1. Part 1: Introduction to Ecology Ecology Unit

2. Objectives Identify a key theme in ecology Describe an example showing the effects of interdependence upon organism in their environment Identify the importance of models to ecology State the five different levels of organization at which ecology can be studied

3. Questions to Answer What is ecology? How did the science ecology come about? What does it involve? Are there sub-sciences within this field? What are the important themes?

4. What is Ecology? It is the study of: –interactions of organisms with one another –interactions of organisms with their environment

5. What is the History of Ecology? Founder of ecology: –Theophrastus in 320 BC Term was first coined in 1866 Scientists that contributed to the science of ecology –Carl Linnaeus –Charles Darwin –Alexander von Humboldt –Carl Ludwig Wildenow –Rachel Carson –Edward O. Wilson

6. What does Ecology Involve? 1.Collecting information about organisms and their environments 2.Observing and measuring interactions 3.Looking for patterns & seeking to explain them

7. What are the Sub-Sciences of Ecology? 1.Ecophysiology –which is the study of interrelationships between the physiology of organisms and their environment 2.Population ecology –which is the study of the interactions between populations of organisms and their environment

8. What are the Sub-Sciences of Ecology? 3.Community ecology –which is the study of the interactions between communities of organisms and their environment 4.Ecosystem ecology –which is the study of the interactions between ecosystems of organisms and their environment

9. What are the Themes of Ecology? 1.Interdependence 2.Species borders –interaction with the environment can limit the development of the species For example: –Urban landscaping –Human activity within the environment

10. Interdependence Is a key theme in ecology It is the interconnectedness of organisms to their surroundings both living and nonliving An organism’s survival depends on its ability for interdependence

11. Some Examples of Interdependence Rhinos and oxpeckers Humans & plants –Humans need oxygen from the plant –Plants need carbon dioxide from us Remoras and sharks Clownfish & sea anemones Elephants & mud Bees & flowering plants Yellow tangs & sea turtles

13. Effects of Interdependence Any change in the environment can spread through the network of interactions and cause serious damage Examples: the spread of Lyme Disease Pollution Overhunting Pesticides

14. Ecological Models Ecology is extremely complex and difficult to study Scientist use ecological models to represent or describe the components of an ecological system It helps them to make predicts about possible changes Models can be physical, conceptual, or mathematical But models can be limited in their application

15. Levels of Organization Biosphere Ecosystem Community Population Organism What do these levels consist of?

16. What is an Organism? Any form of life that exhibits the characteristics of life: –Response to stimuli –Growth & development –Homeostasis –Metabolism –Changes over time –Cells & organization

17. Organism Classification All organisms are classified by the science of taxonomy Each organism usually has a two word name consisting of its genus and species classification For example: –Homo sapiens = human –Drosophila melanogaster = fruit fly –Bison bison = American bison or buffalo

18. Organism Classification Cont. However, some organisms have a subspecies name, which is a lower classification of a geographically isolated species that is genetically unique from the main species population For example: –Canis lupus Has 40 subspecies including domestic dogs, dingoes, and other wolves Canis lupus nublius = Great Plains Wolf Canis lupus familaris = domestic dog Canis lupus dingo = dingo

19. What is a Population? A group of organisms of the same species living in a certain area –Example: Duckweed A population must also be able to interbreed It can be the organisms of one species in a large geological area –Example: Elephant herd in Africa Or it can be used to describe all the organisms of a species on Earth –Example: World population of humans

20. What is a Community? Is a group populations of different species that interact with other and live in a specific area

21. Ways a Community Interacts Competition-populations compete for resources Predation-some organisms are food for other organisms Mutualism-an interaction between organisms in which both benefit Neutral-when two species do not interact at all Commensalism-one organism benefits and the other is not benefitted nor harmed Parasitism-one organism benefits and the other is harmed

22. What is an Ecosystem? Includes all the organisms and the nonliving environment in a particular place For example: a pond ecosystem –Living components (biotic factors): fish, turtles, plants, algae, insects and bacteria –Nonliving components (abiotic factors): pH of the pond, levels of dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide, supply of nitrogen and the amount of sunlight

23. Coral Ecosystem

24. What is a Biosphere? This is the broadest level of organization The term was coined by Vladimir Vernadsky in 1929 It is the part of the earth and its atmosphere in which living organisms exist or that is capable of supporting life

25. The Biosphere