Ecology Living Things and Their Environment

Introduction to Ecology

Ecology Environment Ecosystem All of the living and nonliving things in an area All the living and nonliving things in an area that interact with one another

Living Things Interact with One Another Community Population All of the living things that live in an area A group of organisms that are the same species living together in an area

Roles in an Ecosystem Habitat Niche The place where an organism lives The role the organism plays in the ecosystem (its job)

Ecosystems

Food and Energy in the Environment Producers (autotrophs) Consumers (heterotrophs) Decomposers Organisms that go through photosynthesis to make food Organism that feeds directly or indirectly on producers Organisms that break down dead organisms

Producers, Consumers, Decomposers

Types of Consumers Herbivores Carnivores Omnivores Animal that eat only plants Animal that eats only meat (other animals) Animals that eat both plants and animals

Food Chains When energy is transferred from one organism to the another Sun Corn Deer Coyote

Food Webs A diagram that consists of many food chains Snakesmountain lionhawk Miceowlrabbitsdeer Grasscarrotstrees SUN

Food Chains & Food Webs

Energy Pyramids

Food Web

Energy Pyramid

Competition/Predation Competition Predation Organisms struggle with one another for food, mates, territory Organisms catch, kill, and eat other living things Predator- hunts Prey - gets hunted

Succession The natural progression of an ecosystem from start to finish. Happens after a disaster wipes an area out. Examples: volcanoes, forest fires, flooding