ECOLOGY THE BIOSPHERE Chapter 13, 14, 15, and 16 https://youtu.be/izRvPaAWgyw https://youtu.be/GlnFylwdYH4

Apollo 8 December 24, 1968

“Ecology”? = The study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment

Levels of Ecology: Put these in order (smallest  largest) Populations Ecosystems Species Biosphere Communities Biomes

YouTube - Battle at Kruger

Biosphere

https://youtu.be/srbuqpr6jUw

At the core of every organism’s interaction with the environment is its need for energy to power life’s processes The flow of energy through an ecosystem is one of the most important factors that determines the system’s capacity to sustain life

Energy flow through an Ecosystem Main Source Energy flow through an Ecosystem “Autotrophs” “Producers” “Heterotrophs” “Consumers”

Autotrophs/ Producers (Photosynthetic and Chemosynthetic) Heterotrophs/Consumers (Herb-/Carn-/Omn-ivores and Decomposers)

Food Chains = a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten Trophic Levels = each step in a food chain or food web

Food Webs = links all the food chains in an ecosystem together

Trophic Levels? Organisms in each level?

Ecological Pyramid = a diagram that shows the relative amounts of energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a food chain or food web

Energy Pyramids = represents the amount of energy that is transferred from one trophic level to the next Only about 10% of the energy available within one trophic level is transferred to the next What happens to the rest? Life Processes and Heat

Biomass Pyramids = represent the amount of potential food that is available for each trophic level in an ecosystem Biomass is usually expressed in terms of grams of organic (living) matter per unit area

https://youtu.be/v6ubvEJ3KGM https://youtu.be/5eTCZ9L834s