LEVELS OF STUDY BIOSPHERE BIOME ECOSYTEM COMMUNITY POPULATION SPECIES ORGANISM ORGAN SYSTEM ORGAN TISSUE CELL MOLECULE ATOM (ELEMENTS)

ECOLOGY The study of the interactions of organisms with their physical environment.

Review What characteristics do all living things have in common? What are the major elements found in all living things? What is meant by the “physical environment”? What is meant by the “interactions”?

Ecology is studied on many levels Ecology is studied on many levels. BIOSPHERE BIOME ECOSYTEM COMMUNITY POPULATION SPECIES

Ecology is about “big picture” biology… The levels of life taken from the “top” down are…. Biosphere – the area around the planet that can support life.

2. Biome – group of ecosystems with the same climate and communities. 3. Ecosystem – all the organisms in a place and their physical environment. 4. Community – all the living populations interacting in a given area. 5. Population – a group of interbreeding organisms of the same species. 6. Species – a group of organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.

I. ECOSYSTEM Abiotic (nonliving) climate soil type oxygen light water A group of interacting living (biotic) organisms and the nonliving (abiotic) environment they inhabit. Examples of abiotic/biotic factors Abiotic (nonliving) climate soil type oxygen light water pH salt Biotic (living) eubacteria archaebacteria plants animals fungi protists

B. 3 types of ecological interactions abiotic-abiotic – interaction between two nonliving aspects of environment Ex) flooding causes a mudslide biotic-biotic – interaction between two living aspects of an environment Ex) competition – a climbing vine competes for sunlight with a tree abiotic-biotic – between living and nonliving Ex) a badger digs a large burrow in a hill

Types of biotic-biotic interactions Competition a) between different species b) between members of the same species Predator/Prey Symbiosis – association between two species over a long period of time

C. Ecosystems process matter and energy. Matter is recycled. b. Energy is transferred.

Matter is recycled Ecosystem interaction is evident in The water cycle NH2 Matter is recycled CO2 N2 CO2 H2O H2O Ecosystem interaction is evident in The water cycle The nitrogen cycle The carbon cycle The phosphorus cycle NO3 H2O H2O C6H12O6 C6H12O6 N2 H2O H2O H2O NH2 NH2 NH2 CO2 C6H12O6 H2O H2O NO3

Energy is transferred and “lost” as heat. Life energy first comes from the sun. All organisms use energy. Wait! Question! The First Law of Thermodynamics says “energy is neither created or destroyed” so.. how can energy be “lost”? During energy transfers, such as a rabbit getting food energy from earing grass, heat energy is released. Since living things cannot use heat energy to sustain themselves so it is “lost” to living systems.

Energy Roles in Ecosystems PRODUCERS make their own food from sunlight called autotrophs “self – feeding” plants, algae or phytoplankton (=“plant-like” protists), some bacteria CONSUMERS eat other organisms called heterotrophs “other-feeding” animals, fungi, protozoans or zooplankton (= “animal-like” protists), some bacteria

CONSUMERS A. TYPES 1) Herbivore (eat plants) 2) Carnivore (eat animals) 3) Omnivore (eat both) Consumers of “dead” things (may be herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores): Scavengers Decomposers (return nutrients to soil) Detritivores (aquatic decomposers) * play a role in recycling matter

producers 1st consumers Food Chain trophic levels 2nd level consumers 4th level consumers 3rd level consumers 2nd level consumers 1st consumers producers

What are protists, what is plankton? Protists are (mostly) microscopic organisms that have characteristics that do not neatly place them in other kingdoms. (Not quite plants, animals or fungi….) Zooplankton (also known as Protozoans) are heterotrophic protists that live in water environments. Phytoplankton (also known as Algae) are autotrophic protists that live in water environments.

Energy Pyramid

Food Web -a diagram that shows all the energy transfers in a community.

Pyramids of Numbers, Biomass and Energy Pyramid of numbers Compares the number of organisms at each trophic level. Pyramid of biomass Compares the mass of biological material at each trophic level. Pyramid of energy Compares the amount of energy passing through each trophic level.

What 3 names could we give the role these wild turkeys have in their ecosystem?

Pictures for Pond Life Food Web Algae Water strider eats algae