Organism Interactions and Energy Connections

Energy Connections All living things need energy to survive.

What is energy? The energy living things need comes from carbon-compounds, or organic compounds. –Organic compounds: molecules that contain a carbon atom Carbohydrates: glucose, starch, cellulose (mostly plants) Proteins: the muscles of animals (steak!) Fats: in muscle of animal tissues (fatty steak!)

Food Chains A food chain shows the flow of energy between the organisms in an environment

Food Chains Notice that the arrow points from the organism being eaten to the organism that eats it. –Like the burger you eat goes into you Plants  Cow (burger)  Human

What do the arrows in the food chain below indicate? A.Sunlight B.Energy flow C.Heat transfer D.Toxins

What do the arrows in the food chain below indicate? Energy flow

Food Webs When we put many food chains together in one ecosystem, it is called a food web.

Energy Moves in a Food Web Plants make glucose from light Some animals get energy from plants Other animals get energy from the fat and protein in other animals

There are two groups that organisms are divided into in any ecosystem based upon how they obtain energy use sunlight directly to make their own food.

Producers- use sunlight directly to make their own food.

Parts of a Food Web Where are the producers in the food web below?

Two groups of organisms based on energy consumption. Producers- use sunlight directly to make their own food Organisms that eat producers or other organisms for energy.

Consumers- Organisms that eat producers or other organisms for energy.

Two groups of organisms based on energy consumption. Producers- use sunlight directly to make their own food. Consumers- Organisms that eat producers or other organisms for energy.

Parts of a Food Web Where are the consumers in the food web below?

Consumers are Divided into Five Categories consumer that eats plants.

Consumers are Divided into Five Categories Herbivore consumer that eats plants consumer that eats animals.

Consumers are Divided into Five Categories Herbivore- consumer that eats plants. Carnivore- consumer that eats animals consumer that eats both plants and animals.

Consumers are Divided into Five Categories Herbivore- consumer that eats plants. Carnivore- consumer that eats animals. Omnivore consumer that eats both plants and animals.

Consumers are Divided into Five Categories animals that feed on the bodies of dead animals.

Consumers are Divided into Five Categories Scavengers- animals that feed on the bodies of dead animals. ____________ - organisms that get their energy by breaking down the remains of dead organisms.

Consumers are Divided into Five Categories Scavengers- animals that feed on the bodies of dead animals. Decomposers - organisms that get their energy by breaking down the remains of dead organisms.

Decomposers Are essential to any ecosystem because they are nature’s recyclers. Decomposition

Two groups of organisms based on energy consumption. Producers- use sunlight directly to make their own food. Consumers- Organisms that eat producers or other organisms for energy. –Herbivores –Carnivores –Omnivores –Scavengers –Decomposers

Energy Pyramids Energy Pyramids are diagrams shaped like a triangle that shows the loss of energy at each level of the food chain.

Energy Pyramid There are typically only 4 trophic levels in an energy pyramid Producers: organisms that convert the sun’s energy into organic compounds Primary consumers: organisms that eat producers to obtain energy compounds Secondary consumers: organisms that eat primary consumers for energy Tertiary consumers: organisms that eat secondary consumers for energy

Energy Pyramid Labels Producers Tertiary Consumers Primary Consumers Secondary Consumers

Trophic levels represent a feeding step in the transfer of energy and matter in an ecosystem. Each Trophic Level is the total amount of energy and biomass in all organisms at one level in the food web. Biomass- the amount of organic matter (nutrients) comprising a group of organisms in a habitat.

Energy Pyramids Only energy stored in tissues of an organism can be transferred to the next level. As you move up a food chain, both available energy and biomass decrease. Energy and biomass are transferred upwards but are diminished with each transfer. The higher up in the pyramid an organism is, the more they must eat to obtain energy. More Energy Less Energy

Energy Flow

Energy Transfer (percents) 100% 0.1% 10% 1% We can say that the energy transfer from level to level is inefficient –(not a lot of the energy at each level makes it up)

Energy Transfer (calories) 1,000 calories 1 calorie 100 calories 10 calories This means that there can’t be many levels in a food web or pyramid –The amount of energy decreases, and it cannot typically support organisms at higher levels than tertiary consumer

Why are there a limited number of energy levels in an energy pyramid or food web? A.Energy transfer is very efficient B.Energy is captured as heat C.Energy transfer is inefficient D.Energy is not transferred in a food web

Producer Primary Consumer Secondary Consumer Tertiary Consumer

How is energy stored and transferred in an ecosystem? A.In light B.In oxygen and carbon dioxide C.In carbon compounds like glucose D.In the process of decomposition

Which of the following organisms is a primary consumer in the ecosystem shown? A.Hawk B.Rabbit C.Mountain lion D.Frog

Ecology and types of interactions

Population Impacts in a Food Web If the population of organisms at any level of the food web changes, it will affect the population at other levels

Population Impacts in a Food Web If the population of producers decreases, then the population of primary consumers will decrease if they don’t have enough food.

Population Impacts in a Food Web If the population of primary consumers decreases, then… –The producers will increase because there are less consumers eating them –The secondary consumers will decrease because there is less food for them

Which organism would be most affected if the cricket population decreased? A.Snake B.Deer C.Frog D.Hawk

Ecology and Types of Interactions I. Ecologists have described three main ways that species and individuals affect each other. 1.Competition 2.Predator/Prey Relationships 3.Symbiosis

A. Competition When two or more individuals or populations try to use the same limited resource.

A. Competition These two trees are competing for root space, sunlight, and water. Competition is bad for both because if one doesn’t receive enough resources, it may die.

Competition for Food Frogs and Mice compete for ____________ What two organisms compete for mice? ___________ and ____________ What would happen if the population of Snakes decreased?

1) Limited resource - scarce resources like water, food, space, even mates.

Carrying Capacity- the number of individuals that an environment can support; controlled by competing for limited resources and predator/prey interactions

B. Predator and Prey The interaction of one individual eating another.

Prey 1. Prey- organism that is eaten. Prey adaptations include advantages that help prey hide themselves or escape predators.

Predator 2. Predator- organism that eats the prey. Predator adaptations include advantages over the prey that help predators catch their prey.

Predator Prey Relationships

i. Mimicry - the ability of some creatures to imitate others, either by sound or appearance for protective purposes

ii. Camouflage - Protective coloring or another feature that conceals an animal and enables it to blend into its surroundings.

iii. Warning Coloration Bright colors and patterns that warn potential predators of the potential risk that would come from attacking or eating it.

Competition and Predator/Prey keep things balanced! 2) Carrying Capacity the number of individuals that an environment can support; controlled by competition for limited resources and predator/prey interactions.

What has caused the population to level out? Carrying Capacity

3. Symbiosis A long-term relationship between two or more species.

1.Mutualism A relationship in which both organisms benefit from each other. Cleaner shrimp cleaning a zebra moray eel. Bacteria found in human large intestines.

2. Commensalism A relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected. Remoras attach themselves to sharks and feed of the scraps of food that the shark leaves behind.

3. Parasitism One organism benefits while the other is harmed. The parasite is the organism that benefits in the relationship. The host is harmed

Evolution is tied to the need for energy.

Predator Adaptations The process in which organisms produce offspring which are biologically different than their ancestors, yet are more capable of surviving and producing offspring in the environment. This is the basis for natural selection.

Prey Adaptations

Pop Quiz Time: Hope you were paying attention Get out a clean sheet of paper and number it 1 -10

1. What do the arrows in the food chain below indicate? A.Sunlight B.Energy flow C.Heat transfer D.Toxins

2. The diagram below represents a a. Food chainb. Food Webc. Energy Pyramidd. Nutrition web

3. Which of the following organisms is a primary consumer? a.Mouse b.Snake c.Mountain Lion d.Frog

4. What is the source of energy for all the organisms below? A.The Hawk B.Grass C.Decomposers D.Sun

5. At what level is there the LEAST amount of available energy? A B C D

6. Which organism would be most affected if the cricket population decreased? A.Snake B.Deer C.Frog D.Hawk

7. How does energy enter a food chain? A.The process of cellular respiration B. The process of photosynthesis C. Decomposers make the energy D. None of the above

8. Where do plants get Carbon molecules needed for photosynthesis? a.From the earth b.From the atmosphere c.By breaking down dead organisms d.From the sun

9. An iguana that feeds on cabbage, carrots, crickets, and meal worms as a regular diet would be considered a A.Carnivore B.Herbivore C.Omnivore D.Decomposer

10. What term describes the organism below? A.Scavenger B.Decomposer C.Producer D.Herbivore

How many food chains?

Food Chains Food chains can be misleading because organisms very rarely eat only one other organism. Food webs show the many pathways of energy flow.

Food chainFood web (just 1 path of energy) (all possible energy paths)

Think about our Ecosystem What animals and plants are in a food web in our ecosystem?