Let’s Remember… Certain characteristics apply to all living things: 1. Made of one or more cells 2. Display organization 3. Grow and develop 4. Reproduce 5. Respond to stimuli 6. Require energy 7. Maintain homeostasis 8. Adaptations evolve over time

Let’s Remember… All living things have levels of organization: Nucleotide  DNA  chromosome  nucleus  Cell AND Cell  Tissues  Organs  Organ Systems  Organisms AND Organism  Population  Community  Ecosystem  Biome  Biosphere

Ecology and our World Ecology The study of interactions between living things and their environment Levels in Ecology 1. Organism A single member of a species 2. Population A group of individuals of a single species that live in the same area at the same time. 3. Community A group of interacting populations. 4. Ecosystem A biological community and all of the abiotic factors that affect it. 5. Biome A large area that is characterized by certain soil, climates, plants, or animals. 6. Biosphere The portion of Earth that supports life.

Ecosystem Interactions All living factors in an organism’s environment 1. Biotic Factors 2. Abiotic Factors The non-living factors in an organism’s environment Ex. Temp., soil type, pH, air and water currents, sunlight, rainfall The natural home or environment of an organism 3. Habitat 4. Niche The role or position an organism has in it’s environment. (job) (How an organism meets its needs for food, shelter, and reproduction)

Community Interactions Competition Occurs when more than one organism uses resources at the same time Situation leaves winners and losers. Ex: food, water, space, light Inter-specific: Between different species Intra-specific: Between the same species Predation Pursuing and consuming another organism

Prey- Deer Predator- Coyote -What causes the prey population to increase? A decrease in Predators -Why is the predator line consistently below the prey line? Limited resources Why does the prey population tend to level off around the same number each cycle. Carrying capacity

Symbiotic Relationships 1. Mutualism Both individuals benefit. (+,+) 2. Commensalism One is helped, one is neither helped or harmed. (+,0) 3. Parasitism One is helped, the other is harmed. Ex: lice, ticks, mosquitoes, mistletoe, tapeworm (+,-) hornworm caterpillar and the braconid wasp

Symbiotic Relationships Practice

How do organisms interact? Autotrophs (Producers) - organisms that make (produce) their own energy, and are food for other organisms. Heterotrophs (Consumers) - organisms that have to eat other organisms (consume) for their energy

Consumers come in a wide variety Herbivores - Organisms that eat only plant material. Carnivores - Organisms that eat only other animals. Omnivores - Organisms that eat both plant and animal. Detrivores - Organisms that eat “dead matter” (earthworms) Decomposers - Organisms that break down dead organic matter (fungi and bacteria) Scavengers - Organisms that ingest other dead organisms (buzzards and vultures).

Each Level In A Food Chain or Food Web is a Trophic Level. Trophic Levels Each Level In A Food Chain or Food Web is a Trophic Level. Producers (autotrophs) Always The First Trophic Level How Energy Enters The System

Trophic Levels Consumers (herbivore, Omnivore, Carnivore) Primary Consumer/ 2nd Trophic Level: eats the producers Secondary Consumer/ 3rd Trophic Level: eats primary consumer Tertiary Consumer/ 4th Trophic Level: eats secondary consumer Quaternary Consumer/ 5th Trophic Level: eats tertiary consumer

Who eats whom? Food Chain a series of steps showing what each organism eats in an ecosystem. The arrows represent the transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next. Food Chain Tertiary Consumer Secondary Consumer 3 1 Primary Consumer 2 4 Quaternary Consumer Producer (converts radiant energy into chemical energy)

Feeding Relationships A food chain shows a simple feeding relationship. All food chains start with the sun

carbon dioxide from the air energy from sunlight (or light) water from the roots food transported to the rest of the plant

Photosynthesis carbon dioxide from the air energy from sunlight (or light) water from the roots food transported to the rest of the plant

Feeding Relationships A food chain shows a simple feeding relationship. Sun → grass →

Feeding Relationships A food chain shows a simple feeding relationship. Sun → grass → rabbit →

Feeding Relationships A food chain shows a simple feeding relationship. Sun → grass → rabbit → fox

All food chains start with ENERGY from the sun

Because plants produce their own food, they are called ‘Producers’

The energy is then passed on to animals when they eat the plant.

Animals of all shapes…

…and sizes!

They are called primary consumers Because these animals are the first to take the food energy from the plants, They are called primary consumers

Some of these primary consumers have predators Some of these primary consumers have predators. Other animals that feed on them

Aphids are eaten by….

Ladybugs

Animals that eat primary consumers are called secondary consumers

So far this is a straightforward food chain Sun → leaves → aphid → ladybugs But in reality it is more complicated than that

This bird eats ladybugs and aphids

This bird eats smaller birds, mice, and rabbits

Mice and rabbits have other predators

What do you think the frog eats? What will eat the frog? What do you think the frog eats?

Sometimes it’s not entirely clear who is eating whom!

We can show what goes on with the help of a Food Web a diagram linking several food chains in an ecosystem

What would happen if a disease killed off many of the hawks?

There will be nothing to eat the snakes, so their numbers will increase.

All the frogs get eaten

No frogs. More crickets

Most of the cattail gets eaten by the crickets

Now the crickets don’t have enough food so their numbers go down

..and so on. Numbers of each species have an effect on the numbers of the other species in the web.

Use the food web to predict what might happen in the following situations: There is very little rain and much of the Marsh Grass and Cattail die off. Humans nearby bring cats into the area. The frogs eats some poisoned slugs from a garden

The population of frogs would ______________. Exit Ticket On a yellow piece of paper, infer what would happen to the population of frogs if the population of foxes decreased due to disease. The population of frogs would ______________.

Ecology Notes Part 2 Ecological Pyramids Population Ecology Succession Cycles in Nature Biomes

Energy Pyramid - each transition shows the amount of energy retained from one level to the next. 10% Rule: Only 10% of the energy from food is actually incorporated into running cell processes! 90% of energy is lost to the atmosphere as heat from one level to the next.

Numbers Pyramid Each level shows the number of individuals in each trophic level Loss of energy helps explain why there are fewer organisms in each higher trophic level

Biomass Pyramid each level in the pyramid shows the total mass available at each trophic level

Factors that effect a biological community Limiting Factor Climax Community Any factor that restricts the numbers, reproduction, or distribution of an organism Ex. Food, space, water, climate A stable, mature community that results when there is little change in factors. Tolerance Carrying Capacity The ability of an organism to survive when dealing with negative factors. The largest number of a species that an environment can support long term.

Population Ecology Graphs Can a population continue to grow exponentially forever? What are some things that effect carrying capacity?

Cycles in Nature Biogeochemical Cycles The exchange or movement of matter through the biosphere. These cycles involve: - Living organisms (bio) - Geological processes (geo) - Chemical processes (chemical)

Cycles in Nature Water Cycle - shows the different stages that water goes through in ecology

Carbon Cycle Carbon, in the form of CO2, is recycled quickly through living organisms during photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Carbon enters a long-term cycle when it is buried underground and converted to fossil fuels.

Nitrogen Cycle The largest concentration of nitrogen is found in the atmosphere but plants and animals cannot directly use atmospheric nitrogen. Nitrogen fixation is a process of capturing and converting nitrogen into a form that is useable by plants. Bacteria Lightning Fertilizer Denitrification is a process where some soil bacteria convert fixed nitrogen compounds back into nitrogen gas to be released back into the atmosphere.

Carbon Cycle and Nitrogen Cycle Coloring You may use any colors you choose as long as you color your key correctly. Color the words in the reading the same color as your picture. Underline all of vocabulary words from the word wall that you find in the reading.

Ecosystems are constantly changing. Succession is the change in an ecosystem that happens when one community replaces another as a result of changing biotic and abiotic factors. Primary succession: happens in an area that has NO soil and happens very slowly. NEW growth The pioneer species will be lichen and mosses. The pioneer species will help to create new soil.

Ecosystems are constantly changing. Secondary succession: Happens when an established population is disrupted by things like fire, flood, or windstorm Regrowth; happens more quickly The pioneer species will be small plants and animals.

Succession Comparison Draw a Three column t-chart: Primary Succession Both Secondary Succession Place the following statements under the correct heading: Pioneer species Fire Lichen Volcanic eruption Changes over time Volcanic island formation New growth Flood Regrowth Glaciation No soil Some soil

Exit Ticket Describe the main difference between primary and secondary succession.

Succession Drawings

Biodiversity Biodiversity: the variety of living things in an area. Increases the stability of an ecosystem Contributes to the health of the biosphere

Threats to Biodiversity Overexploitation Habitat Loss Fragmentation of Habitat (edge effect) Pollution (biomagnification) Introduced Species

Biomes Foldable