Bell Ringer Turn in homework to bin. What is the photosynthesis equation? Identify four biotic items. Define decomposer & radiant energy. What was easiest for you on the test yesterday? What was hardest for you on the test yesterday?

Four Square Ecology

Ecology

WHAT IS ECOLOGY? Ecology- the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments, focusing on energy transfer Ecology is a science of relationships What do you think about when I say ecology? Recycling? Acid rain?

Questions to consider… How do leaf-eating insects affect the growth of a tree? How does spraying pesticides affect the water? What do weather patterns affect bird migration?

Biosphere Ecosystem Community Population Organism Just like with classification, ecology is hierarchal. Each level builds on itself and they fit together like nesting boxes. Population Organism

Biosphere – part of Earth where all life exists. - Organisms are not equally distributed in the biosphere. - The highest level of organization Lets review. Organisms make up populations, populations make up communities, communities and abiotic factors make up ecosystems, and all of the ecosystems make up the biosphere. From one to many and each depending on the other.

Ecosystem – All living & non-living parts in a given area.

Community – All the living organisms in an ecosystem. Next level is a community which is several populations living together and depending on each other. What does interdependent mean? An example of a community is shown here with the bear and the salmon. They both live in a common environment and the bear needs the fish for food? How does the salmon need the bear?

POPULATION a group of organisms of one species living in the same place at the same time that interbreed Produce fertile offspring Compete with each other for resources (food, mates, shelter, etc.) The next level is a population. A population consists of a single species living together and breeding. Give me an example of a population. Ex. large mouth bass living in Lake Meade. Beetles living under the same log. Here we have salmon spwning and two bears fishing.

Habitat vs. Niche Niche – an organism’s job or way of life Habitat- the place in which an organism lives out its life Although several species may share a habitat they each have their own niche. A niche is a very narrow range where a species fits within a habitat.

Describe what you would find in each level of organization listed below Biosphere: Ecosystem: Community: Population: Habitat: Niche:

Transfer of Energy Organisms are either… 1. Producers  make their own food 2. Consumers  cannot make their own food so they must eat food. How do they trap the sun’s energy? Through what process? What is that process similar to in animal cells?

Consumers can be… Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores, Decomposers Energy moves up the food chain through the producer/consumer relationship.

Trophic Levels: feeding levels in an ecosystem Producer: makes their own food using energy from the sun Occurs in a process called photosynthesis Also called autotrophs

Primary consumers  eat the producers. Herbivore – eats only plants Secondary Consumers  eats primary consumers Tertiary Consumer  eats secondary consumers Secondary & Tertiary Consumers may be… Omnivores or Carnivores Scavengers  eat dead organisms. Ex = buzzard, hyenas, & crayfish

What happens when the top organisms dies??

Decomposers Bacteria & fungi that break down the dead plant & animal tissue and return nutrients to the soil.

Make your own food chain! Show what happens when the top consumer dies.

Rule of 10 Algae  Minnow  Bream  Bass  Bacteria 25,000kC 2,500kC 250kC 25kC 2.5kC Rule of 10: Only 10% of energy passes to the next feeding/trophic level. Where does the other 90% go?

Show the rule of 10 on your food chain Show the rule of 10 on your food chain. Start with your producer having 1,000,000 J of Sunlight!

Food Web: Interconnected food chains; more complex

Food chain Food web (just 1 path of energy) (all possible energy paths)

Energy Pyramid: Represents the amount of energy in a food chain

Food Chains, Webs, & Pyramids If not finished in class must be done as homework!

Bell Ringer What is the squirrel considered? What happens if I remove the grasshopper from the food web? How are an ecosystem & a community related? What is the rule of 10?

Bell Ringer What is the relationship between a community & a population? What happens if I remove the grasshopper from the food web? Can matter/energy be created or destroyed? What is the rule of 10? Calculate the energy % lost from the grass -> grasshopper -> wolf.

Trophic Levels Biomass- the amount of organic matter comprising a group of organisms in a habitat. As you move up a food chain, both available energy and biomass decrease. Energy is transferred upwards but is diminished with each transfer.

Bell Ringer Turn in your Human Impacts Web Quest State the difference between an ecosystem and a community. Identify the levels of organization from most broad to most specific. What is the difference between a habitat and a niche?

Bell Ringer State the difference between an ecosystem and a community. Identify the levels of organization from most broad to most specific. What is the difference between a habitat and a niche? Draw and label the water cycle.

Biosphere Ecosystem Community Population Organism Just like with classification, ecology is hierarchal. Each level builds on itself and they fit together like nesting boxes. Population Organism

Identify main idea, North Carolina Example, and draw a picture Gallery Walk Identify main idea, North Carolina Example, and draw a picture

Feeding Relationships There are 3 main types of feeding relationships 1. Producer - Consumer 2. Predator - Prey 3. Parasite - Host How do they trap the sun’s energy? Through what process? What is that process similar to in animal cells?

Symbiotic Relationships Symbiosis- two species living together 3 Types of symbiosis: 1. Commensalism 2. Parasitism 3. Mutualism Cleaning shrimp

Symbiotic Relationships Commensalism- one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped Ex. orchids on a tree Epiphytes: A plant, such as a tropical orchid or a bromeliad, that grows on another plant upon which it depends for mechanical support but not for nutrients. Also called xerophyte, air plant.

Symbiotic Relationships Commensalism- one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped Ex. polar bears and cyanobacteria You can see here that this polar bear is no longer white.

Symbiotic Relationships Parasitism- one species benefits (parasite) and the other is harmed (host) Parasite-Host relationship

Symbiotic Relationships Parasitism- parasite-host Ex. lampreys, leeches, fleas, ticks, tapeworm

Symbiotic Relationships Mutualism- beneficial to both species Ex. cleaning birds and cleaner shrimp The Egyptian plover takes insects from the backs of buffaloes, giraffes and rhinos. The plover has also been observed taking leeches from the open mouths of crocodiles! In this association the plover receives a supply of food and the other animal rids itself of unwelcome pests

= 1 species Type of relationship Species harmed Species benefits Species neutral Commensalism Parasitism Mutualism = 1 species

Trial of Life Video

Identify the relationship Next to the description identify if the relationship is mutualism, parasitism, or commensalism.

Closure: Which is Which? Lion kills a zebra & eats until full. Once lion leaves a vulture comes & eats the remains. Shark swims & pilot fish swims underneath for protection. A leech on your skin. Plover bird cleans alligators teeth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q67y6-ybktY

Habitat vs. Niche Examples of limiting factors - Amount of water Amount of food Temperature Amount of space Availability of mates Although several species may share a habitat they each have their own niche. A niche is a very narrow range where a species fits within a habitat.