What is Ecology?

What is Ecology?? The study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment.

Habitat & Niche Habitat is the place an organism lives Niche is an organism’s total way of life

The Nonliving Environment Abiotic factors- the nonliving parts of an organism’s environment. Examples include air currents, temperature, moisture, light, and soil.

The Living Environment Biotic factors -all the living organisms that inhabit an environment. All organisms depend on others directly or indirectly for food, shelter, reproduction, or protection.

Abiotic or Biotic? Biotic

Abiotic or Biotic? Abiotic

Abiotic or Biotic? Abiotic

Abiotic or Biotic? Biotic

DO NOW Put these words in order: Paragraph Words Sentences Chapters Book

Levels of Organization

What are the Simplest Levels? Atom Molecule Organelle Cell Tissue Organ Organ System Organism

1st Level of Organization Organism: An individual living thing that is made of cells, uses energy, reproduces, responds, grows, and develops

2nd Level of Organization Population: A group of organisms, all of the same species, which interbreed and live in the same place at the same time.

3rd Level of Organization Biological Community: All the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time.

4th Level of Organization Ecosystem: Populations of plants and animals that interact with each other in a given area with the abiotic components of that area. (terrestrial or aquatic)

5th Level of Organization Biosphere: The portion of Earth that supports life. Air, Land, and Water

What level of organization? Organism

What level of Organization? Community

What level of Organization? Population

DO NOW List an example of an abiotic factor and a biotic factor in an ecosystem. Put these words in the correct order Organism Tissue Cells Organ system

Food Chains and Food Webs What is the difference?

What does a food chain represent? A flow of energy!!

Ecological (Energy) Pyramid

Ecological Pyramid

Transfer of Energy When a zebra eats the grass, it does not obtain all of the energy the grass has (much of it is not digested) When a lion eats a zebra, it does not get all of the energy from the zebra (much of it is lost as heat)

Transfer of Energy The two (2) previous examples of energy transfer show that no organism EVER receives all of the energy from the organism they just ate Only 10% of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next – this is called the 10% law

Biomass The total mass of the organic matter at each trophic level is called biomass Biomass is just another term for potential energy – energy that is to be eaten and used.

Biomass

Trophic Levels Energy moves from one organisms to another when it is eaten Each step in this transfer of energy is known as a trophic level

Trophic Levels Producers -- Organisms that make their own energy (autotroph) Primary Consumers – eat autotrophs (producers) Secondary Consumers – eat the primary consumers Tertiary Consumers – eat the secondary consumers Decomposers – bacteria and fungi that break down dead organisms and recycle the material back into the environment

Food Web

Food Web Notice that the direction the arrow points  the arrow points in the direction of the energy transfer, NOT “who ate who”

Food Web

Ecological Pyramid Which level has the most energy? Which level has the most organisms? Which level has the least organisms? Which level has the least energy?

DO NOW Why do predictions about changes in an ecosystem have a high degree of uncertainty?

Population Density Number of organisms in an area of a specific size. Fifty mice, 2500 grasshoppers, and ten rabbits live in an area 1 km². What is the population density of rabbits? 10 rabbits per km²

Limiting Factor Any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the number of individuals.

Carrying Capacity The largest number of individuals a habitat can support and maintain for a long period of time.

Symbiosis Any close relationship between living organisms. Is this always beneficial? No, sometimes only one benefits and the other is harmed.

Commensalism a relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is not affected Example: Barnacles on a whale

Mutualism a relationship in which both organisms benefit from each other Example: Birds eating pest off a rhino’s back

Parasitism A relationship in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed Example: Ticks on a https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSmL2F1t81Q&nohtml5=False https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8&nohtml5=False

DO NOW What is symbiosis? Are all relationships beneficial to all organisms? What are the three types of symbiosis?

Ecological Succession A change in the community in which new populations of organisms gradually replace existing ones 1. Primary Succession – occurs in an area where there is no soil. The first community to move into the new environment is called the pioneer community.

Secondary Succession Secondary Succession – occurs in an area that had soil and was once the home of living organisms, but was destroyed.

Climax Community A community that is stable and has a great diversity of organisms. The area has reached the final stages of ecological succession and is no longer changing unless something drastic occurs such as a fire.

Can you make a food web showing the feeding relationships between the following arctic organisms? Wolf Caribou, musk oxen, arctic hares, lemmings, arctic fox Caribou Plants (grass and lichen) Lemming Plants (berries, lichens, seeds) Arctic fox Lemmings, hares, Polar bear Seals, lemmings, arctic fox Arctic hare Plants (willow) Musk oxen Plants (grass, lichen, willow)

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/food/food_menu.html

Do Now What would happen to the deer population if there were no predators? What affect would this have on the predators? Deer population would increase

Objective To graph and determine the relationship between predator and prey.

+200 -140 -116 -150 -126 -52 +46 +20 +30

Do Now – (To be collected) What is the relationship between predator and prey?

Balance of Nature population equilibrium among organisms and their environments resulting from continuous interaction and interdependency Wolves in Yellowstone park http://weloveanimals.me/released-14-wolves-park-no-one-prepared-unbelievable-nature11/