Objective 3 Ecology

The study of interactions between living things and their environment Ecology Levels in Ecology 1. Individual A single member of a species 2. Population A group of individuals of a species. 3. Community Several species in an area. 4. Ecosystem Living and nonliving things in an area 5. Biome Group of ecosystems 6. Biosphere All the biomes

How do organisms interact? Producers - organisms that produce their own energy, and are food for other organisms. They are also called autotrophs Consumers - organisms that have to eat other organisms for their energy They are also called heterotrophs

Who eats who? Food Chain Food Web - a series of steps showing which organisms eat which. (transfer energy) Food Web - a chart linking all food webs in a particular area

Another way to show relationships Ecological Pyramids Biomass Pyramid - each level in the pyramid shows the total amount of organisms in the level Numbers Pyramid - each level shows the numbers of individuals in the pyramid

Only 10% of your food is actually incorporated into making you! Energy Pyramid - each transition shows the amount of loss of energy from one level to the next. 90% of energy is lost to heat from one level to the next. Only 10% of your food is actually incorporated into making you!

Cycles in Nature Water Cycle - shows the different stages that water goes through in ecology

- the carbon that makes you and all other living (and many non living) things is shown moving through the environment. Carbon Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle - All organisms require nitrogen. This cycle shows how it moves through the environment.

Biotic factors in the environment interact in many ways Competition When groups are using limited resources Situation leaves winners and losers. Predation When one organism feeds on another

They can form a symbiotic relationship (three different types) 1. Mutualism Both individuals benefit. 2. Commensalism One is helped, one is neither helped or harmed. 3. Parasitism One is helped, the other is harmed.

Biomes: Def: a large area that is characterized by certain soil, climate. plants, and animals.