ECOLOGY What is Ecology? ECOLOGY: The study of interactions among organisms with each other and with the environment. How organisms interact with one another. How organisms interact with their non-living environment

Levels of organization atoms molecules organelles cells organs tissues systems organism species population community ecosystem biosphere ECOLOGY

Species  Groups of organisms that can potentially interbreed to produce fertile offspring Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus Do you know any species?

Species have either an autotrophic or heterotrophic method of nutrition: - Autotrophs obtain inorganic nutrients from the abiotic environment. - Consumers are heterotrophs that feed on living organisms by ingestion. - Detritivores are heterotrophs that obtain organic nutrients from detritus by internal digestion. - Saprotrophs are heterotrophs that obtain organic nutrients from dead organisms by external digestion.

Population  All the organisms of the same species which live in the same habitat. The black-veined white butterfly (Aporia crataegi) mating

A population is always composed of same- species organisms

Habitat The type of environment where an organism lives. (e.g. a stream, a temperate woodland, trees tops) Melursus ursinus

Community  Formed by populations of different species living together and interacting with each other 7-spotted lady bird (Adephagia septempunctata) Bean aphids (Aphis fabae) Red ant (Myrmica rubra) Broom plant (Cytisus scoparius)

Biodiversity The total number of different species in an ecosystem and their relative abundance Worcester City Museums © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWSODWS

Components of an Ecosystem  Abiotic Factors : nonliving factors that have an effect on living things Such as:  light, water, wind, nutrients in soil, heat, solar radiation, atmosphere, etc. AND…  Biotic Factors : living or once living organisms Living organisms…  Plants  Animals  microorganisms in soil, etc.

Energy flow and organisms Autotrophs Organisms which can make their own energy-rich, organic molecules from simple inorganic molecules (e.g. green plants synthetize sugars from CO 2 and H 2 O) © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWSODWS

Heterotrophs Organisms who must obtain energy-rich, organic compounds from the bodies of other organisms (dead or alive)

Detritivores Heterotrophic organisms who ingest dead organic matter (e.g. earthworms, woodlice, millipedes) Earth worm (Lumbricus terrestris)

Saprotrophs Heterotrophic organisms who secrete digestive enzymes onto dead organism matter and absorb the digested material. (e.g. fungi, bacteria) Chanterelle (Cantherellus cibarius) © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWSODWS

Consumers  Omnivore: eats both plants and animals  Carnivore: meat eater  Herbivore: plant eater

Print this page and paste it into your notebook ;)

Check this video that explains the energy flow in ecosystems: e.com/watch?v=o_ RBHfjZsUQ e.com/watch?v=o_ RBHfjZsUQ

Feeding relationships  Predators & prey  Herbivory  Parasite & host  Mutualism  Competition Large blue butterfly (Maculinea arion)

Why are ecological interactions important? Interactions can affect distribution and abundance. Interactions can influence evolution.

Camouflage – blending in

How has predation influenced evolution? Adaptations to avoid being eaten: spines (cactii, porcupines) hard shells (clams, turtles) toxins (milkweeds, some frogs) bad taste (monarch butterflies) Camouflage Aposematic colors Mimicry as predators become better at locating and subduing pray, their pray over time develops adaptations to elude and defend themselves.

Aposematic colors – warning

Mimicry – look like something that is dangerous or tastes bad

Food Chains  Sequence of relationships between trophic levels.  Show the flow of energy from the SUN to the heterotrophs.  Trophic level: an organism’s feeding position in a food chain.  Producers are essential to every single food chain

ENERGY PYRAMID Check this video

Food Web  Shows the feeding relationships in a community. Arrows show the flow of energy.