1. Introduction to Ecology

2. Understanding the World
What affects the environment also affects you.
Understanding what affects the environment is important because it is where you live. (ie. Global Warming)

3. What is Ecology?
Ecology is the study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment
These interactions determine the distribution of organisms and their abundance
Modern ecology includes observation and experimentation
Ecology covers the study of plants and animals, including where they grow and live, what they eat, or what eats them, is called natural history

4. Interdependence or Interconnectedness
All organisms interact with other organisms in their surroundings and with the nonliving part of their environment
This survival depends on their interdependence which is the key term found throughout ecology
ANTS AND ACACIA: These ants actually harm acacia trees (Savannah Africa)in the absence of large herbivores by allowing infestations by other
harmful insects, such as the parasitic scale bugs also pictured here.

5. Ecological Research
Most ecologists use scientific research includes using descriptive and quantitative methods
They obtain descriptive information by observing organisms

6. Levels of Organization

7. The Biosphere 1. Most inclusive level of organization
2. Biosphere is the thin layer of Earth & its atmosphere that supports life
3. Extends high in the atmosphere to bottom of oceans
4. Supports a diverse group of organisms in a wide range of climates
5. All organisms are found within the biosphere

8. Ecosystem Non-living Factors include:
The biosphere is made of smaller units called ecosystem
Ecosystems include all of the organisms and the nonliving environment
Non-living Factors include:
pH, levels of dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, & sunlight

9. Communities Describes all the fish, plants, algae, bacteria
A community is all the interacting organisms living in an area
Describes all the fish,
plants, algae, bacteria
and other living
organisms found in
this River Ecosystem

10. Population
A population includes all the members of a species that live in one place at the same time
Members of the same population may compete with each other for food, water, mates, or other resources.
Represents a population of
California Poppies

11. Organism
An organism is an individual living thing that is made possesses all the characteristics of life

12. Ecosystem Components

13. Biotic vs. Abiotic
Ecologists separate the environmental factors that influence an organism into two types
1. Biotic Factors-all living things that affect an organism
2. Abiotic Factors-non-living are the physical and chemical characteristics of an environment

14. Abiotic Factors Also important are the small
Abiotic factors include temperature, humidity, pH, salinity, oxygen concentration, amounts of sunlight, availability of nitrogen, and precipitation
Are not constant; vary from place to place and over time
Also important are the small
Amounts of temperature differences
Within a habitat like under a
Shade tree

15. Organisms in a changed environment
Each organism is able to survive within a limited range of environmental conditions
Example: an organism may be able to function only within a specific range of temperature. To determine the range, measure how efficiently it performs at different temperatures
A graph of performance vs. values of an environmental variables ie: temperature is called Tolerance curve

16. Acclimation of organism
Some organisms can adjust their tolerance to abiotic factors through the process of acclimation Example: goldfish raised at different temperatures have somewhat different tolerance curves This occurs within the lifetime of an individual (different from adaptation)

17. Environments change in:
Temperature, light, moisture, salinity, and other chemical factors
There are 2 ways for organisms to deal with some of these changes in their environment
1. Conformers: are organisms that do not regulate their internal conditions; they change as their external environment changes
2. Regulators: use energy to control some of their internal conditions

18. Control of Internal Conditions
Conformers change their internal conditions to what ever the external environment is. Conformers are Snakes
Regulators maintain their internal conditions constant. Such as as body temperature, in humans the normal body temperature is 98.6

19. Escape from unsuitable conditions
Some species can survive unfavorable environmental conditions by escaping from them temporarily
A long-term strategy is to enter a state of reduced activity called dormancy during periods of unfavorable conditions like winter or drought
Another strategy is to move to a more favorable habitat called migration

20. Escape from unsuitable conditions
dormancy
migration

21. Niche
A niche is the role or position a species has in its environment—how it meets its specific needs for food and shelter, how and where it survives, and where it reproduces in its environment.
A species’ niche includes all its interactions with the biotic and abiotic parts of its habitat

23. Niches Generalists are species with broad niches
Animals that can be found in many habitats
They can tolerate a range of conditions and use a variety of resources
Specialists that have a narrow niche
Organism that is only found in certain places
Mostly due to food sources

24. Generalists: The Virginia opossum found across US, feeds on most anything from eggs & dead animals to fruits & plants
Specialists:
The koala of Australia feeds only on the leaves of a few species of eucalyptus trees

25. Generalists are consumers that have a varying diet.
Specialists are consumers that primarily eat one specific organism or a very small number of organisms.
Generalists are consumers that have a varying diet.

26. Habitat
A habitat is a place an organism lives out its life

27. Nutrition & Energy Flow
Section 2

28. The Producers: Autotrophs
The ultimate source of the energy for life is the sun
Plants use the sun’s energy to manufacture food in a process called photosynthesis
An organism that uses light energy or energy stored in chemical compounds to make energy-rich compounds is a producer, or autotroph

29. The Consumer: Heterotrophs
An organism that cannot make its own food and feeds on other organisms is called a Heterotrophs or consumers
Heterotrophs include: organisms that feed only on autotrophs, organisms that feed only on other heterotrophs, and organisms that feed on both autotrophs and heterotrophs

30. Herbivores
Herbivores are heterotrophs that feed on only plants

31. Carnivores Carnivores are heterotrophs that feed on only meat
American Black Bear
Are carnivores even though they
Feed on berries

32. Omnivores
Omnivores are heterotrophs that feed on both plants and animals
badger

33. Scavengers
Scavengers are heterotrophs that feed on animals that have already died

34. Decomposers
Some organisms, such as bacteria and fungi, are decomposers
Decomposers break down the complex compounds of dead and decaying plants and animals into simpler molecules that can be more easily absorbed

35. Other types of relationships

36. Symbiosis
The relationship in which there is a close and permanent association between organisms of different species is called symbiosis
Symbiosis means living together.
Three kinds of symbiosis are recognized:
1. Mutualism
2. Commensalism
3. Parasitism

37. Mutualism
Mutualism: is a symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit

38. Commensalism
Commensalism: is a symbiotic relationship in which one species benefits and the other species is neither harmed nor benefited.

39. Parasitism
Parasitism is a symbiotic relationship in which a member of one species derives benefit at the expense of another species (the host)
Parasites have evolved in such a way that they harm, but usually do not kill the host species

40. Predator vs. Prey
A predator is a type of consumer. Predators seek out and eat other organisms.
Predation is found in all ecosystems and includes organisms that eat plants and animals
The animals that predators eat are called prey

41. Flow of Matter and Energy in Ecosystems
Autotrophs
Third-order heterotrophs
Second-order heterotrophs
First-order heterotrophs
Decomposer

42. Food Chain
A food chain is a simple model that scientists use to show how matter and energy move through an ecosystem
In a food chain, nutrients and energy move from autotrophs to heterotrophs and, eventually, to decomposers
A food chain is drawn using arrows to indicate the direction in which energy is transferred from one organism to the next- uses 3 to 5 links
minnow → brim → bass

43. Food Chain in an Antarctic Ecosystem

44. Trophic Levels
Each organism in a food chain represents a feeding step, or trophic level, in the passage of energy and materials
A food chain represents only one possible route for the transfer of matter and energy through an ecosystem.

45. Energy Transfer Through Trophic Levels

46. Food Webs
A food web shows all the possible feeding relationships at each trophic level in a community

47. Food Web in an Antarctic Ecosystem

48. Ecological Food Pyramid
An ecological pyramid can show how energy flows through an ecosystem
The base of the ecological pyramid represents the autotrophs, or first trophic level. Higher trophic levels are layered on top of one another.

50. Cycles of LIFE

51. The Water Cycle Steps of the Water Cycle Evaporation Condensation
Transpiration
Precipitation

52. Water cycles through the environment.
The hydrologic, or water, cycle is the circular pathway of water on Earth.
Organisms all have bodies made mostly of water.
precipitation
condensation
transpiration
evaporation
water storage
in ocean
surface
runoff
lake
groundwater
seepage

54. Oxygen cycles indirectly through an ecosystem by the cycling of other nutrients.
respiration
carbon
dioxide
photosynthesis

55. The Carbon Cycle
The carbon cycle is the process through which carbon is cycled through the air, ground, plants, animals, and fossil fuels. 
Large amounts of carbon exist in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2). 
Carbon dioxide is cycled by green plants during the process known as photosynthesis to make organic molecules (glucose, which is food). 
Carbon is emitted by the burning of fossil fuels.
Some carbon is stored for long periods of time in areas called carbon sinks.

58. The Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen is used by living organisms to produce a number of complex organic molecules like amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
The amount of nitrogen found in the atmosphere, where it exists as a gas (mainly N2), plays an important role for life.

59. Nitrogen Cycle
The nitrogen cycle mostly takes place underground.
Some bacteria convert gaseous nitrogen into ammonia through a process called nitrogen fixation.
Some nitrogen-fixing bacteria live in nodules on the roots of plants; others live freely in the soil.
soybeans

61. Phosphate is released by the weathering of rocks.
The phosphorus cycle takes place at and below ground level.
Phosphate is released by the weathering of rocks.
Phosphorus moves through the food web and returns to the soil during decomposition.
Phosphorus leaches into groundwater from the soil and is locked in sediments.
Both mining and agriculture add phosphorus into the environment.
geologic uplifting
rain
weathering of
phosphate from rocks
runoff
sedimentation
forms new rocks
leaching
phosphate in solution
animals
plants
decomposers
phosphate
in soil