ENERGY AND ECOLOGY UNIT 11

WHAT IS ECOLOGY? Ecology- the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments

CAREERS IN ECOLOGY Ecologist-An ecologist finds ways to use resources efficiently and manage them responsibly, identifies ecological hazards and works to eliminate them and studies the environment in general.

ABIOTIC VS. BIOTIC Biotic factors- all living things Abiotic factors- nonliving parts of the environment (i.e. temperature, soil, light, moisture, air currents)

LEVELS OF NATURE DEFINITIONS

Organism Population Community Biosphere Ecosystem

Organism – one organism

POPULATION a group of organisms of one species living in the same place at the same time that interbreed.)

Community – All living things interacting

Ecosystem – living and non-living things interacting

Biosphere - Earth

LIMITING FACTORS any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence of organisms. Examples - Amount of water Amount of food Temperature Amount of space Availability of mates

PREDATOR VS. PREY Predator eats prey.

BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES Biogeochemical cycles: the movement (or cycling) of matter through a system carbon water oxygen nitrogen phosphorous sulfur

ENERGY AND ECOLOGY UNIT 11

REVIEW: ABIOTIC VS. BIOTIC Abiotic Factors: Biotic Factors: Star those that are part of the Yellowstone community.

FOOD CHAIN VS FOOD WEB  Showing energy flow  Always unidirectional (one direction)

ENERGY PYRAMID

10% RULE  Only 10% of energy gets passed from one organism to the next  90% is lost as heat

FOOD CHAIN VS FOOD WEB

FOOD WEB INQUIRY Key Words Producers Primary Consumer Secondary Consumer Tertiary Consumer Herbivores Carnivores Omnivores In your notebook: Label the type of ecosystem  Draw out the food web  Label the producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumer (if necessary)  Draw an energy pyramid  Label the amount of energy at each level (follow the rule of 10%, assuming the sun is emitting 100,000 Joules of energy)

PRODUCERS Autotrophic Carry out photosynthesis (covert light energy to chemical energy) Contain the most energy

CONSUMERS Primary, secondary, tertiary Herbivores: Eat only plants Omnivores: Eat both animals and plants Carnivores: Eat only meat

DECOMPOSERS Also called detrivores Take energy from things that die

MAIN CONCEPT Energy flow is unidirectional (in one direction) Food web is made up of many food chains

TODAY AND TOMORROW -Independent Project (16 points) -Show effort and inquiry in the process -Do your best

ENERGY AND ECOLOGY UNIT 11

BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES (MATTER CYCLES) Hydrological (water) Carbon Nitrogen Hydrogen Phosphorous Sulfur MATTER IS CYCLED THROUGH THE BIOSPHERE!!