels, and huckleberries
• Herb layer - short plants
• Ground layer - lichens, clubmosses, and true mosses
 PLANT ADAPTATIONS

• Flora is characterized by 3-4 tree species per square

kilometer
• Trees are distinguished by broad leaves that are lost
annually and include such species as oak, hickory,
beech, hemlock, maple, basswood, cottonwood,
elm, willow, and spring-flowering herbs
• In fall with limited sunlight and water, the leaves
change color and fall
• In spring the buds open and grow new leaves
 ANIMAL
ADAPTATIONS

• Typical squirrels, rabbits, skunks, birds, deer,

mountain lion, bobcat, timber wolf, fox, and black
bear
• Some animals as birds migrate in the winter
• Some mammals hibernate in winter
• Others as squirrels, chipmunks, & jays store large food
supplies
 BIODIVERSITY
• It is the number of different organisms &
their relative frequency in an ecosystem
• Levels of Biodiversity:
o Genetic diversity – varies in the genetic make-up among individuals
within a single species
o Species diversity – variety among the species or distinct types of
living organisms found in different habitats of the planet
o Ecological diversity – variety of forests, deserts, grasslands, streams,
lakes, oceans, wetlands, and other biological communities.
 SPECIES DIVERSITY LEVELS
• ALPHA-
WITHIN
HABITAT
• BETA –
BETWEEN
COMMINITIES
• GAMMA – IN A
REGION
 PART 3 – HUMAN IMPACT ON
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
• Environmental concerns for tundra,
taiga, and deciduous forests
• Role of these ecosystems in Earth’s
climate
• Major Environmental Issues
• Conservation Biology – goals,
environmental threats, actions
TUNDRA: Environmental Concerns
• Large scale extraction industries ( oil, gas, and minerals as
uranium)
• Pollution – chemical waste, mining, hydroelectric
development
• Expansion of agriculture/livestock, vehicular traffic, and
tourism increase degradation
• Global warming – 1/3 of soil bound carbon is found in this
area.
• Melting of permafrost releases large amounts of carbon into
the atmosphere increasing
• “Greenhouse Affect” as organic matter decays and released
carbon dioxide.
• Erosion is emerging due to permafrost thaw and overgrazing
• Poaching – hunting and fishing out of season, on protected
land, or to endangered species
 Taiga: Environmental Concerns
• Pollution Clear cutting
• Illegal logging
• Poaching
• Forest fires – unnatural fires
• Mining
• Drilling for oil and natural gas disrupt the forest
• Global warming
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS FOR
THE DECIDUOUS FOREST
• Many of the world's great tracts of temperate
deciduous forest have experienced significant
alteration through logging, conversion to
agricultural land and urban development.
• Human industry within and adjacent to temperate
deciduous forests may pollute air and water
resources
• Species introduced to temperate deciduous forests
by humans may become invasive and threaten
native ecological systems
 Deforestation

Deforestation – the permanent destruction of

indigenous forests and woodlands.
Causes include
• Conversion of forests to agricultural land to feed
people
• Development of cash crops and cattle raising esp. in
tropical countries
• Commercial logging that is not regulated
• Poor soils in humid tropics do not support agriculture
for long so more clearing becomes necessary
Results of Deforestation
Mining - Environmental Risks
 MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
AFFECTING TERRESTRIAL BIOME
• Pollution of Air, Water and Land
• Hazardous Chemicals and
Wastes
• Land Degradation
• Loss of Biodiversity
• Ozone Depletion
• Climate Change
• Environmental Factors
• Loss of natural and cultural
resources
• Habitat loss
• Overexploitation
• Exotic species and introductions
• Overpopulation
 Pollution
• Harmful materials entering the environment
• Point source pollution – from a clearly
identifiable source
• Nonpoint pollution comes from many
different sources.
• Four main categories – industrial, residential,
commercial, and environmental
Acid Rain
Greenhouse Effect
Ozone Depletion
 Ozone Hole over Antartica

Source: NASA
Biodiversity Threats
 Habitat
Fragmentation
& Destruction

Habitat destruction and fragmentation is a process

that describes the emergences of discontinuities
(fragmentation) or the loss (destruction) of the
environment inhabited by an organism.

It results in
1. Loss of resident species
2. Loss of food sources
3. Loss of ecosystem functions provided by the
habitat
 INVASIVE SPECIES
PROBLEMS

• World-wide problem
• Increase in travel and trade open routes
• In U.S. costs $137 billion dollars per year
• Approximately 42% of Threatened or Endangered
species are at risk due to non-native, invasive species.
• Raise havoc in ecosystems and threaten species
diversity
 CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
• Ecology is the study of the distribution and abundance of
organisms, the interactions among organisms, and the
interactions between organisms and the physical
environment.
• Conservation Biology is the scientific study of nature and of
Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their
habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction
and the erosion of biotic interactions.
• Conservation biologists investigate the impact of humans on
Earth's biodiversity and develop practical approaches to
prevent the extinction of species and promote the
sustainable use of biological resources
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
Strategies for a Sustainable World
• advancing technologies
to reduce waste
• increasing recycling and
reuse
• creating even safer
treatment and disposal
options
• developing sources of
renewable energy
• sharing the benefits of
our learning and
innovation
MAINTAINING BIODIVERSITY
CONTROLLING INVASIVE SPECIES
 INVASIVE SPECIES
Control Methods
• Prevention
• Eradicating potential invaders soon after invasion
• Physical (manual & mechanical)
• Cultural – Ecosystem Management
• Biological – natural enemies
• Chemical - pesticides
• Integrated Pest Management – Uses a combination
of methods – OFTEN MOST EFFECTIVE
RECLAMATION OF DISTURBED
AREAS
REINTRODUCTION OF SPECIES
ADVANTAGES
AND
DISADVANTAGES
 Nonrenewable vs. Renewable
Energy Sources
• Non-renewable energy sources – fossil fuels
as coal, oil and natural gas as well as nuclear
fuels – limited supply will run out and have
negative environmental impacts
• Renewable energy sources – sun, wind,
waves, heat, hydropower and biomass that
can be used again and again and is cleanest
energy sources.
• There are pros and cons for each type of
energy