REWM 3500Friday, August 28, 2009

Organizing concepts in physiological plant ecology

I. Reductionism and holism in ecology

II. Physiological ecology and the distribution of organisms

III. Plant responses to “stress”

I. Reductionism and holism in ecology

II. Physiological ecology and the distribution of organisms

Multiple limiting resources is the reality

Figure 5.03 – Taiz and Zeiger 2006

Single limiting resourceMultiple limiting resources

Excess of resources (toxic)

Tolerance to environmental extremes

The biotic “filter”

Grown together

Grown alone

Response to stress in plants

From Lambers, Chapin and Pons 1998

Population adaptation to environmental temperature

From Lambers, Chapin and Pons 1998

Ecotypes - locally adapted populations

From Lambers, Chapin and Pons 1998

Terms to know:

Reductionism HolismOrganismal theory of community organizationIndividualistic theory of community organizationHistorical filter Physiological filter Biotic filterMicroenvironment Liebig’s law of the minimum Law of [multiple] limiting factorsLaw of toleranceOptimal vs realized distribution (physiological vs ecological amplitude)Homeostasis Stress Stress response Acclimation Phenotypic plasticity Adaptation Stress resistance Stress tolerance Stress avoidance