organizing living things

Organizing Living Things

• Organism• Population• Biological • Community• Ecosystem• Biosphere

Cunningham, Cunningham 2002

Food Web: Cross-connected Food ChainsCunningham, Cunningham 2002

Where do humans fit in?

What levels do humans manage or change?

Cunningham, Cunningham 2002

Kane Hall Rm 130; University of WA homepage

Are these trophic levels present in our classroom?

Primary Producers?

Top carnivores?

Herbivores?

Decomposers?

Energy Pyramid

Most energy in most ecosystems is stored in the bodies of primary producers. Only about 10 % of the energy at one level passes to the next highest trophic level.

Cunningham, Cunningham 2002

What is missing here? Does it matter?

Cunningham, Cunningham 2002

It takes numerous small organisms or plants to feed one large organism. The efficiency for extracting energy out

of food is higher at the top of the pyramid.

Cunningham, Cunningham 2002

But we live in a human ecosystem where some people consider humans to be the top predator!

SO Humans change the flows and fluxes in an ecosystem and have replaced or perform the functions occurring in ecosystems. Example: we have eliminated or drastically reduced the population of top predators that might hunt or harm us, or eat our food

http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/acari/index.html, http://www.dfwpest.com/scorpion.htm

http://webhome.idirect.com/~preeves/wildlife/bears/grizzley02.html

Deserts. The Encroaching Wilderness. Ed. Allan and Warren. 1993 Oxford University Press

West Africa

Chaco Canyon, San Juan Basin, New Mexico

http://www.ratical.com/southwest/ChacoCanyon.html

Deserts. The Encroaching Wilderness. Ed. Allan and Warren. 1993 Oxford University Press

Utah

Deserts. The Encroaching Wilderness. Ed. Allan and Warren. 1993 Oxford University Press

Tranvsvaal, South AfricaSudan

Biosphere 2 Ecosphere, Arizona;Photo: K Vogt

Closed system: has to be sustainable if trophic levels are to survive from what is present.

This is a shrimp / bacteria system that can persist for several years (I had one that persisted for 4 years)

Iceland

Alaska

Photo: K Vogt

TUNDRA

ice polygonsvolcanic layers

IcelandWhat parts of the pyramid are missing here in the tundra?Can humans be self-sufficient and survive here?Are animals self-sufficient? Why would large mammals migrate in winter?

Photo: K Vogt

TUNDRA

Caribou; http://www.beautyworlds.com/articphotos.htm;TUNDRA

                                                       http://encarta.msn.com/find/MediaMax.asp?pg=3&ti=034D1000&idx=461530760

http://www.beautyworlds.com/articphotos.htm

Harbour seal

TUNDRA

Kayaks;

http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/archeo/oracles/kayak/11.htm

http://encarta.msn.com/find/MediaMax.asp?pg=3&ti=761556603&idx=681500039

Lichen in Iceland; photo K Vogt

Reindeer; Siberia

TUNDRA

Alaska - permafrost

Layers of Ice

Photo: H Bormann

TUNDRA

IcelandAlaska

Photos: K Vogt, H Bormann

Human habitation similar to animals that don’t migrate – underground, covered with organic materials

TUNDRA

Alaska TUNDRA

Keystone species – all other animals eat to survive; their loss would have a major impact on the continued persistence of that ecosystems

Photo: H Bormann

Far Side

http://encarta.msn.com/find/MediaMax.asp?pg=3&ti=761564834&idx=461517314

Brown lemming – another keystone species in the tundra

Malaysia dipterocarp forest, TROPICAL FOREST

Photo: K Vogt

What parts of the pyramid are missing here in the tropics?Can humans be self-sufficient, survive?Are animals self-sufficient? Do animals migrate?

Brazil Amazon, TROPICAL FOREST

Photo: K Vogt

Cassava / manioc, Brazilian Amazon, TROPICAL FOREST

Photo: K Vogt

Piranha, Brazilian Amazon, TROPICAL FOREST

Cabybara, Venezuela

Cabybara, Amazon, SAVANNA (Tropical)

Photos: K Vogt

Puerto Rico - bread fruit

Açai – Brazilian AmazonPhoto: K Vogt

TROPICAL FOREST

What happens in the environment when humans change parts of the ecosystem, one of the trophic levels?

How do we know when we are having a negative impact? What do we need to change to imbalance the system?

Lets look at the classroom in Kane Hall again which is totally of human construct (not very natural)

NOTE: Most environmental problems result from manipulating trophic levels

UW homepage

Coqui, goldenPuerto Rico

Different roles of a species the coqui:

In Puerto Rico - important in speeding up the recovery rate of forests after hurricanes;

In Hawaii invasive pest that is out competing native species and taking over their habitat.

Margay, Belize;

http://www.belizezoo.org/zoo/zoo/mammals/mar/mar4.html

Brazilian Amazon;Photo: K Vogt

Conservation, Sustainable Development or Empowering Indigenous People?

Pet parrots, Amazon Brazil, TROPICAL FORESTS Photo: K Vogt

Jaguar, Belize Conflicts:

Agriculture, food production

Animal species conservation

Preservation Maya ruins

Persistence of forest cover

Political power at all levels

Persistence of Maya culture, etcTROPICAL FOREST;

photo: Programme for Belize

IcelandPhoto: B Hecht

Degraded grasslands with sheep, TUNDRA

Icelandic BOREAL FOREST

Lupine

Siberian LarchPhoto: K Vogt

All introduced species – not native

Food Web: Cross-connected Food Chains

Photo: K Vogt

Cunningham, Cunningham 2002