1. Ecology

2. What is ecology?
The scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment.
Interactions can take place between living and nonliving things.

3. Abiotic Factors Nonliving parts of environment Soil Temperature
Sunlight
Water/Moisture

4. Biotic Factors
All the living organisms

5. Levels of Organization in Ecology
Organism – an individual
Population – a group of organisms of the same species that live in the same place at the same time.
Community – a collection of interacting populations
Ecosystem – interactions of living and nonliving things in the community

6. Organism

7. Population

8. Community

9. Ecosystem

10. How organisms obtain energy
Producers – can make own food; usually use energy from the sun (photosynthesis)
6CO2 + 12H2O  C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O
Consumers – must eat other organisms; cannot make own food

11. Different Types of Consumers
Herbivore – eat only plants
Carnivore – eat only animals
Omnivore – eat both plants and animals
Decomposer – break down and absorb nutrients of dead plants and animals
Scavenger – eat rotting flesh (like road kill)

12. Food Chain Shows how matter and energy move through ecosystem
Arrows indicate flow of energy
Only a portion of original energy is passed on to other organisms in chain (10% each link)
Example:
Algae  Fish  Heron

13. Food Web Made up of many food chains
Shows all possible feeding relationships in a community
More realistic than a food chain, because most animals eat more than one thing.

14. Identify the: 1. Producers 2. Primary Consumers 3. Secondary Consumers
2. Primary Consumers
3. Secondary Consumers
4. Herbivores
5. Carnivores
6. Omnivores

15. Let’s check for understanding!
Are you ready?

16. Question 1 Which of these does not belong to the group? Consumer Human
Fish
Plant

17. Question 2 All energy transformations in an ecosystem begin with --
A scavenger
A decomposer
The Sun
An herbivore

18. Question 3
In a food chain, which are the most efficient users of solar energy?
Herbivores
Carnivores
Omnivores
Scavengers

19. Question 4

20. Autotrophs- “auto”matically makes its own food…producers…plants
Quiz on Monday 2/09/15 on Food webs and Energy pyramids Need parent signature ______
Autotrophs- “auto”matically makes its own food…producers…plants
Energy enters an ecosystem from the SUN!
A food chain shows feeding relationships in an ecosystem
A habitat would include shelter, food, water.
What happens during photosynthesis? The cell uses the energy in sunlight to make food.

21. Abiotic-nonliving parts of an ecosystem
Biotic- living parts of an ecosystem
What part of the plant captures most of the sun’s energy? Chlorophyll
Examples of producers: seaweed, grass, cacti
Examples of consumers: rabbits, snakes, hawks

22. What do third level consumers eat? 2nd level consumers
What do 1st level consumers eat? Producers
What would vultures be considered in the food chain? Scavengers
What would bacteria or fungi be considered in the food chain? Decomposers

23. What do all food chains or energy pyramids start with
What do all food chains or energy pyramids start with? Producers or autotrophs
Which level of an energy pyramid receives the most amount of energy? The producers or the bottom
Which receives the least amount of energy? The top or 3rd level consumers

24. What happens to the consumers in an ecosystem if the producers die
What happens to the consumers in an ecosystem if the producers die? Consumers would leave the area in search of food.
If a bird eats a mouse that eats grass, the bird is what level consumer? 2nd level
What happens to the available energy between the bottom level and the top level of an energy pyramid? It decreases

25. Levels of ecological succession:
Organism, Population, Community, Ecosystem
***The process of helping the natural decomposition process break down of waste is called-COMPOSTING***
ONLY 10% OF ENERGY IS TRANSFERRED UP THE ENERGY PYRAMID!!!

26. Energy Pyramid