Life...Bigger Beyond Our Eyes
What is Ecology?
Ecology is the relationship of species interaction with each other. So, if you are learning about what kinds of relationships fish have with other animals (including us!) and plants in their neighborhood, then you are learning about ecology. The word ECOLOGY comes from Greek words meaning “study of the household.” That means that ecology is the study of the “household” of living things: their neighbors and neighborhood. Ecology includes not only how living things interact with each other, but how they interact with their physical environment: things such as climate, water, and soil. Biomes are regions of the world with similar climate (precipitation, temperature). |
Various Types of Biomes
There are [1] terrestrial biomes (land) and aquatic biomes, both freshwater and marine. Biomes are part of the biosphere, the parts of the Earth that sustain life.Some of the land biomes include Tundra, Taiga, Temperate Forest, Desert, Savanna, Tropical Rain Forest. There are a variety of ecosystems on earth because the Sun rays are more direct on certain places, higher latitudes receive slanting rays and diffuse energy, at lower latitudes the Sun's rays are more concentrated, the Sun's rays are more parallel at Earth, and Biomes form at specific latitudes.The equator is warm and moist because there's lots of water and that water evaporates and condenses so that warm air is rising and it condenses and it rains a lot at 0 degrees. At 0 degrees latitude, its the Tropical Rain Forest where the climate is hot and moist. The air circulates in patterns, and the warm air that lost its moisture becomes cool air and that cool air dries and move all the way to 30 degrees. At 30 degrees it sinks dry air is sinking, and it is heated up by the earth and becomes dry. At 30 degrees latitude, its the Desert where the climate is hot and dry. At 30 degrees it sinks dry air is sinking, and it is heated up by the earth and becomes dry. At 60 degrees little bit more air rising up so it rains at 60 degrees. At 60 degrees latitude, its the Taiga where the temperature is cold and moist. At 30 degrees it sinks dry air is sinking, and it is heated up by the earth and becomes dry.
There are [1] terrestrial biomes (land) and aquatic biomes, both freshwater and marine. Biomes are part of the biosphere, the parts of the Earth that sustain life.Some of the land biomes include Tundra, Taiga, Temperate Forest, Desert, Savanna, Tropical Rain Forest. There are a variety of ecosystems on earth because the Sun rays are more direct on certain places, higher latitudes receive slanting rays and diffuse energy, at lower latitudes the Sun's rays are more concentrated, the Sun's rays are more parallel at Earth, and Biomes form at specific latitudes.The equator is warm and moist because there's lots of water and that water evaporates and condenses so that warm air is rising and it condenses and it rains a lot at 0 degrees. At 0 degrees latitude, its the Tropical Rain Forest where the climate is hot and moist. The air circulates in patterns, and the warm air that lost its moisture becomes cool air and that cool air dries and move all the way to 30 degrees. At 30 degrees it sinks dry air is sinking, and it is heated up by the earth and becomes dry. At 30 degrees latitude, its the Desert where the climate is hot and dry. At 30 degrees it sinks dry air is sinking, and it is heated up by the earth and becomes dry. At 60 degrees little bit more air rising up so it rains at 60 degrees. At 60 degrees latitude, its the Taiga where the temperature is cold and moist. At 30 degrees it sinks dry air is sinking, and it is heated up by the earth and becomes dry.
The Life of an Average Guitarfish
An ecosystem starts at its biosphere, next climate specific biomes, then biomes are broken up into ecosystems, and ecosystems include all the organisms that live there and all the abiotic factors and its broken up into all the different habitats. Next, it is community which include all the species that live there. Population is next and it includes all the same type of specie, then finally it is the individual. In this case the Individual of the Day is the Atlantic Guitarfish. The Atlantic Guitarfish has a certain in the ecosystem. This is called a niche. A niche is a role in the ecosystem and its place -where in the habitat exists. Different species can exist in the same habitat. organisms inhabiting in different niches reduces competition. The Atlantic Guitarfish prefers the aquatic biome. They are found most commonly over sand and mud substrates or weedy bottoms near patch reefs in shallow coastal waters but reported as deep as 100 feet. Occasionally they occur in estuarine and even freshwater habitats. They can also be found along beaches anywhere from the shoreline to as far out as 30 meters deep and are believed to tolerate fresh, brackish, and marine water. The currents are calm and do not affect the Atlantic Guitarfish habitat.
Community Interactions:
The Atlantic Guitarfish are secondary consumers because they are preyed on by large predatory sharks, and also because they eat scallops, shrimps, and small fish, and crustaceans which are primary consumers because they eat producers such as algae. This type of interaction that occurs is predator prey, which is an interaction in which one organism captures and feeds on another organism. there are other types of interactions that occur in a community. When organisms live together in ecological communities, they interact constantly. Interactions help shape the ecosystem in which they live. The type of interactions include predator/prey, symbiosis (mutualism, commensalism, parasitism), and competition. Symbiosis is the relationship in which two species live closely together. There are 3 main classes in symbiosis: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. In mutualism, both species benefit from the relationship. In commensalism, one member of the association benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed. In parasitism, one organism lives on or inside another organism and harms it. Finally, competition occurs when organisms of the same or different species attempt to use an ecological resource in the same place at the same time. Competitive exclusion principle states that no two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time. A niche is a role or function of an organism or species in an environment. In the brackish water, the Atlantic Guitarfish, plays a minor role, as it protects itself from larger predatory sharks and feed on bottom dwelling creatures, such as shrimps and crustaceans. Throughout the day, it swims around, keeping to itself, minding its own business.
The Atlantic Guitarfish are secondary consumers because they are preyed on by large predatory sharks, and also because they eat scallops, shrimps, and small fish, and crustaceans which are primary consumers because they eat producers such as algae. This type of interaction that occurs is predator prey, which is an interaction in which one organism captures and feeds on another organism. there are other types of interactions that occur in a community. When organisms live together in ecological communities, they interact constantly. Interactions help shape the ecosystem in which they live. The type of interactions include predator/prey, symbiosis (mutualism, commensalism, parasitism), and competition. Symbiosis is the relationship in which two species live closely together. There are 3 main classes in symbiosis: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. In mutualism, both species benefit from the relationship. In commensalism, one member of the association benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed. In parasitism, one organism lives on or inside another organism and harms it. Finally, competition occurs when organisms of the same or different species attempt to use an ecological resource in the same place at the same time. Competitive exclusion principle states that no two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time. A niche is a role or function of an organism or species in an environment. In the brackish water, the Atlantic Guitarfish, plays a minor role, as it protects itself from larger predatory sharks and feed on bottom dwelling creatures, such as shrimps and crustaceans. Throughout the day, it swims around, keeping to itself, minding its own business.