Ecology The study of the interactions of organisms with one another and their surroundings

Organism Any living thing

Ecosystem Community of organisms (living things) that live in a certain area

Includes Living and Non-living surroundings

Living Things and the Environment

Biotic Surroundings Living Surroundings Other animals and plant life

Abiotic Surroundings Non-Living Surroundings Rocks, Water, Sunlight, Dirt

Energy Roles Each organism in an ecosystem fills a role

Three Roles 1.Producer 2.Consumer 3.Decomposer

Producers Plants Chlorophyll (Green) Photosynthesis

Consumers Feed on other organisms

Herbivores – Eat Plants Carnivores – Eat Animals

Omnivores – Eat both Plants and Animals

Decomposers Found in the Dirt Break Down dead material

Include mushrooms, earthworms, pillbugs, and bacteria

PRODUCERS 1 ST LEVEL CONSUMERS 2 ND LEVEL CONSUMERS Energy Pyramid Decomposer

Energy Pyramids Shows the amount of energy that moves from one level to the next

The most energy is available at the bottom (producer level), and has less energy as you move up

General Rule…. Only 10 PERCENT of the energy is transferred to the next level.

Why? 90 % of the energy has already been used by the organism in order to survive. (Grow, breed)

Construct an Energy Pyramid Grass, Fungi, Lion, Zebra

Grass Zebra Lion Ecosystem Fungi

Construct an Energy Pyramid Catepillar, Bird, Earthworm, Leaf

Leaf Catepillar Bird Ecosystem Earthworms

Food Chain

Food Chains A series of events in which one organism eats another and obtains energy

Food Chains show only ONE possible path

Example Tree Caterpillar Bird

Food Webs

Consists of the many possible paths of obtaining food in an ecosystem (area)

More Realistic, since many producers and consumers are part of many food chains

First – Level Consumers Feed on the Producers

Second – Level Consumers Eats the first – level Consumers

Predator and Prey Interactions

Predator The organism that goes in for the kill

Prey The organism that dies

Example A shark kills a fish Predator Shark Prey Fish

Adapting to the Environment

Natural Selection A characteristic that makes an organism better suited to its environment

ADAPTATIONS Cactus – Sharp spines

Types of Adaptations Mimicry Protective Covering False Coloring Camouflage Warning Coloring

Camouflage Blending into the environment

Mimicry Copy Cat looks and acts like another species or object.

False Coloring

Environmental Change

Some animals change due to environmental changes (SEASONAL changes)

Arctic Fox WINTER

Arctic Fox SUMMER

Predator - Prey Interactions On Isle Royale, an island in Lake Superior, the populations of wolves (the predator) and moose (the prey) rise and fall in cycles. Use the graph to answer the questions. Interactions Among Living Things

Predator - Prey Interactions Reading Graphs: –What variable is plotted on the x- axis? What two variables are plotted on the y- axis? –Year; numbers of wolves and moose Interactions Among Living Things

Predator - Prey Interactions Interpreting Data: –How did the moose population change between 1965 and 1972? What happened to the wolf population from 1973 through 1976? –The moose population increased and then decreased; the wolf population increased. Interactions Among Living Things

Predator - Prey Interactions Inferring: –How might the change in the moose population have led to the change in the wolf population? –As the moose population increased, more food was available to the wolf population and it increased. Interactions Among Living Things

Predator - Prey Interactions Drawing Conclusions: –What is one likely cause of the dip in the moose population between 1974 and 1981? –The wolf population increased. Interactions Among Living Things

Predator - Prey Interactions Predicting: –How might a disease in the wolf population one year affect the moose population the next year? –Disease would cause a decrease in the wolf population, so fewer moose would be eaten and the population could increase. Interactions Among Living Things