AP Biology Guided Reading Name Chapter 52: An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere Overview 1. What is ecology? 2. Study Figure 52.2. It shows the different levels of the biological hierarchy studied by ecologists. Notice also the different types of questions that might be studied by an ecologist at each level of study. Use this figure to define or explain the following terms: Type of Ecology What is Studied Organismal ecology Population ecology Community ecology Ecosystem ecology Landscape ecology Global ecology Concept 52.1 Ecology integrates all areas of biological research and informs environmental decision making 3. Contrast the terms ecology and environmentalism. How does ecology relate to environmentalism? 4. a. What environmental issue was targeted in Rachel Carson s book, Silent Spring? b. What was the outcome of her efforts? 1
Concept 52.2 Interactions between organisms and the environment limit the distribution of species 5. a. What is biogeography? b. What 2 factors determine the distribution of organisms? Explain. 6. The sections titled Biotic Factors and Abiotic Factors provide examples of factors that can limit species distribution. For each example listed in the tables below, discuss how it can limit species distribution. Biotic Factor Influence on Species Distribution Predators Herbivores Pollinators Parasites Competition Abiotic Factor Influence on Species Distribution Temperature Water Salinity Sunlight Rocks & Soil 2
7. What is climate? What 4 abiotic factors are its components? There are several factors that can affect the abiotic factors that determine climate: latitude, Earth s tilt on its axis, winds and ocean currents, bodies of water, and mountains. Let s look at each one individually. 8. Differences in latitude are responsible for Earth s 3 main climate zones Polar, Temperate, and Tropical. Discuss how latitude affects climate. Polar Temperate Tropical 9. Explain how Earth s tilt on its axis is responsible for seasons. Temperate Polar 10. Consider this: how do latitude and Earth s tilt affect plant growth around the globe? 11. a. The United Kingdom is located around the same latitude as Moscow, Russia. The western part of England has a fairly mild climate with slight temperature differences, while the eastern part of England experiences a cooler climate with greater temperature differences. Moscow, on the other hand, experiences extreme temperature differences between the seasons. Using this example, discuss how ocean currents influence climate along the coasts of continents. b. Do ocean currents affect our climate here in California? Explain. 3
12. Discuss how large bodies of water tend to moderate the climate of nearby land. 13. Discuss how mountains can affect rainfall. 14. Explain the rain shadow effect. 15. What effect does elevation have on climate? Why do we say that hiking from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, at 393 meters of elevation in the Smoky Mountains region, to the top of Mount LeConte, at 2010 meters, is like traveling to Canada? Concept 52.3 Aquatic biomes are diverse and dynamic systems that cover most of Earth 16. What is a biome? 17. What is the largest marine biome, and how much of Earth s surface does it cover? 4
18. The following aquatic biomes are pretty important in the biosphere. Fill in the table about the importance of each in the biosphere and how we as humans harm them. Aquatic Biome Importance of Human Impact Wetland Estuary Coral reef Concept 52.4 The structure and distribution of terrestrial biomes are controlled by climate and disturbance 19. Figure 52.20 shows a climograph for some major biomes in North America. What two abiotic factors shown here are most important in determining the distribution of the biome? 20. Each terrestrial biome is unique according to one or more features. Describe the unique features of each major terrestrial biome as related to rainfall, temperature, and location. Terrestrial Biome Location Precipitation Temperature Tropical forest Desert Savanna Chaparral Temperate grassland Northern coniferous forest (taiga) Temperate broadleaf forest Tundra 21. Based on your descriptions above, which biome do we live in? 5