Ecology Today you will learn: What is ecology? Where energy for life comes from and how the energy flows through the system. What are biogeochemical cycles. Ecology

I. What is Ecology? Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment. 1. The Biosphere is the name for the part of the planet that includes living things, including the land, air, and water.

Organizing the Biosphere The Biosphere is divided into categories: 1. Species 2. Populations 3. Communities 4. Ecosystem 5. Biome

Species A species is a group of organisms that are similar genetically and are able to reproduce fertile offspring. a. Grizzly Bear= Ursus arctus horribilis Polar Bear = Ursus maritimus

Populations D. Populations are groups of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area.

Communities E. Communites refer to groups of many types of different populations that live in the same area.

Ecosystem The ecosystem refers to all of the living organisms that lives in a particular environment with particular non-living things. 1. Michigan’s ecosystem: Lakes, dirt, deciduous trees, squirrels, temperate climate, etc.

Biomes G. A biome is a group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities.

II. Obtaining Energy At the core of every organisms interaction with the environment is its need for energy to power life’s processes. All life gets their energy from the sun!

Producers Producers are the types of organisms that get their energy from sunlight or chemical from Earth. 1. A.k.a. Autotrophs 2. Plants, some algae, and some bacteria.

Producers Photosynthesis: Convert sunlight and Carbon Dioxide to form Carbohydrates (energy) and Oxygen. a. CO2 + H2O  C6H12 O6 + O2 Chemosynthesis: Convert chemicals into carbohydrates for energy. a. These organisms live in environments where there isn’t any sunlight.

Consumers Consumers are organisms that rely on other organisms for their energy and food supply. 1. A.k.a Heterotrophs

Types of Consumers Types of Consumers: a. Herbivores- Plant eaters b. Carnivores- Meat eaters c. Omnivores- Eats both plants and meat d. Detritivores- Eat waste (dead plants and animals) Ex: Crabs, worms, snails, mites e. Decomposers- Break down organic matter Ex: Termites and fungi

III. Flow of Energy Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction: Sun  Autotophs  Heterotrophs

Food Web B. A food web refers to the complex network of the energy flow in an ecosystem. Trophic level is the name for each step in the food chain or web. 2. 10 % of the energy is transferred from one level to the next.

Food Chain C. A food chain is a series of steps in which energy is being transferred by eating and getting eaten.

III. Biogeochemical Cycle The flow of chemicals through the ecosystem. 1. The water cycle 2. The carbon cycle 3. The nitrogen cycle