E C O L O G Y E D I T I O N

Unit standards: The student will investigate and understand dynamic equilibria within populations, communities, and ecosystems including a. interactions within and among populations including carrying capacity, limiting factors and growth curves; b. nutrient cycling with energy flow through ecosystems; c. succession patterns in ecosystems; d. the effects of natural events and human activities on ecosystems; e. analysis of the flora, fauna, and microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems. Standard 8

Unit 10: Essential Knowledge I can … recognize that populations are groups of individuals that live in the same place and the same time, compete for resources and reproduce. compare the different levels of organization in an ecosystem and the relationships between each level of an ecosystem. identify the carrying capacity of a population. identify the difference between exponential and logistic growth curves. explain how nutrients are distributed with in an ecosystem. describe the key components of the nitrogen cycle. describe how energy is exchanged between organisms. interpret a food chain and a food web. describe the difference between organisms at different trophic levels and how energy flows from one trophic level to the next. calculate how much energy will flow from one trophic level to the next. describe what succession is (including both primary and secondary) and illustrate how succession occurs within an ecosystem. describe what a pioneer species is. describe what a climax species/community is in general, and within Virginia. describe the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources and identify characteristics of sustainable development of natural resources. identify and describe examples of how humans impact populations and the environment.

Unit vocab : abiotic factors, autotroph biotic factors, carrying capacity, climax community, community, consumer, decomposer, ecosystem, exponential growth, extinction, heterotroph, population, producer, succession, symbiosis, trophic level

CURRENT TARGET: I can recognize that populations are groups of individuals that live in the same place and the same time, compete for resources and reproduce. HOMOLOGOUS CHROMOSOMES Pair of matching chromosomes, One being inherited from each parent.

CURRENT TARGET: I can compare the different levels of organization in an ecosystem and the various relationships between level of an organism

CURRENT TARGET: I can describe the difference between commensalism, mutualism and parasitism.

CURRENT TARGET: I can identify the carrying capacity of a population.

CURRENT TARGET: I can identify the difference between exponential and logistic growth curves.

CURRENT TARGET: I can explain how nutrients are distributed with in an ecosystem. Abiotic factors: nonliving parts of the environment (i.e. temperature, soil, light, moisture, air currents, salinity and pH) Biotic factors: all living organisms inhabiting the environment, including predators, food sources and competitors.

Abiotic or Biotic?

CURRENT TARGET: I can describe the key components of the nitrogen cycle.

Energy Pyramids Amount of available energy decreases for higher consumers It takes a large number of producers to support a small number of primary consumers It takes a large number of primary consumers to support a small number of secondary consumers 17 CURRENT TARGET: I can describe how energy is exchanged between organisms.

18 CURRENT TARGET: I can describe how energy is exchanged between organisms.

CURRENT TARGET: I can interpret a food chain and a food web. Food chain: simple model that shows how matter and energy move through an ecosystem Check point: Who is the producer? Who is a consumer?

CURRENT TARGET: I can interpret a food chain and a food web.

Food web: shows all possible feeding relationships in a community at each trophic level Represents a network of interconnected food chains CURRENT TARGET: I can interpret a food chain and a food web.

Food chainFood web (just 1 path of energy) (all possible energy paths) CURRENT TARGET: I can interpret a food chain and a food web.

Check point: Name the producers? Name the 1 o & 2 o consumers? Check point: Name the producers? Name the 1 o & 2 o consumers? CURRENT TARGET: I can interpret a food chain and a food web.

24 CURRENT TARGET: I can describe the difference between organisms at different trophic levels.

25 CURRENT TARGET: I can describe the difference between organisms at different trophic levels.

Trophic Levels Producers Producers- Autotrophs Primary Primary consumers- Herbivores Secondary Secondary consumers- small carnivores Tertiary Tertiary consumers- top carnivores Available energy & biomass decrease CURRENT TARGET: I can describe how energy flows from one trophic level to the next.

Producers Producers- Autotrophs Primary Primary consumers- Herbivores Secondary Secondary consumers- small carnivores Tertiary Tertiary consumers- top carnivores Available energy & biomass decrease How much energy gets passed through the trophic levels? Only 10% of the available energy gets passed upward to the next trophic level So how much energy is used at each trophic level??? CURRENT TARGET: I can describe how energy flows from one trophic level to the next.

Producers Producers- Autotrophs Primary Primary consumers- Herbivores Secondary Secondary consumers- small carnivores Tertiary Tertiary consumers- top carnivores Available energy & biomass decrease How much energy gets passed through the trophic levels? 100% 10% 1% 0.1% CURRENT TARGET: I can calculate how much energy will flow from one trophic level to the next.

Group project: Ecosystems of the world! Title About the ecosystem Identify at least eight biotic factors in the ecosystem Identify three abiotic factors in the ecosystem Create a food web with the eight native organisms Label primary producers, secondary, and tertiary consumers Label energy cycle Present in two class periods

ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION A predictable change in the sequence of species that establish in a particular area over time CURRENT TARGET: I can describe what succession is (including both primary and secondary) and I can illustrate how succession occurs within an ecosystem.

We will see something like this…. After something like this…. CURRENT TARGET: I can describe what succession is (including both primary and secondary) and I can illustrate how succession occurs within an ecosystem.

Primary Primary succession that occurs on surface is where no soil exists (Ex. after a volcanic eruption or when glaciers melt and rock becomes exposed.) CURRENT TARGET: I can describe what succession is (including both primary and secondary) and I can illustrate how succession occurs within an ecosystem.

Pioneer species Pioneer species: The first species to populate the area CURRENT TARGET: I can describe what a pioneer species is.

Lichen CURRENT TARGET: I can describe what a pioneer species is.

Secondary Secondary succession Succession following a disturbance that destroys a community without destroying the soil (Ex. after wildfires burn woodlands, or when farming land is abandoned.) CURRENT TARGET: I can describe what succession is (including both primary and secondary) and I can illustrate how succession occurs within an ecosystem.

A climax community occurs when succession slows down and a stable community is established. CURRENT TARGET: I can describe what a climax species/community is in general, and within Virginia.

Climax communities A climax community occurs when succession slows down and a stable community is established. CURRENT TARGET: I can describe what a climax species/community is in general, and within Virginia.

Climax community of Virginia – Deciduous Oak- Hickory (hardwood) forest CURRENT TARGET: I can describe what a climax species/community is in general, and within Virginia.

Checkpoint Can you describe the characteristics of a climax community in Virginia? CURRENT TARGET: I can describe what a climax species/community is in general, and within Virginia.

CURRENT TARGET: I can describe what succession is (including both primary and secondary) and I can illustrate how succession occurs within an ecosystem.

Pond Succession CURRENT TARGET: I can describe what succession is (including both primary and secondary) and I can illustrate how succession occurs within an ecosystem.

Virginia Ecosystem Chesapeake Bay watershed includes the majority of Virginia, it is Virginia’s greatest renewable resource. TODAY’S TARGET: I can describe what a climax species/community is in general, and within Virginia.

Virginia state bird Cardinal TODAY’S TARGET: I can describe what a climax species/community is in general, and within Virginia.

Virginia state flower Dogwood tree TODAY’S TARGET: I can describe what a climax species/community is in general, and within Virginia.

Population Growth 1. Exponential growth – J-curve 2. Logistic growth – S-curve

Things can affect population size: 1.Number of births 2.Number of deaths 3.Number of individuals that enter or leave the population

Exponential Growth If a population has abundant space and food, and is protected from predators and disease, then organisms in that population will multiply and the population size will increase. (abbreviated version) – populations will increase with unlimited resources at a constant rate! Exponential growth occurs when the individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate.

Exponential growth does not continue in natural populations for very long. The rate of population growth will begin to slow down. This does not mean that the size of the population has dropped. The population is still growing, but at a much slower rate.

What might cause population growth to stop or to slow down? Limited resources! Resources include food, water, shelter, mates.

Remember that even when the population growth is said to stop, the population is still rising and falling, but the ups and downs average out around a certain population size. (birth rate and death rate are the same) (emigration and immigration rate are the same)

Logistic Growth – S-curve Logistic growth occurs when a population’s growth slows or stops following a period of exponential growth

Carrying capacity is the number of organisms that can be supported by the resources in an ecosystem. What is happening to this population? Point where average growth rate reaches zero

Limiting factors are the components of the environment that restrict the growth of populations. Density- Dependent Factors A limiting factor that depends on population size Competition Predation Parasitism disease Density- Independent Factors A limiting factor that affects all populations regardless of population size Unusual weather Natural disasters Seasonal cycles Human activities

Human Impact on Earth As the human population increases, so does human impact on the environment. Human activities, such as reducing the amount of forest cover, increasing the amount and variety of chemicals released into the environment, and intensive farming, have changed the Earth’s land, oceans, and atmosphere. Some of these changes have decreased the capacity of the environment to support some life forms. TODAY’S TARGET: I can identify and describe examples of how humans impact populations and the environment.

CURRENT TARGET: I can describe the differences between renewable and non- renewable resources.

CURRENT TARGET: I can identify characteristics of sustainable development of natural resources.