1. Let’s Remember… Certain characteristics apply to all living things: 1. Made of one or more cells 2. Display organization 3. Grow and develop 4. Reproduce 5. Respond to stimuli 6. Require energy 7. Maintain homeostasis 8. Adaptations evolve over time

2. Let’s Remember… All living things have levels of organization: Nucleotide  DNA  chromosome  nucleus  Cell OR Cell  Tissues  Organs  Organ Systems  Organisms OR Organism  Population  Community  Ecosystem  Biome  Biosphere

3. Ecology and our World Ecology The study of interactions between living things and their environment Levels in Ecology 1. Organism A single member of a species 2. Population A group of individuals of a single species that live in the same area at the same time. 3. Community A group of interacting populations. 4. Ecosystem A biological community and all of the abiotic factors that affect it. 5. Biome A large area that is characterized by certain soil, climates, plants, or animals. 6. Biosphere The portion of Earth that supports life.

5. 1. Biotic Factors All living factors in an organism’s environment 2. Abiotic Factors The non-living factors in an organism’s environment Ex. Temp., soil type, pH, air and water currents, sunlight, rainfall 3. Habitat 4. Niche The natural home or environment of an organism The role or position an organism has in it’s environment. (How an organism meets its needs for food, shelter, and reproduction)

6. Factors in the environment interact in many ways Competition Occurs when more than one organism uses resources at the same time Situation leaves winners and losers. Ex: food, water, space, light Predation Pursuing and consuming another organism

7. -What causes the prey population to increase? -Why is the predator line consistently below the prey line? - Why does the prey population tend to level off around the same number each cycle. Prey- Deer Predator- Coyote

8. Symbiotic Relationships 1. Mutualism Both individuals benefit. (+,+) 2. Commensalism One is helped, one is neither helped or harmed. (+,0) 3. Parasitism One is helped, the other is harmed. Ex: lice, ticks, mosquitoes, mistletoe, tapeworm (+,-) hornworm caterpillar and the braconid wasp

9. Symbiotic Relationships Practice

10. How do organisms interact? Autotrophs (Producers) - organisms that produce their own energy, and are food for other organisms. Heterotrophs (Consumers) - organisms that have to eat other organisms for their energy

11. Consumers come in a wide variety Herbivores - Organisms that eat only plant material. Carnivores - Organisms that eat only other animals. Omnivores - Organisms that eat both plant and animal. Detrivores - Organisms that eat “dead matter” (earthworms Decomposers - Organisms that break down dead organic matter (fungi and bacteria) Scavengers - Organisms that ingest other dead organisms (buzzards and vultures).

12. 12 Trophic Levels Each Level In A Food Chain or Food Web is a Trophic Level. Producers (autotrophs) Producers (autotrophs) – Always The First Trophic Level – How Energy Enters The System

13. 13 Trophic Levels Consumers (herbivore, Omnivore, Carnivore) Consumers (herbivore, Omnivore, Carnivore) – Primary: eats the producers – Secondary: eats primary consumer – Tertiary: eats secondary consumer – Quaternary: eats tertiary consumer

14. Who eats who? Food Chain -a series of steps showing what each organism eats in an ecosystem. -The arrows represent the transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next. Producer ( converts radiant energy into chemical energy) Primary Consumer Secondary Consumer Tertiary Consumer Quaternary Consumer 1 2 3 4

15. Feeding Relationships A food chain shows a simple feeding relationship. Sun → All food chains start with the sun

16. Feeding Relationships A food chain shows a simple feeding relationship. Sun → grass →

17. Feeding Relationships A food chain shows a simple feeding relationship. Sun → grass → rabbit →

18. Feeding Relationships A food chain shows a simple feeding relationship. Sun → grass → rabbit → fox

19. All food chains start with ENERGY from the sun

20. carbon dioxide from the air energy from sunlight (or light) water from the roots food transported to the rest of the plant

21. carbon dioxide from the air energy from sunlight (or light) water from the roots food transported to the rest of the plant Photosynthesis

22. Because plants produce their own food, they are called ‘Producers’

23. The energy is then passed on to animals when they eat the plant.

24. Animals of all shapes…

26. …and sizes!

27. Because these animals are the first to take the food energy from the plants, They are called primary consumers

28. Some of these primary consumers have predators. Other animals that feed on them

29. Aphids are eaten by….

30. Ladybugs

31. Animals that eat primary consumers are called secondary consumers

32. So far this is a straightforward food chain Sun → leaves → aphid → ladybugs But in reality it is more complicated than that

33. This bird eats ladybugs and aphids

34. This bird eats smaller birds, mice, and rabbits

35. Mice and rabbits have other predators

36. What will eat the frog? What do you think the frog eats?

37. Sometimes it’s not entirely clear who eats who!

38. We can show what goes on with the help of a Food Web a chart linking all food chains in an ecosystem

39. What would happen if a disease killed off many of the hawks?

40. There will be nothing to eat the snakes, so their numbers will increase.

41. All the frogs get eaten

42. No frogs. More crickets

43. Most of the cattail gets eaten by the crickets

44. Now the crickets don’t have enough food so their numbers go down

45. ..and so on. Numbers of each species have an effect on the numbers of the other species in the web.

46. Use the food web to predict what might happen in the following situations: 1.There is very little rain and much of the Marsh Grass and Cattail die off. 2.Humans nearby bring cats into the area. 3.The frogs eats some poisoned slugs from a garden

47. Exit Ticket yellow On a yellow piece of paper, infer what would happen to the population of frogs if the population of foxes decreased due to disease. The population of frogs would ______________.

48. Ecology Notes Part 2 Ecological Pyramids Population Ecology Succession Cycles in Nature Biomes

49. Energy Pyramid - each transition shows the amount of energy retained from one level to the next. 10% Rule: Only 10% of the energy from food is actually incorporated into running cell processes! 90% 90% of energy is lost to the atmosphere as heat from one level to the next.

50. Numbers Pyramid -Each level shows the number of individuals in each trophic level -Loss of energy helps explain why there are fewer organisms in each higher trophic level

51. Biomass Pyramid -each level in the pyramid shows the total mass available at each trophic level

52. Factors that effect a biological community Limiting Factor Any factor that restricts the numbers, reproduction, or distribution of an organism Ex. Food, space, water, climate Tolerance Climax Community The ability of an organism to survive when dealing with negative factors. A stable, mature community that results when there is little change in factors. Carrying Capacity The largest number of a species that an environment can support long term.

53. Population Ecology Graphs What are some things that effect carrying capacity? Can a population continue to grow exponentially forever?

54. Cycles in Nature Biogeochemical Cycles The exchange or movement of matter through the biosphere. These cycles involve: - Living organisms (bio) - Geological processes (geo) - Chemical processes (chemical)

55. Cycles in Nature Water Cycle - shows the different stages that water goes through in ecology

56. Carbon, in the form of CO 2, is recycled quickly through living organisms during photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Carbon enters a long- term cycle when it is buried underground and converted to fossil fuels.

57. Nitrogen Cycle The largest concentration of nitrogen is found in the atmosphere but plants and animals cannot directly use atmospheric nitrogen. Nitrogen fixation is a process of capturing and converting nitrogen into a form that is useable by plants. – Bacteria – Lightning – Fertilizer Denitrification is a process where some soil bacteria convert fixed nitrogen compounds back into nitrogen gas to be released back into the atmosphere.

59. Carbon Cycle and Nitrogen Cycle Coloring 1.You may use any colors you choose as long as you color your key correctly. 2.Color the words in the reading the same color as your picture. 3.Underline all of vocabulary words from the word wall that you find in the reading.

60. Ecosystems are constantly changing. Succession is the change in an ecosystem that happens when one community replaces another as a result of changing biotic and abiotic factors. -happens in an area that has NO soil and happens very slowly. -NEW growth -The pioneer species will be lichen and mosses. -The pioneer species will help to create new soil. Primary succession:

61. Secondary succession: Ecosystems are constantly changing. -Happens when an established population is disrupted by things like fire, flood, or windstorm -Regrowth; happens more quickly -The pioneer species will be small plants and animals.

62. Succession Comparison 1.Draw a Three column t-chart: Primary SuccessionBothSecondary Succession 2.Place the following statements under the correct heading: Pioneer species Lichen Changes over time New growth Regrowth No soil Some soil Fire Volcanic eruption Volcanic island formation Flood Glaciation

63. Exit Ticket Describe the main difference between primary and secondary succession.

64. Succession Drawings

65. Biomes Foldable

66. Biodiversity