Ecology

Habitats An organism obtains food, water, shelter, and other things it needs to live, grow and reproduce from its environment. An ______________ is a living thing. A _______________ is a place that an organism needs to live, grow, and reproduce. What is a frog’s habitat? A squirrel’s? Can one area have many habitats? organism habitat

Habitats

Living and Non-Living Bio means life What does Biology mean? What does Biotic mean? Non living things are called Abiotic. Water, Sun, Soil, Oxygen, Temperature Do we need abiotic factors? Photosynthesis

Levels of Organization

Species- A group of organisms that can mate with each other and produce fertile offspring Population-a group of the same kind of species living in an area Community- all the different populations that live together in an area Ecosystem- a community plus abiotic factors

Levels of Organization

Levels of Organization

Studying Populations What is an estimate? Direct Observation Counting each member of a population Indirect Observation Counting evidence or traces of a population Sampling Counting the number of a population in a small area to estimate the number in the whole habitat Mark-and-Recapture Catching some, tagging/marking them, recapture and count how many tagged/marked

Studying Populations What method am I using if … I dig up and count each worm in the football field? I count how many worms are in 1 square yard and use that information to estimate the total number of worms in the entire football field? I look for birds nests? Capture birds, put a tag on them, and then come back later to catch them again and see how many are tagged?

Changes in Population Size What is the main way new organisms join a population? What is the main way they leave? Moving In Moving Out/Exit Immigration Emigration

Population Density How many members of a population are in an area at one time.

Limiting Factors Causes a population to stop growing or get smaller What are some limiting factors? Food, water, space, weather conditions Carrying Capacity The largest population an area can support

Interactions Among Living Things

Adapting to the Environment Every organism has a variety of adaptations that are suited to its specific living conditions. The place where an organism lives is called... Natural Selection- process in which a species becomes better suited to its environment Adaptation-characteristic that allows a species to live successfully in its environment. Niche– the way that an organism “makes its living” Organisms have their own niche in the environment

Three major types of Interactions Competition Predation Symbiosis

Competition The struggle between organisms to survive in a habitat with limited resources is called competition. Organisms compete for food, water, and space. Organisms that are specialized (eg. only eat one kind of food) can avoid competition.

Predation An interaction in which one organism kills and eats another Organism that does the killing is the Predator Organism that is killed is the prey Predation helps keep populations steady When the population of prey increases the predator population will increase as well and vice versa

Adaptations Predator Prey Sharks have sharp teeth to kill prey Cheetah has speed to catch prey Prey Snowshoe hare in the Tundra is camouflage to hide from predators King snake has similar coloring to the venomous Coral snake

Symbiosis a close relationship between two species that benefits at least one species Mutualism: both species benefit Commensalism: one benefits, the other is unaffected Parasitism: one benefits, the other is harmed The organism that benefits is called a parasite The organism it lives on or in is called a host

Symbiosis Mutualism Commensalism Parasitism

Mutualism

Changes in Communities

Succession The series of predictable changes that occur in a community over time. Two types Primary Secondary

Primary Succession Series of changes that occur in an area where no soil or organisms exist New land formed from a volcano Area uncovered by snow or ice First species to populate are called pioneer species Mosses and lichens animation

Secondary Succession Series of changes that occur in an area where the ecosystem has been disturbed, but soil and organisms still exist. Fire, Flood, Hurricane Logging, Farming, Mining Faster or Slower? Faster because there is already soil and some organisms The species that develop and die off in a particular area will depend on the climate

Energy Flow in Ecosystems Food Chains and Food Webs

Energy Roles The original source of energy is the sun Producer—makes its own food Plants, algae, some bacteria—Photosynthesis Consumer—gets energy by eating other organisms Herbivore (plants), Carnivore (meat), Omnivore (both), scavenger (dead organisms) Decomposer—gets energy by breaking down wastes and the remains of dead organisms which returns raw materials to the enviornment Bacteria and fungi are decomposers

Food Chains A series of events in which one organism eats another Producers are the source of all the food Producer First level Second Level Third Level Consumer Consumer Consumer

Food Web Many overlapping food chains Practice

Energy Pyramid Shows the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to another in a food web Most energy available at the bottom Less and less as you move up This is why most food webs only have three or four feeding levels and there are fewer organisms at the top

Why are there fewer Third level (Tertiary) Consumers?

The study of where organisms live Biogeography The study of where organisms live

Continental Drift Continents moving slowly over time One factor that has affected how species are distributed across the earth

Dispersal Movement of organisms from one place to another Caused by Wind Water Living things

Wind Seeds Small organisms Spores

Water Things that float Small organisms

Other living things Birds Dogs People Kudzu; exotic species Brought from China to prevent erosion Now it is taking over and killing trees it grows on. What type of relationship do the trees and Kudzu have?

Limits to Dispersal Physical Barriers Competition Climate Water, Mountains, and deserts Competition Compete for resources with species that are already there Climate Can a palm tree live in Michigan?