The influence of organisms on the environment. Catalog of files on biology

They move in space and exhibit different forms of activity. As a result of this, the gas composition of the air, the microclimate, the soil, the purity of water, and other features of habitats change. And although the impact of each individual organism on the environment may be small, the scale of the total activity of living beings is enormous. Influence organisms on the habitat is called their environment-forming activity.

The influence of plants on climate and water regime. Photosynthesis is the main source of oxygen in the earth's atmosphere. Plants create breathing conditions for billions of living beings, including humans. The oxygen needs of just one person over 70-80 years of life amount to several tens of tons. If you imagine that photosynthesis on the planet will cease, all the oxygen in the atmosphere will be consumed in just 2000 years. The content of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and a number of other compounds in the air also depends on the vital activity of various organisms.

The absorption and evaporation of water by terrestrial plants affects the water regime of their habitats and the climate in general. In an hour, up to 2.5 g of water is released from each square decimeter of foliage. This amounts to many tons of water per hectare every hour. A birch tree alone evaporates up to 100 liters of water per day.

Humidifying the air, delaying wind movement, vegetation creates a special microclimate , softening the conditions for the existence of many species. In the forest, temperature fluctuations throughout the year and day are less than in open spaces. Forests also greatly change humidity conditions: they lower the groundwater level, retain precipitation, promote the deposition of dew and fog, and prevent soil erosion. A special light regime arises in them, allowing shade-loving species to grow under the canopy of more light-loving ones.

Soil-forming activity of living organisms. The joint activity of many organisms creates soil. As vegetation sheds its leaves each year, it forms a layer of dead organic matter on the surface of the earth. This layer of plant litter serves as a source of food and habitat for a huge number of small organisms - bacteria, fungi, animals, which destroy and process it into inorganic molecules. The released minerals are again used to feed the plants. Some of the organic matter turns into soil humus. These are complex compounds that improve the structure of the soil, its moisture and air permeability. This improves the conditions for the development of plant roots. Thus, the process of soil formation primarily depends on the nutritional activity of many living creatures using the energy of dead organic matter.

Rice. 25. Environment-forming activity of beavers

Each lump of soil contains millions of cells of various microorganisms. In addition to them, for every square meter of soil there are hundreds of thousands of small animals, visible only through a microscope, and thousands visible with the naked eye. The activity of earthworms is especially important for soil life. Their normal numbers in forests and meadows range from several tens to several hundred individuals per square meter. Earthworms loosen and mix soil layers, improve conditions for the germination of plant roots, and draw plant debris deeper. Discharge from their intestines consists of solid organo-mineral lumps. A large amount of them in the soil dramatically improves its structure and increases fertility. With high numbers, earthworms can form up to 120 tons of such lumps per 1 hectare per year. Thus, soil is a habitat created by the activity of living organisms themselves.

Animal activity can sometimes shape landscape features. Real dams are built by beavers (Fig. 25). Large burrowing animals, such as gophers or marmots, provide a mosaic of plant and soil cover, since soil emissions form a microrelief that redistributes precipitation and the species composition of plants (Fig. 26).

Rice. 27. Cladocera - filter feeders of fresh water bodies

Midge larvae in streams filter food with tufts of bristles on the head, and mosquito larvae filter food with brushes on the upper lip. Some fish, such as silver carp and whale shark, actively filter water through their gill apparatus.

Filtration nutrition observed in 40 thousand species of aquatic animals. As a result of this activity, biological self-purification of water bodies occurs, and the quality of water depends on it. One pearl barley 5-6 cm long at a temperature of 20 ° C purifies up to 16 liters of water per day. In ponds and lakes where there are many small crustaceans, the entire volume of water is passed through their filtering apparatus in just one day (Fig. 27). One square meter of shallow sea water, densely populated with mussels, can purify up to 280 m 3 of water per day. Thus, the purity and transparency of natural waters is the result of the activity of living organisms.

The ability of organisms to change their environment is widely used in economic practice. To improve the microclimate, moisture conditions and protect fields from drying winds, forest belts are planted in steppe regions, and parks and gardens are created to purify the air in cities and resort areas. At water treatment plants, special tanks are built where the high activity of small filter feeders is maintained. Using the soil-forming activity of animals and microorganisms, enterprises The processing of organic waste produces fertilizers for application to depleted soils.

The living conditions of people on Earth depend on the environment-forming role of billions of living organisms. Air composition, water quality, soil fertility, and microclimate are the result of their total activities.

Examples and additional information

2. To purify industrial and municipal wastewater from organic substances, the activity of bacteria and small filter feeders (ciliates, rotifers, etc.) is used. One of the types of treatment facilities is aeration tanks. These are long containers 5 m deep and 10 m wide through which waste liquid flows.
Air is supplied from the bottom of the aeration tank in the form of small bubbles rising to the top. The air current creates favorable oxygen conditions for microorganisms and protozoa, which multiply in huge numbers. They purify water by forming flakes of so-called “activated sludge”. From the aeration tanks, water flows into settling tanks, where “activated sludge” settles to the bottom and is then used again to charge the aeration tank.

3. Green spaces in the city greatly improve the microclimate. In city parks on a hot day, the temperature is 6-8° lower than on the streets. Even near lawns it is 2-3° cooler than on the sidewalk, due to the evaporation of moisture by plants. The composition of urban air also changes noticeably. One tree produces enough oxygen to breathe for 4 people. In addition, plants absorb impurities of some poisonous gases and release volatile substances - phytoncides, which are destructive to bacteria contained in the air. One hectare of a park of deciduous trees retains up to 100 tons of dust per year. In cities with intensive industry, it is recommended to plant especially gas-resistant trees and shrubs: various poplars, western thuja, American maple, bird cherry, red elderberry, etc.

4. It is estimated that in the Volgograd Reservoir, small bivalve mollusks zebra mussels filter 840 billion m 3 of water from April to November, which is 24 times the total volume of the reservoir. At the same time, they deposit 29 million tons of inedible suspended matter onto the ground, on average more than 8 kg per square meter.

5. The average number of mammal burrows per 1 hectare is about 1000 in deciduous forests, 7500 in the forest-steppe, 5000 in the steppe, 1500 in deserts. Every year, burrows are renewed or dug in a new place. The dug up areas are populated by weeds that can only germinate in disturbed areas. These plants, which are now widespread on arable soils, existed long before the advent of agriculture and owe their origin to the activity of burrowing animals.

Questions.

1. It is known that leguminous plants improve conditions for the subsequent grain harvest. What do they change in the environment?
2. Give examples of wild animals and plants for which human activity has clearly improved their habitat.
3. Give your examples of how organisms transform their environment.
4. Are the water bodies where you live polluted? Are there many aquatic inhabitants in them? Are there filters among them?
5. Pesticides are often added to the soil to control plant pests. How can this affect the processes of decomposition of plant residues?
6. What impact do forest belts around fields have on the growing conditions of agricultural crops?
7. The self-purification capabilities of reservoirs are greatly reduced when warm industrial waters are discharged into them. Why? Why is this phenomenon called thermal pollution of water bodies?

Topics for discussion.

1. Plants can be grown without soil, hydroponically, i.e. in nutrient solutions, and obtain large yields. Does this mean that disturbances in the soil-forming activity of living organisms are no longer a matter of concern for people?
2. Midges (mosquitoes and midges) in some areas greatly annoy people. Discuss what would happen to the environment if these insects were completely eradicated using pesticides.
3. If there are so many filtering organisms in nature and the possibilities for self-purification of water bodies are so great, then why did the problem of water pollution arise?
4. Are green spaces being properly used to improve the environment in the area where you live?

Chernova N. M., Fundamentals of Ecology: Textbook. days 10 (11) grade. general education textbook institutions/ N. M. Chernova, V. M. Galushin, V. M. Konstantinov; Ed. N. M. Chernova. - 6th ed., stereotype. - M.: Bustard, 2002. - 304 p.

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1. It has rained. A bright hot sun came out from behind a cloud. In which area will the soil moisture content be greater after five hours (soil type is the same): a) on a freshly plowed field; b) in a ripe wheat field; c) in an ungrazed meadow; d) in a grazing meadow? Explain why.
(Answer: V. The thicker the vegetation cover, the less the soil heats up and, therefore, the less water will evaporate.)

2. Explain why ravines are more often formed in non-forest natural zones: steppes, semi-deserts, deserts. What human activities lead to the formation of ravines?
(Answer: The root systems of trees and shrubs, to a greater extent than of herbaceous vegetation, retain soil when it is washed away by water flows, therefore, in places where forest and shrub vegetation grow, ravines form less frequently than in fields, steppes and deserts. In the complete absence of vegetation (including grass), any flow of water will cause soil erosion. When vegetation is destroyed by humans (plowing, grazing, construction, etc.), increased soil erosion will always be observed.)

3.* It has been established that in summer, after the heat, more precipitation falls over the forest than over the nearby vast field. Why? Explain the role of the nature of vegetation in shaping the level of aridity in certain areas.
(Answer: above open spaces the air heats up faster and stronger than above a forest. Rising upward, hot air turns raindrops into steam. As a result, when it rains, less water flows over a vast field than over a forest.
Areas with sparse vegetation or no vegetation at all are heated more strongly by the sun's rays, which causes increased evaporation of moisture, and as a result, depletion of groundwater reserves and soil salinization. Hot air rises. If the desert area is large enough, then this can significantly change the direction of air flows. As a result, less precipitation falls on bare areas, which leads to even greater desertification of the territory.)

4.* In some countries and islands the import of live goats is prohibited by law. The authorities motivate this by the fact that goats can harm the country’s nature and change the climate. Explain how this could be.
(Answer: goats eat not only grass, but also leaves and tree bark. Goats are capable of reproducing quickly. Having reached high numbers, they mercilessly destroy trees and shrubs. In countries with insufficient rainfall, this causes further drying of the climate. As a result, nature is impoverished, which negatively affects the country’s economy.)

Habitat is, in a general sense, the conditions of life and existence of different organisms. Electronic devices significantly influence a person’s life and specifically on him - this is his habitat. Every goosebump, blade of grass, and ordinary stone constantly interacts with something.

Therefore, we can say that all people are one. The two most distant people are one in terms of space - they live on the same planet and that is already enough.

Influence of habitat

The influence of the habitat can be assessed from two sides. Thanks to the matter around us, people receive such important things in our lives as food, water, clothing (which is created from natural materials) and many other human components. But the environment also poses limitations for humans and other organisms. A camel will never (at this time) live at the North Pole. The cabbage seller cannot now sell vegetables in outer space. On the other hand, it helps evolution. Adaptation to a specific territory/terrain. Certain changes occur; that same camel, with the help of its neck, can reach the desired leaves on tall trees.

Related materials:

What is ecology - meaning, definition and types

The influence of organisms on the environment

Organisms can also influence the environment. For example, people and animals breathe oxygen, which is released by plants. That is, they influence the external environment, thereby helping some living organisms adapt. In the forest, mainly trees, also organisms, create shade and distribute solar heat. And a person certainly influences the environment (which has not had very good consequences lately).

Diversity of habitats

There are also some phenomena that organisms cannot influence. Then it is called an abiotic environment or simply inanimate. This, of course, could be water, the climate itself, for example. It happens that there is a radiation fund (although sometimes you can argue with this too).

If there is an abiotic environment, then there is also a biotic or simply living environment. This is the direct influence of different organisms on the environment, this is what created this natural environment.

Thus, There can be many habitats on Earth, this leads to a wide variety of living organisms themselves. But mainly there are four main environments, which all people have known for a long time, one of which they themselves are.

The influence of plants on climate and water regime Forest giant (Peru) Photosynthesis is the main source of oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere. Plants create conditions for the breathing of all living beings. The absorption and evaporation of water by land plants affects climate. By humidifying the air and delaying the movement of wind, plants create a special microclimate that softens the living conditions of many species.

In the forest, temperature fluctuations throughout the year and day are less than in open spaces. Forests also greatly change humidity conditions: they lower the groundwater level, retain precipitation, promote the deposition of dew and fog, and prevent soil erosion. A special light regime arises in them, allowing shade-loving species to grow under the canopy of more light-loving ones. Redwood forest Fallen giant. A large tree fell, letting light fall to the ground in the forest.

By shedding its leaves annually, vegetation forms a layer of dead organic matter on the surface of the earth, which serves as a source of soil fertility. This layer of plant litter serves as a habitat for small organisms - bacteria, fungi, animals, which feed on dead organic matter, destroying and processing them.

As a result, part of the plant litter is mineralized. The released mineral salts are again used to feed the plants. The other part of the organic matter turns into soil humus. Humus compounds provide a long-term supply of nutrition for plants and improve soil structure, moisture and air permeability.

Work in small groups Task 1. Indicate the importance of plants on the planet. Discuss the role of afforestation. Describe the effect of grass cover on field soil. Task 2. Give examples confirming the soil-forming activity of organisms. Task 3. Give examples confirming the influence of aquatic organisms on the quality of natural waters. Homework: pp. 40 – 43, questions Topics for discussion.

To view the presentation with pictures, design and slides, download its file and open it in PowerPoint on your computer.
Text content of presentation slides: Ecology lesson No. 7 in the 10th grade Topic: “Ways of influence of organisms on the habitat” Purpose: to study the ways of influence of organisms on the habitat Objectives - to show changes in the habitat by organisms as a result of: metabolism; various manifestations of vital activity; connections between biosphere processes and the life of individual individuals. The influence of organisms on the environment is called environment-forming activity. Living organisms exhibit different forms of activity. They feed. They move in space. Migrating wildebeest (Kenya) California cuckoo feeding its chicks White ibis (North America) Dipper hunting underwater (British Isles) Although the impact of each individual organism on the environment may be small, the scale of the total activity of living things is enormous. Habitats: Impact of plants on the climate and water regime Forest giant (Peru) Photosynthesis is the main source of oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere. Plants create conditions for the breathing of all living creatures. The absorption and evaporation of water by land plants affects the climate. By humidifying the air, delaying the movement of the wind, plants create a special microclimate a mat that softens the living conditions of many species. If we imagine that photosynthesis on the planet will stop, all the oxygen in the atmosphere will be used up in just 2000 years. Tropical forest - the “green lungs” of the planet Velvichia In the forest, temperature fluctuations throughout the year and day are less than in open spaces. Forests also greatly change humidity conditions: they lower the groundwater level, retain precipitation, promote the deposition of dew and fog, and prevent soil erosion. A special light regime arises in them, allowing shade-loving species to grow under the canopy of more light-loving ones. Redwood forest Fallen giant. A large tree fell, letting light fall to the ground in the forest. Plants have very diverse adaptations related to providing themselves with water and air. Victoria-regia leaves (Brazil) Respiratory roots of mangroves (Bangladesh) Soil-forming activity of living organisms The joint activity of many organisms creates soil. Each lump of soil contains millions of cells of various microorganisms. By shedding leaves annually, vegetation forms a layer of dead organic matter on the surface of the earth, which serves as a source of soil fertility. This layer of plant litter serves as a habitat for small organisms - bacteria, fungi, animals that feed on dead organic matter, destroying and processing them. As a result, part of the plant litter is mineralized. The released mineral salts are again used to feed the plants. The other part of the organic matter turns into soil humus. Humus compounds provide a long-term supply of nutrition for plants and improve soil structure, moisture and air permeability. The influence of aquatic organisms on the quality of natural waters. Filtration feeding is observed in 40 thousand species of aquatic animals. As a result of this activity, biological self-purification of water bodies occurs. Work in small groups Task 1. Indicate the importance of plants on the planet. Discuss the role of afforestation. Describe the influence of grass cover on the soil of fields. Task 2. Give examples confirming the soil-forming activity of organisms. Task 3. Give examples confirming the influence of aquatic organisms on the quality of natural waters. Homework: pp. 40 – 43, questions 1 - 4. Topics for discussions.