Ecology

Ecology Study of organisms and their environment Biosphere: -portion of earth that supports life -Bio meaning life; Sphere meaning ball shaped

Two major factors Biotic Factors- living factors in an organism’s environment Ex. Frogs, fish, algae, tree Abiotic Factors- Non-living factors in an organism’s environment Ex. Sunlight, rainfall, temperature, air, soil

Ecology Habitat- Area where an organism lives Ex. A part of a tree, hole in the ground

List 3 Biotic Factors, 2 Abiotic Factors, 1 habitat

Hierarchy of Life (Recall) Cells Tissues Organs Organ System Organism

Levels of Organization Organism Population Community Ecosystem Biome Biosphere

Population Group of the SAME species living in a common area. Ex. Population of Lions or Zebras

Community A group of living things (Biotic) interacting with each other in a common area

Ecosystem A community of living organisms (Biotic) interacting with the non-living factors (Abiotic) in the same environment.

Biome Areas with similar types of communities and same climates, including temperature and precipitation. 9 Major Biomes -Tundra -Boreal Forest(Taiga) -Temperate Deciduous -Temperate Woodland Forest -Temperate Grassland –Desert -Savanna -Tropical Seasonal Forest -Tropical Rain Forest

Studying the interaction between living things in an ecosystem [What Ecology is all about]

What’s your role? Niche - the role or position an organism has in it’s environment - how an organism meets it’s needs for food, shelter, or reproduction Producer- Produce their energy Consumer- Consume others for energy Decomposer-Decompose (Breakdown) dead/decaying fragments

Types of Interaction Competition- more than one organism uses one resource at one time Predation- One organism consuming another. Predator/prey relationship Symbiosis- relationship that exist when two or more species live together

Types of Symbiosis (Relationships) Mutualism- relationship where organisms benefit from each other Commensalism- relationship where one organism benefits and the other neither benefits or harmed Parasitism-relationship where one benefits on the expense of the other

Mutualism Acacia Tree and Ant

Commensalism Remora Fish/ Shark

Parasitism Wasp and Caterpillar

Discover Streaming http://app.discoveryeducation.com/search?Ntt=symbiotic+relationships Types of interactions within ecosystems

Flow of Energy in an Ecosystem

Energy in an ecosystem Organisms are classified based on how they obtain energy Autotroph: organism that obtains nutrients from the sunlight or inorganic substances to produce energy Example: Plants go through Photosynthesis Sunlight Glucose

Heterotroph: organisms that obtain nutrients through consuming other organisms Example: Animals go through Cellular Respiration Glucose ATP

Types of Heterotrophs Herbivore- eats plants Carnivore- eats meats Omnivore- eats both meats and plants Detritivore- eat fragments of dead matter in an ecosystem and return it back to the soil, air, or water as nutrients for other organisms to use

Flow of Energy Models 1st Tropic Level are considered the Producers. Food Web or Food Chains used to illustrate the flow of energy through an ecosystem Each step in a food web or food chain is a tropic level 1st Tropic Level are considered the Producers. Why???

2nd tropic level is considered the primary consumer 3rd trophic level is considered the secondary consumer 4th trophic level is considered the tertiary consumer

Food Chain Simple model that shows the flow of energy through an ecosystem

Food Web A model representing the many food chains and pathways in which energy flows through a group of organisms

Energy Pyramids

Energy Pyramids They tell us 4 things about each trophic level: The amount of energy -90% of the original energy is lost through heat energy or processes inside the organism The niche -Producers, Primary consumers, etc. Biomass -total mass of living matter Population size

Energy Pyramid

Create your own energy pyramid Only 3 levels Include: Name of organism, niche, amount of energy at the level

Is a perfect ecosystem attainable? Can we be balanced in a community? Population Growth

Climax Community The stable, mature community that results when there is little change in the composition of species Unlikely to achieve because of: Limiting Factors Density independent/dependent Factors Carrying Capacity Succession

Population Density Number of organisms per unit in an area Population Growth Emigration- # of individuals moving AWAY from a population Immigration- # of individuals moving INTO a population

The J-Curve The growth of the population accelerates There is no limit on the population……..yet Exponential Growth

What stops the Growth of a population/community?

Limiting Factors Any abiotic or biotic factor that restricts the numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms Ex. Sunlight, Climate, Temperature (Abiotic Factors) Plants, animals (Biotic Factors)

Limiting Factors 2 types of limiting factors a) Density-independent Factors b) Density-dependent Factors

A. (Population) Density-independent Factors Any factor that does NOT depend on the number of members in a population. -Ex. Flooding, drought, extreme heat, tornadoes, fire This will lead to succession

Ecological Succession The change in an ecosystem occurring when one community replaces another as a result of changing abiotic and biotic factors 2 Types

Ecological Succession Primary Succession- establishment of a community in an area of exposed rock that does not have any topsoil. Pioneer Species- first organisms that appear when the area beings to establish -Ex. Lichens, mosses -Help to create soil by secreting acids that help to break down rocks.

Lichens An important pioneer species in primary succession

Secondary Succession- orderly and predictable change that takes place after a community of organism has been removed but the soil has remained intact. EX. Plowing of a field

Primary Succession

Secondary Succesion

B) Density-Dependent Factors Any factor that DOES depend on the number of members in a population -Ex. Predation, disease (High pop. = transmission easily), parasites, and competition (As competition increases, resources such as food or space decreases, or becomes limited)

Wolf vs. Moose The growth depends on the others population

Carrying Capacity The maximum number of individuals in a species that an environment can support for the long term.

The S-Curve Rate of population growth begins to slow down because you are reaching carrying capacity. Logistic Growth

Carrying Capacity Graphs What is the carrying capacity?

Carrying Capacity What is the carrying capacity?

Carrying Capacity What is the carrying capacity?

3-2-1 3 Limiting factors (Abiotic or biotic) 2 Types of Succession 1 Pioneer Species Pg 62-64

4 Main Cycles

Water Cycle Evaporation-90% of water vapor evaporates from oceans, lakes and rivers Transpiration-10% of water is Evaporated from the surface of Plants. Condensation- changing water vapor into a liquid form Precipitation- Rain

The Water Cycle

The Carbon and Oxygen Cycle Carbon released in three ways: Combustion and burning of fossil fuels Decay and decomposition of organisms Respiration Carbon taken out of air through: 1)Photosynthesis

The Carbon and Oxygen Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle Nitrogen Fixation- Process of capture and conversion of nitrogen into a form that is useable by plants Denitrification- Soil bacteria convert fixed nitrogen compounds back into nitrogen gas, which make it useable by plants

Nitrogen Cycle

Phosphorus Cycle Two cycles: Short term-Cycled from soil to producer to consumer to decomposer to soil Long term-weathering or erosion of rocks add phosphorus back into the environment -Through precipitation and sedimentation, rocks are formed through this process.

Phosphorus Cycle