You will understand the delicate nature of ecosystems and how

humans actions can disrupt them.

All ecosystems are limited in the number of organisms they can contain!

These numbers are limited by the 3 LIMITING FACTORS

Food= amount of energy available to the Community

Space = amount of space needed by Populations of organisms

Season/Weather Influence = affects the first two factors for the community

1. Specie = each individual living component of an ecosystem

2. Population = number of organisms for each specie within an ecosystem

3. Community= Interaction of Populations of Species with an Ecosystem

4. Biome= specific habitat in which the community lives. Defined by temperature and vegetation (land based)

Ecologists analyze health of ecosystems through population studies of organisms

These studies can tell you primarily how a population of organisms is doing, thus providing clues to the ecosystems health

********************OR****************** To study the overall health of ecosystems

however, ecologists look at abiotic and biotic factors. These help give ecologists a better overall picture of an ecosystem’s health

Biotic Factors – living parts of an ecosystem which impact the community

Producers – (Autotrophs)

Consumers – (Heterotrophs)

Decomposers – (Recyclers of Nutrients)

Abiotic Factors- non living parts of an ecosystem which impact the organisms or “SWATS”

Sunlight Water Air Temperature Soil

Some organisms “cheat” to live by living with other organisms to help them meet Abiotic and Biotic factors to survive

Parasitism – benefits one organism to the cost/death of another (sea lamprey and fish)

Commensialism- benefits one with no real benefit for the other (Pilot Fish and Shark)

Mutualism- Both organisms benefit from the relationship (honey bees and flowering plants)

Nitrogen

Carbon

Water

Humans have long had a negative impact on Natural Ecosystems’ health

Most of the actions were unintentional as human populations grew and demand for resources grew

However, there have been many times in which humans purposely made a negative impact on a population of organisms or an ecosystem for their own benefit

Whale oil was originally used as an illuminant for lamps

Later as Industrial Revolution began need for Whale Oil grew as a lubricant for machinery. (Sewing machines specifically)

In WW1 Whale Oil was used as a preventative for trench foot and used as an ingredient for explosives (1914-1917 175,000 whale killed in South Atlantic)

Was also used in margarine, the original Rust-Oleum, and was used in Auto-transmition fluid in cars up until 1972.

Commercial Whaling is the slaughter of Whales for their blubber as a source of oil for various human products

Whaling has its roots back since the 1300’s but took off with the invention of the explosive tipped harpoon in the late 1800’s

All the great baleen whales are now endangered as a result of commercial whaling

species/stock pre-whaling

population estimate current population

estimate

blue whale 160,000 - 240,000 9,000

bowhead whale 52,000-60,000 8,200

Bryde's whale unknown 66,000-86,000

fin whale 300,000-650,000 123,000

gray whale(eastern Pacific stock)

15,000-20,000 21,000

gray whale(western Pacific stock)

1,500-10,000 100-200

gray whale(Atlantic stock)

unknown extinct

humpback whale 150,000 25,000

Minke whale

unknown, but tens of thousandswere killed during whaling era

850,000

northern right whale

no estimates, but tens of thousandswere killed during whaling era

870-1,700 in the western Atlantic;very few in the Pacific.

sei whale 100,000 55,000

southern right whaleno estimate, but 40,000 were killedbetween 1785 and 1939

1,500

International treaty (International Whaling Commission 1986)- Outlawed Commercial Fishing of Whales by most Industrialized Nations

Japan, Russia, Iceland, Finland and Norway were only countries that did not support or sign the treaty

Allowed for longer work days during Industrial Revolution due to its use in lighting

Was first Oil type of either mineral or animal to make Commercial Viability. North East US was major Whaling Boom site as a result.

Literature of time was impacted with best examples being Moby Dick and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

NHL Team in Conn named Hartford Whalers