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

6. Community Interactions
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. Prey- Deer
Predator- Coyote
-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.

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 make (produce) their own energy, and are food for other organisms.
Heterotrophs
(Consumers)
- organisms that have to eat other organisms (consume) 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. Each Level In A Food Chain or Food Web is a Trophic Level.
Trophic Levels
Each Level In A Food Chain or Food Web is a Trophic Level.
Producers (autotrophs)
Always The First Trophic Level
How Energy Enters The System

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

14. Who eats whom? 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.
Food Chain
Tertiary Consumer
Secondary Consumer 3 1
Primary Consumer 2 4
Quaternary Consumer
Producer (converts radiant energy into chemical energy)

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

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

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

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

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

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

21. All food chains start with ENERGY from the sun

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. They are called primary consumers
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
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 do you think the frog eats?
What will eat the frog?
What do you think the frog eats?

37. Sometimes it’s not entirely clear who is eating whom!

38. We can show what goes on with the help of a Food Web
a diagram linking several 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:
There is very little rain and much of the Marsh Grass and Cattail die off.
Humans nearby bring cats into the area.
The frogs eats some poisoned slugs from a garden

47. Food Web Analysis Worksheet

48. The population of frogs would ______________.
Exit Ticket
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 ______________.

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

50. 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% of energy is lost to the atmosphere as heat from one level to the next.

51. 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

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

53. Energy through an Ecosystem Worksheet
Ecological Practice Problems Worksheet

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

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

56. Biodiversity Biodiversity: the variety of living things in an area.
Increases the stability of an ecosystem
Contributes to the health of the biosphere

57. Threats to Biodiversity
Overexploitation
Habitat Loss
Fragmentation of Habitat (edge effect)
Pollution (biomagnification)
Introduced Species

58. Population Dynamics and Biodiversity Worksheet

59. 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.
Primary succession:
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.

60. Ecosystems are constantly changing.
Secondary succession:
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.

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

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

63. Succession Drawings

64. 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)

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

66. Carbon Cycle
Carbon, in the form of CO2, 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.

67. 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.

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

70. Biomes Foldable