Module 4: Ecosystem Dynamics
4.1 Population Dynamics
Inquiry question: What effect can one species have on the other species in a
community?
Understanding the Biosphere
Definition: The biosphere is the part of Earth that contains all living things, including
humans.
**Components:
Biotic (living things)
Abiotic (non-living things)
Definition of Ecosystem: An ecosystem is a community of interacting organisms and
their physical environment.
Effects of the Environment on Organisms
Biotic Components
Definition: Biotic components are the living things that shape an environment at
different trophic levels.
Categories of Biotic Components:
Producers:
Definition: Organisms like plants and other photosynthetic or chemosynthetic
organisms that convert energy from the sun or chemical reactions into food.
Consumers:
Definition: Animals that depend on producers for food.
Decomposers:
Definition: Fungi and microbes that break down materials from (usually dead)
organisms into simpler forms, which can be reused.
Abiotic Components
Definition: Abiotic components are non-living parts of the environment that never were
living.
Factors in Terrestrial Environments:
Light availability
Temperature
Rainfall
Water availability
Soil quality
Geology
Shelter availability
Climate
Factors in Aquatic/Marine Environments:
Depth
Light availability
Salinity
Current
Dissolved oxygen
Solid surfaces
Pressure
Impact: Abiotic factors influence where organisms can live.
Biotic Factors
Definition: Biotic factors encompass not just the organisms in an ecosystem, but also
their interactions and their levels within the food web.
Factors Affecting Predator and Prey Distribution
Key factors can include:
Number of predators competing for the same prey
Availability of prey's food
Reproduction rate
Death rate (from factors other than predation)
Ratio of males to females
Size of ecosystem
Movement between ecosystems
Predation
Definition: A predator-prey relationship is characterized by a predator obtaining food
by killing and consuming prey.
Examples:
Orca - seal
Blue tongue lizard - snails
Hyena - zebra
Spider - fly
Some plants, such as Venus flytraps, act as predators.
Fluctuations in Predator and Prey Populations
Observation: In large communities, predator and prey populations fluctuate over time.
Rule: Predator numbers typically mirror those of the prey; predator populations will
increase or decrease in response to changes in prey populations. For both populations
to survive, it is essential that there are always more prey than predators.
Competition
Definition: Competition occurs when two or more organisms vie for the same valuable
yet limited resources (food, shelter, space, mates).
Types of Competition
Intraspecific Competition: Competition among members of the same species.
Interspecific Competition: Competition among different species.
Outcome of Competition: One species usually becomes better suited for the
environment, leading to higher population numbers compared to the other species,
even with fluctuating resources.
Graphical Representation: Provides a visual depiction of population dynamics in
competing species, like Calandra and Rhizopertha grain beetles.
Allelopathy in Plants
Definition: Allelopathy refers to the release of specific biochemicals (allelochemicals)
by a plant to influence the growth of nearby plants, either beneficially or detrimentally.
Examples:
Acacia trees release chemicals when grazed by giraffes, signaling nearby
acacias to cut off water to their leaves.
Certain pine species release acidic allelochemicals through fallen needles,
suppressing the growth of surrounding plants.
Symbiosis
Definition: Symbiosis occurs when two organisms live closely together, benefiting at
least one.
Types of Symbiosis
Parasitism: One organism benefits at the expense of another, usually without killing it.
Commensalism: One organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed.
Mutualism: Both organisms benefit from the relationship.
Importance of Symbiosis: Enhances biodiversity within ecosystems and contributes to
ecosystem resilience.
Example in Coral Reefs: Coral and symbiotic photosynthetic algae enable the
biodiversity of coral reefs, providing unique habitats for fish and marine invertebrates.
Endosymbiosis in Evolution
Historically, early eukaryotes integrated photosynthesizing prokaryotes (cyanobacteria),
marking the onset of chloroplast evolution.
Disease in Ecosystems
Definition: Disease negatively impacts the normal functioning of an organism and can
be infectious or non-infectious.
Main Threats: Infectious diseases from pathogens such as viruses and bacteria pose
serious threats to ecosystems.
Role of Environment: Environmental changes, like deforestation and overcrowding, can
disrupt pathogen barriers, facilitating disease spread.
Case Study: Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD)
Description: DFTD arises from a cluster of cancerous cells transmissible between
Tasmanian devils, exacerbated by their aggressive behaviors (e.g., face biting).
Epidemic Status: This disease has spread significantly since the 1990s, affecting
nearly all wild populations due to previously existing continuous populations.
Historical Context: The extinction of the Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) removed a top
predator, which previously maintained population isolation, enabling DFTD to spread
unchecked.
Ecological Niches
Definition: An ecological niche describes an organism's role and position in the
ecosystem, encompassing its activities in a habitat and its interactions within a food
web.
Example: A noisy miner bird and a galah occupy the same area but have different
feeding (insect hunting vs. seed eating) and nesting strategies, demonstrating niche
differentiation.
Competitive Exclusion Principle
Definition: States that no two species can occupy the exact same niche
simultaneously, leading to one species often outcompeting the other.
Implication: This principle forbids the coexistence of multiple top predators within the
same ecosystem, ultimately influencing population dynamics.
Behavioral and Ecological Adaptations
Outcomes of Competitive Exclusion: Organisms ejected from their fundamental
niches must adapt behaviorally, physiologically, and structurally to occupy realized
niches, paving the way for potential speciation.
Extinction of Australian Megafauna
Context: Knowledge of population dynamics aids in analyzing past ecosystems, such
as the extinction of Australian Megafauna during the Pleistocene (100,000 - 50,000
years ago).
Examples of Megafauna:
Bullockornis (Demon Duck of Doom)
Megalania (giant goanna)
Diprotodon (largest marsupial, akin to a giant wombat)
Size Decrease Trend: There has been a significant decline in the average size of
Australian fauna over the past 100,000 years, which has seen the extinction of larger
species.
Leading Theories: Causes of Extinction
Theory 1 - Changes in Climate:
Impact of climate on water supply for large animals.
Scarcity of producers and their inability to adapt to changing temperatures.
Evidence indicates that megafauna extinction occurred before the retraction of
the last ice age.
Theory 2 - Arrival of Humans:
Co-occurrence of early Aboriginal people’s arrival with megafauna extinction,
suggesting effective hunting practices.
The introduction of domestic dogs (dingos) as new top predators further
stressed megafauna.
Key Terms
Biosphere
Biotic
Abiotic
Ecosystem
Intraspecific
Interspecific
Allelopathy
Endosymbiosis
Disease
Ecological Niche
Competitive Exclusion Principle
Fundamental Niche
Realised Niche
Australian Megafauna
Conclusion
The extinction of Australian megafauna represented a small-scale ecological
disturbance impacting around 40 species, fundamentally altering local ecosystems and
their niches.