Zoology - Biology 212 Lake Tahoe Community College
Winter Quarter Instructor: Sue Kloss
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Ecology
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I. Introduction
A. Ecology
II. Animals and their abiotic environments
A. Habitat includes all living and nonliving components of area where animal lives
1. abiotic characteristics
2. tolerance range
3. range of optimum
5. limiting factor
6. taxis
B. Energy - ability to do work
1. to supply energy needs
2. energy budget
C. Temperature
1. animals use part of their energy to regulate body temperature
2. temperature rates
3. thermoregulatory needs
4. when food becomes scarce, animals face starvation
D. Other important abiotic factors include moisture, light, geology, soils, day length.
III. Populations
A. Population growth
1. populations change due to births, deaths, and dispersal
2. survivorship curves
a. type I
b. type II
c. type III
3. exponential growth.
a. constraints on growth
b. carrying capacity
1. J curve - exponential growth
2. S curve - logistic curve
3. exceeding carrying capacity
B. Population regulation
1. Population density
a. density dependent factors
C. Intraspecific competition
1. definition
2. intense-
a. exploitation
b. interference.
IV. Interspecific interactions- herbivory, competition, coevolution, symbiosis, predation
A. Herbivory and Predation
B. Interspecific competition
C. Coevolution
D. Symbiosis - living in continuing, intimate associations; may be ++, +-, or +o
1. parasitism
2. commensalism
3. mutualism
E. Other interspecific adaptations
1. camouflage
2. cryptic coloration.
3. aposematic
4. mimicry
V. Trophic Structures of Ecosystems
A. Cycling of energy
B. Materials cycle thru ecosystems – biogeochemical cycling
Homework Questions/Lesson Objectives
1. Define ecology. Why do we study ecology?
2. Differentiate between habitat and niche; why is the range of tolerance different from the range of optimum?
3. Define taxis, and provide some examples.
4. Describe autotrophs and heterotrophs, and give examples of each.
5. Explain what an energy budget is and what factors are accounted for.
6. Why is maintenance of temperature so important to an animal? What activities do animals engage in to help regulate temperature?
7. Describe 4 types of reduced activity that different animals engage in; provide an example for each.
8. Describe various survivorship curves and give a characteristic organism for each.
9. Distinguish between an exponential population growth curve and a logistic curve. Describe what factors go cause the shape of the curve. Describe what K is, and the possibilities that exist when the curve surpasses K.
10. What density dependent and independent factors regulate population growth?
11. Distinguish between interspecific and intraspecific competition, and exploitation vs. interference competition.
12. Describe forms of interspecific interactions that occur, give examples of each.
13. Draw a chart that shows the effects of animal relationships on each animal.
14. Describe a number adaptations that help animals to avoid predation in their environments.
15. Explain what happens to energy as it cycles through ecosystems.
16. Describe various trophic levels, and give examples.
17. Draw a food web you are familiar with. Include all trophic levels.
18. Explain 4 or 5 steps of a carbon cycle on an ecosystem level.