1 Ecology: Ecology: an introduction

2 Ecology: The study of the interactions that take place among organisms and their environment

3 Biosphere  The part of Earth that supports life  Top portion of Earth's crust (lithosphere)  All the waters that cover Earth's surface (hydrosphere)  Atmosphere is all the gasses that surround Earth

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5 Ecosystem  All the organisms living in an area and the nonliving features of their environment  Biotic – living  Abiotic – nonliving

6 Biotic  Biotic – living  Plants  Animals  Single celled organisms  Fungi

7 Abiotic  Abiotic – nonliving  Water  Air  Soil  Temperature  Sunlight

8 Parts of an Ecosystem

9 Population  All the organisms in an ecosystem that belong to the same species (biotic)

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11 Community  All the populations in an ecosystem (biotic)

12 ailed_prairie_dog/images/lg_black_tailed_prairie_dogs.jpg

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14 Habitat  The place in which an organism lives  provides the kinds of food and shelter, the temperature, and the amount of moisture the organism needs to survive

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16 Niche  The specific role that an organism plays in its ecosystem

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18 Competition  The process of interaction between organisms in an ecosystem, each seeking to gain access to a limited supply of the necessities of life.  Food  Space

19 Competition  Competition caused by population growth affects many organisms, including humans  Limits population size

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21 Limiting Factor  Anything that restricts the number of individuals in a population.  Includes living / biotic and nonliving / abiotic features of the ecosystem  i.e. water, food, light…

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23 Carrying Capacity  The maximum number of individuals of any species that can be supported by a particular ecosystem on a long-term basis

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25 Energy Transfer  Food chain -  chain of organisms along which energy, in the form of food passes.  An organism feeds on the link before it and is in turn prey for the link after it.

Organisms that cannot make their own energy are called CONSUMERS.

Organisms that can make glucose during photosynthesis are called PRODUCERS.

28 Energy Transfer Continued  Food web -  a group of interconnecting food chains  They show the feeding relationships in an ecosystem 28

29 Food Web 29

30 Energy Transfer Continued  Energy pyramids show  That the amount of available energy decreases down the food chain  It takes a large number of producers to support a small number of primary consumers  It takes a large number of primary consumers to support a small number of secondary consumers 30

31 Energy Transfer Pyramid 31

SUCCESSION   Succession: The gradual change in an ecosystem in which one biological community is replaced by another.   Pioneer Species: The first living things to move into a barren area 32

PRIMARY SUCCESSION   Primary Succession: Glaciers moving or lava flow over an area will leave it barren. Pioneer species such as moss or lichen will grow on rock with little to no soil, breaking the rock down over time. Soil forms, and larger plants begin to take root. As time continues larger animals begin to come in, as well as larger diversities of plant and tree life 33

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SECONDARY SUCCESSION   Secondary Succession: Soil remains after a disturbance such as a fire, flood or human activity. Grasses and small shrubs begin to grow over the remains of the older system. Larger trees begin to take root and support larger animal populations. 36

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