What is Ecology?
Ecology is the study of ecosystems (environments) and how species interact with each other and their surroundings.
Why are there a variety of ecosystems in the world?
A biome is a location defined by climate, there are 6 biomes in the world: Tundra (the climate is cold and dry), Taiga (the climate is cold and wet), Temperate Forest (the climate is seasonal and ranges from cold to warm), Desert (warm/hot and dry), Savanna (the climate is seasonal and ranges from dry to wet), and the Tropical Rain Forest (the climate is hot/warm and wet). Inside each biome are a series of similar, in the sense of climate, ecosystems. An ecosystem is an area that contains interacting populations of abiotic and biotic factors. Biomes are created at specific latitudes due to where the sun is in relation. The equator, which would be latitude 0, has direct sunlight so it is hot. The equator also has a lot of bodies of water and water in general, which evaporates (because of the sun) and then precipitates back onto the equator providing a moist environment. This is why the Tropical Rainforest which is hot and moist, is located on the equator. At 30 degrees latitude is the desert which is hot and dry. The desert still gets a ton of sunlight, although it is not right in front of the sun, it also get all the dry air as a result of the evaporation and precipitation going on next door at 0 degrees. The Taiga is located at 60 degrees and is cold and moist, it is not in the rays of the sun and it is next to the desert, so it is wet. The climate of a biome effects the climate of an ecosystem therefore, ecosystems that are within a biome all have similar climates. There are a variety of ecosystems in the world because there are a variety of biomes in the world, that all have different climates. Ecosystems differ because their climates differ and specific animals live in specific climates. Simply put, ecosystems differ because of the position of the sun and the earth.
Community Interactions That Can Occur in an Ecosystem
- Competition is when two organisms try and use the same resources in the same place and time.
- Predator prey interactions or predation is are when one organism captures and feeds on another organism.
- There are 3 types of symbiosis: mutualism, commensalism and parasitism. Mutualism is when both species benefit from the relationship. Commensalism is when one organism is benefited and the other organism is neither helped or harmed because of the relationship. Parasitism, the third type of symbiosis, is when one lives on or in another organism and harms it.
The California Red-Sided Garter Snake's Ecology
- The California Red-Sided Garter Snake lives in the temperate forest biome, their ecosystems are marshes. In California, depending on where you are, it can be really cold or can stay hot year round. Southern California stays warm year round while Northern California is seasonally warm and seasonally cold. The currents in California marshes and marshes in general are little to no movement and the environmental nutrient level of marshes is decreasing due to pollution.
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/6/7/26675537/458740909.jpg?315)
- There are two ways of getting nutrition: autotrophs receive nutrition from the sun through photosynthesis, heterotrophs receive nutrition from ingesting other animals. On the pyramid on the left, autotrophs are the darkest green trophic level, they are producers. All producers are autotrophs however not all autotrophs are producers, for example bacteria is an autotroph but not a producer, while plants are producers as well as autotrophs. On that same pyramid, every other level represents heterotrophs. As animals eat other animals or plants, they move up the pyramid and energy is passed up, however, each consumer only gets 10 percent of the energy the plant or animal they ate had, as that plant or animal uses 90 percent of its energy before it is eaten.
- The California Red-Sided Garter Snake is a tertiary consumer, this means it eats animals that eat animals that eat herbivores.
A niche is an organism's place, function, role or purpose in life. The niche of a California Red-Sided Garter Snake involves it interactions with its prey and its predators. An example of a California Red-Sided Garter Snake's prey is a red-legged frog. An example of a California Red-Sided Garter Snake's predator is a hawk.