Unit 2 – Ecologyand the Enviroment

Levels of Organization in Ecology  atom  molecule  organelle  cell  tissue  organ  organ system  organism  population  community  ecosystem Wikimedia Commons free use from NASA

Ecosystem

 A biome is a group of ecosystems with similar climate, plant and animal species.

Biotic Factor Biotic = living things life Such as: animals, plants, bacteria, fungus, protists, etc.

Abiotic Factors A bio tic Not Life Non living things such as: Rocks, water, temperature, soil, light. Etc. There are more abiotic factors that there are biotic factors!!!

Populations vs. Communities  A population is a group of organisms, all of the same species, which interbreed and live in the same area at the same time  community -  interacting populations  All the living things that  live together.

Symbiosis

Mutualism

Commensalism

Parasitism

Predation

Carrying Capacity

Trophic Level Energy travels up the trophic levels Only 10% of energy is transferred to the level above it. Position that organisms occupy on the food chain or each step in the food chain

Ecological Pyramid

Food Web

Did you know?  The directions of the arrows in a food web show which way the energy flows…not who eats who.

Producer

Autotroph  Producers are usually plants but not always!! They just have to make food from the sun (autotroph). Phytoplankton Solar powered Sea Slug Auto troph Self feeding

Decomposers  Decomposers are mainly bacteria & fungi. They break down dead organisms  Without them, we would be covered in dead organisms in no time at all!!!

Consumer  Consumers are heterotrophs (get energy from eating other organisms) Hetero troph Different feeding

Primary Consumer

Secondary Consumer Lion - Secondary consumer after eating the goat

Tertiary Consumer  Tertiary consumers eat secondary consumers. Tertiary consumer after eating the jackal.

Herbivore

Omnivore

Carnivore

Detritivore

Limiting Factors

Ecosystem Sustainability

Ecological Succession

Primary Succession

Secondary Succession

Climax Community  Secondary Succession ends in the climax community, which is the most stable community and will remain until the next disturbance.  In the Colorado mountains, the climax community is the pine forest!