Ecological Relationships

Ecology Is the study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment

Levels of Organization Species-> Populations-> Communities-> Ecosystem-> Biome-> Biosphere Small-> Large

Food Chains A group of organisms involved in a linear relationship Producer-> First Order Consumer (Primary)-> 2nd Order Consumer (Secondary)-> 3rd Order Consumer (tertiary or top) i.e.- grain-> mouse-> snake-> eagle Straight line of energy flow

Food Web A group of food chains that show all the relationships between producers and consumers in a specific community

These organisms are indicators in a community (major producers and consumers) Herbivores- feed solely on plants Carnivores-eat meat Omnivores-feed on both Decomposers- feed on dead/ decaying; ex: fungi, bacteria, worms

Definitions Producer- Autotroph; any plant specimen capable of capturing light energy and turning it into chemical energy. Occurs in the chloroplasts of plant cells

Photosynthesis Equation= 6 CO2 + 6 H2O  C6H12O6 + 6 O2 Carbon dioxide + water  glucose + oxygen Glucose- fuel used by cells to create energy

Consumer- Heterotrophs; organisms that are capable of feeding on producers or other consumers. The further away (higher order consumer) the consumer is from the energy source (producer), the less energy is available for life processes 90% of energy transferred to each higher level of the food chain is lost to heat or decomposition

The Energy Pyramid Shows the relationship between the different trophic levels in an ecosystem Trophic levels- energy levels in the pyramid that represent the different orders of consumers and producers. These levels get smaller as you work your way up the pyramid 10% Rule- only ten percent of the energy that is available for each level is actually converted into the biomass of that level Biomass- overall mass of the organisms in a certain level

Ecosystems can change…. Ecological Succession-is the observed process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzE6BNNLew0 Primary Succession- succession that occurs on totally uninhabited areas (no plants, no soil) Pioneer Species- first species to exist; ex: mosses/lichens Secondary Succession- succession that occurs in an area that was previously inhabited (usually occurs due to natural disaster)