Ecology&BiosphereLEC36 Flashcards
Homo sapiens
- appeared in Africa at least 130,000 years ago
- began colonizing the world beyond Africa about 60,000 years ago
Homo neanderthalensis
- lived in Europe from 20-30,000 years ago. Surviving several ice ages.
- large hominins with larger brains than ours
- study suggests that early humans ate neanderthals
Clovis
people who invaded the New World about 18,000 years ago
*large animals disappear because of them
Ecology
study of the interactions between organisms and the environment
- determine organisms’ distribution & abundance
- provides the scientific understanding behind environmental issues
Events that occur in ecological time…
affect life on the longer scale of evolutionary time
the environment includes what components?
–Abiotic, nonliving components
–Biotic, living components
what are biota?
the organisms living in the environment
including fauna & flora
biosphere
part of the Earth where life is possible
Landscape ecology
Examines combinations of ecosystems
Community ecology
Examines the interacting species within a
community
Climate
prevailing weather in an area over time
Four major components of climate
–Temperature
–Water
–Sunlight
–Wind
what is a key factor in biogeography?
Temperature
ex. the pika is moving a lot due to change in temperature, will be extinct when no where else to go
Biomes
the major habitats that cover the planet
Aquatic biomes
Cover the largest part of the biosphere, about 75% of Earth’s surface
