Principles of Ecology

What is ecology? Ecology: study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment

Habitat vs. Niche Habitat: place where organism lives Niche: role or position a species has in its environment

Symbiosis: interactions between 2 species “living together” Mutualism: both benefits Commensalism: one benefits, the other unaffected Parasitism: one benefits, one is harmed Predation: one benefits, one dies

Mutualism Clownfish is protected, while providing a lure for the anemone. Some say that this relationship can be commensalistic.

Get food and pollination of flowers!!

Commensalism

Parasitism Head lice

Predation: is the interaction between two species in which one species uses another species as food.

Symbiotic Relationships worksheet!

How do organisms obtain energy? Autotroph (producer): photosynthetic or chemosynthetic, makes own food Heterotroph (consumer): “eat” other organisms, cannot make own food

Heterotroph Consumers are not all alike: Herbivores eat only plants- primary consumers or 1st order consumers Carnivores eat only animals- secondary, tertiary, quaternary consumers or 2nd, 3rd, 4th order consumers Omnivores eat both plants and animals. Detritivores eat dead or decaying organic matter- scavengers. Decomposers are detritivores that break down organic matter into simpler compounds. They recycle!

Autotrophphotosynthesis

Heterotrophs - herbivores consume only vegetative matter mostly primary consumers. Or 1st Order Consumers.

Heterotrophs - carnivores obtain energy from eating other consumers Secondary, tertiary and quaternary consumers 2nd, 3rd, 4th Order Consumers

Heterotrophs - omnivores obtain energy from eating producers and consumers

Typical examples: fungus and bacteria Decomposers Typical examples: fungus and bacteria

Heterotrophs – Detritivores (scavengers) Scavengers: feed off of dead or decaying living things but do not recycle matter back into the ecosystem

Food chain shows how matter and energy move through an ecosystem (one route) berries → mice → black bear Starter 26

Food web shows interactions between organisms (all possible routes) Contains Multiple Food Chains

Food web activity-yarn!

1. Label each of the organisms either as producers, primary, secondary tertiary or quaternary consumers, carnivores, herbivores and predators in this food web. Copy food web in your notebook 2. Analyze the food web and Explain the balance that is upset when a major predator is removed from an ecosystem.

Deer-wolf population LAB work in class if not finish it is homework!

Use foldable to take notes and add to the side whatever doesn’t fit in the foldable

Energy pyramid Pyramid of Energy Heat 0.1% Consumers Heat 1% Consumers Shows how much energy is available at each trophic (energy) level 10% Consumers Heat Heat Parasites, scavengers, and decomposers feed at each level. Starter 25

Energy Pyramids Show As you go up you lose 90 % of energy energy transferred Heat As you go up you lose 90 % of energy Only 10 percent of energy is carried over

Energy Pyramid

Number pyramid- A pyramid of numbers shows the numbers of individual organisms at each trophic level in an ecosystem. A vast number of producers are required to support even a few top level consumers

Biomass pyramid Biomass is the total weight of living matter at each trophic level Or Biomass is a measure of the total dry mass of organisms in a given area. mass

Water cycle Carbon cycle Nitrogen cycle Four cycles in nature Phosphorus cycle

Water cycle: The hydrologic, or water, cycle is the circular pathway of water on Earth. Organisms all have bodies made mostly of water

Carbon Cycle Carbon is the building block of life. The carbon cycle moves carbon from the atmosphere, through the food web, and back to the atmosphere. Carbon is emitted during the burning of fossil fuels. Some carbon is stored for long periods of time in areas called carbon sinks. Or use starter #35 on scientificminds.com – Don’t forget to include/ introduce photosynthesis and cellular respiration and how matter(carbon) is cycled through the environment.

Nitrogen cycle The nitrogen cycle mostly takes place underground Some bacteria convert gaseous nitrogen into ammonia through a process called nitrogen fixation. Some nitrogen-fixing bacteria live in nodules on the roots of plants; others live freely in soil. Might want to use the black and green powerpoint from 2013-2014 in order to really show how the nitrogen cycle works and include all of the abiotic factors that play a role in this cycle. Or use starter #36 on scientificminds.com

Nitrogen cycle cont. Ammonia released into the soil is transformed into ammonium. Nitrifying bacteria change the ammonium into nitrate. Nitrogen moves through the food web and returns to the soil during decomposition.