The Physical Environment of Earth. 1. Adaptation to the environment = evolution, so what is the environmental variation.Terrestrial: 1. Sunlight, wind patterns; global, rainfall patterns, rain shadows climate profiles2. Plant Communities: basis of ecosystems Merriam: Mt Lemon basis, water, temperature naming: most obvious plants definition of a community organisms living together? organisms interacting? ranges of individual species Note: actual vs potential niches - range limits Uniqueness of each spot: effect on predictabilitybasic concept: communities are human constructs, designed to organize information. As such, they can change. How many plant communities in California?3. Plant Succession description: chaparral, ponderosa primary, pioneer, climax communities; dominance = climax community; who wins. fire and flood as natural events when is a fire bad? not regular, inc. frequency, dec. freq. flood prevention: nile river. local rivers. jungle succession - one tree at a time. World Biomes 1. World biomes Holdrige classification.2. Invasions: similar conditions = possibility of survival. survival depends on: physical conditions : biotic - predators, fitting in3. Species Ranges - tropics vs temperate effects of vegetational destruction4. What determines Numbers of species- isolating mechanisms - differences between temperate vs tropics. ecosystem structure - stability = complexity? - effects of habitat destruction and extinction. tropics vs temperate.5. World organismal changes; effects of human activities. Atmospheric effects; ozone hole, CO2 levels. Low level pollution Temperature effects.The physical environment - aquatic systems1. water: dissolved oxygen, light, nutrients, substrate wave action.2. division into regions of life. Fresh water: lakes; eutrophic/oligotrophic streams swamps3. Human effects: pollution, BOD. water flow. acid rain. 4. water supply How we deal with it. The oceans.1. Oceans habitats, depth, substrate, distribution of nutrients. deep hot areas etc. 2. Ocean current patterns3. C02 and sea level changes Ozone hole, effects?? 4. PollutionInteractions within Communities. food chains: predator-prey, numbers at each step; numbers, biomass, calories10% efficiency? suburban food chains - pets decomposers biomagnification food webs :dynamic shape - changes with seasons, individuals keystone species - generalist vs specialist Nutrient cycling: material cycling. - use of air, water, land as part of the cycles. typical systems: terrestrial, aquatic, Special relationships. coevolution. Interdependence of All systems; through air and water. Disruption (fire, etc.) can lead to complexity. Species Conservation 1. Extinction: rates recently. through time Major causes: U.S. vs world Neotropical migrants: possible causes frogs.?2. What's bad about extinction?3. Who goes extinct? 4. History of conservation in the U.S.;World economic,= game likes and dislikes = birds and whales , moral imperative = endangered species act.5. Species vs habitat preservation Habitat Conservation. 1. Review what is a habitat - plant community what is the effect of saving varying percentages what is the structure of a community?2. History of Habitat Conservation in the U.S. Forest Service National Park Service National Wildlife Refuges Other.3. Habitat Conservation Plans - U.S. drawbacks.4. world Situation Amazon - Animal Behavior - Introduction 1. Introduction - behavior as part of biology 2. Innate v Learned - how is behavior controlled?- nature or nurture: ethologists v psychologists- Darwin v Freedom of the individual- Examples of behavior - genetic and learned aspectslove birds/bird songfrog predation on flies- Distribution of learned v genetic controltaxonomic v opportunity for learning 3. Causality of behavior- components - chart- ultimate v proximate causality (past v now) 4. What is the goal of behavior- fitness - how defined = inclusive fitness Behavior: Implications of Proximate Components and Control Mechanisms 1. Implications of the Genetic Control of Behavior- inexactness, simple messages, stereotyped responses- FAP - , IRM, superstimuli- examples; red attack, mother love - inexactnessbills and eggs - superstimuliImprinting - ducks, song, critical learning periodsPossibilities of mimicry - nest parasitismSo why use genetic control?? - have to 2. Implications of hormonal control- how hormones work- displacement, redirection, conflict behavior 3. Implications of Nervous system involvement- reflexes - control - distribution among animalsreflex = FAP- sensory abilities -- multichannel system - what happens when inputs conflict?- visual illusions- NOTE - evolutionary statements - you actually see what is there!! - learning; short vs long term memory. 4. Integration of it all -Complex behaviors - bird migration hormones - readiness to migrate - fat deposits nerves - sense environment - day length - navigation - multichannel - critical learning period - migration period control - learned and genetic - mirror image misorientation - storks in Europe Behavior: Implications of Ultimate Control 1. Ultimate control: evolution and environment2. Non-Adaptive behaviors; are there any? Altruism: helpers, warning calls, self sacrifice Infanticide; siblicide possible real non-adaptive behaviors mutation, etc.3. Efficiency foraging behavior4. Applications to Mating and Reproduction sex ratio mating: who chooses? what to choose fighting: how to avoid Territoriality: what is it Who owns territory? early arrival honest signaling - the frog pond. 5. Alternative Strategies more frog pondLect. 38 Social Systems Mon. May 3 1. Social Organization - rare - lots of reasons to be asocial weaning, are males good for anything? is it worth staying with a female? - Why be social? have to for the "sake of the kids" = inclusive fitness 2. Types of mating systemsclassifications monogamy polygamy polyandry polygyny promiscuity 3. True social behavior groups of multiple males plus 4. Correlates of social behaviorgrooming, communication, hierarchies, xenophobia and the opposite. 4. The intensity of fighting 5.