Ecology Chapter 2

What is Ecology? Ecology is the study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment. Ex. Bird on a tree limb

Levels of Organization Organism - individual animal Population - group of same animals Biological community - group of different animals living in the same area

Ecosystem – group of plants and animals interacting with their environment in a given area Biosphere- portion of Earth that supports life

Terms you should know…. Abiotic – non living parts of an environment Biotic – living parts of an environment Habitat – the place an organism lives Niche – all strategies and adaptations used by a species

Resource – anything an organism needs to survive Predator – consumer of other organisms Prey – animals that predators eat Competition – a situation in which organisms compete for resources

Symbiosis – close relationship (needed to survive) between organisms of different species

3 Types of Symbiosis: Mutualism Commensalism Parasitism

Mutualism Relationship in which both members benefit Ex. Clownfish and the sea anemone Ex. Insects pollinate flowers

Commensalism Relationship in which one member benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed Ex. Barnacles on a whale Ex. Squirrel living in a tree

Parasitism Relationship in which one member benefits and the other is harmed Ex. Tick on a dog Tapeworm in a human

Nutrition Autotroph – organism that produces its own food using light or chemicals Heterotroph – organism that cannot make its own food and feeds off other organisms Decomposer – break down dead/decaying organisms

Food Chain Autotrophs are at the bottom of the food chain Heterotrophs make up the next levels of the food chain Decomposers break down organisms at each level Each level of the food chain is called a trophic level

Food Chain

Food Webs A complex food chain that shows all the possible feeding relationships at each trophic level

10% Law For every trophic level in the food chain, 10% of the energy is lost.

Discuss an Ecological Niche in each situation…….. Natural disasters Climate changes Human activity Protective adaptations How does survival of the fittest relate to each of these?

Cycles in Nature The water cycle The carbon cycle The oxygen cycle The nitrogen cycle