1. R th

2. Standards – what you need to know!
Broad concept: Ecology is the interaction among organisms and between organisms and their environment
Explain how birth, death, immigration and emigration influence population size
Food webs – producers, consumers, decomposers, transfer of energy
Explain how water, carbon, and nitrogen cycle between abiotic resources and organic matter. nges in population size & biodiversity that result from the following: natural causes, changes in climate, human activity, invasive species

3. Ecology—the scientific study of interactions between different organisms and between organisms and their environment
How living organisms affect each other and the world they live in.

4. What is an Ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a community of living and non-living things that work together.
An ecosystem can be as large as a desert or a lake or as small as a tree or a puddle

5. Ecosystems
A healthy ecosystem has lots of species diversity and is less likely to be seriously damaged by human interaction, natural disasters and climate changes.
Every species has a niche in its ecosystem that helps keep the system healthy.
We are learning about new species every day, and we are just figuring out the roles they play in the natural world. By studying and maintaining biodiversity, we help keep our planet healthy

7. Critical parts of an ecosystem
An ecosystem includes soil, atmosphere, heat and light from the sun, water and living organisms.
Living & non-living components

8. Example of an Ecosystem : Life in a lake
In a lake ecosystem, the sun hits the water and helps the algae grow Algae produces oxygen for animals like fish, and provides food for microscopic animals
Small fish eat the microscopic animals, absorb oxygen with their gills and expel carbon dioxide, which plants then use to grow.
If the algae disappeared, everything else would be impacted. Microscopic animals wouldn't have enough food, fish wouldn't have enough oxygen and plants would lose some of the carbon dioxide they need to grow.

9. Example of an artificial Ecosystem
Terrarium
The water, water temperature, plants, animals, air, light and soil all work together.
If there isn't enough light or water or if the soil doesn't have the right nutrients, the plants will die.
If the plants die, animals that depend on them will die.
If the animals that depend on the plants die, any animals that depends on those animals will die.
Ecosystems in nature work the same way.
All the parts work together to make a balanced system!

10. Part 1: Energy & Relationships

11. What forms the base of an ecosystem?
Energy!
The flow of energy through an ecosystem determines HOW an ecosystem sustains life, and HOW MUCH life that it can sustain.

12. Biotic—living factors that influence an ecosystem
The living organisms (plants, animals, bacteria)
Abiotic—non-living factors that influence an ecosystem and an organisms life.
Temperature
Moisture
Light
Soil

13. Abiotic or Biotic?
Biotic

14. Abiotic or Biotic?
Abiotic

15. Abiotic or Biotic?
The water
Abiotic

16. Abiotic or Biotic?
Biotic

17. Producers A. Sunlight is the main energy source for life on earth
Producers are also
called autotrophs
C. Use light or chemical
energy to make food
1. Plants
2. plant-like protists (algae)
3. Bacteria

18. Consumers
Organisms that rely on other organisms for their energy and food supply
B. Also called heterotrophs

19. Herbivores—obtain energy by
eating only plants
Carnivores—eat only animals

20. Omnivores—eat both plants and animals
Decomposers—breaks down dead organic matter

21. Decomposers
Decomposers are plants and animals that break down dead plants and animals into organic materials that go back into the soil.

22. Levels of Organization
Ecologists have organized the interactions an organism takes part in into different levels according to complexity.

23. 1st Level of Organization
Organism:
An individual living thing that is made of cells, uses energy, reproduces, responds, grows, and develops

24. 2nd Level of Organization
Population:
A group of organisms, all of the same species, which interbreed and live in the same place at the same time.

25. 3rd Level of Organization
Community:
All the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time.

26. 4th Level of Organization
Ecosystem:
Populations of plants and animals that interact with each other in a given area with the abiotic components of that area. (terrestrial or aquatic)

27. 5th Level of Organization
Biosphere:
The portion of Earth that supports life.

28. The Biosphere
Life is found in air, on land, and in fresh and salt water.
The BIOSPHERE is the portion of Earth that supports living things.

29. Biosphere Ecosystem Community Population Organism
Just like with classification, ecology is hierarchal. Each level builds on itself and they fit together like nesting boxes.
Population
Organism

30. Photosynthesis—uses light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and carbohydrates

31. Feeding Interactions
A. Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction—from the sun or inorganic compounds to autotrophs (producers) and then to heterotrophs (consumers)

32. Food Chain—series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
Arrows go in the direction of how energy is transferred
Start with producer and end with top consumer
or carnivore
Ex: grass cricket frog raccoon

33. C. Food Web—network of food chains within an ecosystem
Hawks
Weasels
Raccoons
Mice
Grass
Grass
Which of the organisms above is the producer?
Which of the organisms above is the top consumer?
Hawks

34. Trophic Levels—each step in a food chain or food web
1. Level 1—Producers (autotrophs)
2. Level 2—Primary Consumers (herbivores)
3. Level 3—Secondary Consumers
(carnivores or omnivores)
4. Level 4—Tertiary Consumers
(carnivore—usually top carnivore)

35. Hawks
Weasels
Raccoons
Mice
Grass
Food Webs

38. energy pyramids
Only PART of the total energy from one trophic level is passed on to the next trophic level within a food web.
approximately 10% is passed on within each transfer
Trees—75 ‘units’ of energy
Giraffe—7.5 ‘units’ of energy
Lion —0.75 ‘units’ of energy

40. Where does all of the “lost” energy go?
The “lost” energy (90% of the total at each trophic level) is used in two ways:
1) Used as energy for life processes
Growing, Reproducing, Moving, etc.
2) Lost as heat

42. V. Ecological Interactions between organisms
Competition—when two organisms of the same or different species attempt to use an ecological resource in the same place at the same time.
Ex: food, water, shelter

43. Monkeys compete with each other and other animals for food.
Rams compete with each other for mates.

44. Until Americans introduced gray squirrels into parts of England in the early 20th century, red squirrels had been the only species of squirrel in the country. The gray squirrels were larger and bred faster and successfully competed for resources. Within a couple years of overlap in an area, the red squirrels disappeared.

45. B. Niche—the ecological niche involves both the
B. Niche—the ecological niche involves both the place where an organism lives and the roles that an organism has in its habitat.
Example: The ecological niche of a sunflower growing in the backyard includes absorbing light, water and nutrients (for photosynthesis), providing shelter and food for other organisms (e.g. bees, ants, etc.), and giving off oxygen into the atmosphere.

46. Example: The niche of a bullfrog:
Eats insects, minnows
Is eaten by snakes, raccoons, birds
Lives In or near lakes or streams
Adapts by burrowing in pond mud to hibernate
Reproduces by laying eggs in water during warm months

47. “Address”—Soil, Ground, etc.
The ecological niche of an organism depends not only on where it lives but also on what it does. By analogy, it may be said that the habitat is the organism’s “address”, and the niche is its “profession”, biologically speaking.
“Address”—Soil, Ground, etc.
Worm’s Niche
“Profession”– Mix-up soil

48. C. Predation—one organism captures and feeds on another organism
1. Predator—one that does the killing
2. Prey—one that is the food

50. 1. Mutualism—both species benefit (WIN-WIN) Ex: insects and flowers
D. Symbiosis—any relationship in which two species live closely together
1. Mutualism—both species benefit (WIN-WIN)
Ex: insects and flowers
Can you think of any other examples?

51. Example: barnacles on a whale
2. Commensalism—one member of the association benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed.
(WIN-0)
Example: barnacles on a whale

52. Birds build nests in trees.
The Remora fish attaches to the shark and gets a free ride.
Commensalism
Birds build nests in trees.

53. 3. Parasitism—one organisms lives on or inside another organism (host) and harms it.
The parasite obtains all or part of its nutritional needs from the host. (WIN-LOSE)
Example: fleas on a dog

54. Parasitism Wasp eggs on back of caterpillar.
Sea lampreys feed on fluids of other fish.
Mosquito biting a human.

55. Immigrations vs. Emmigration
Immigration – organisms enter environment
Emigration – organisms leave environment

56. Part 2 : Cycles

57. Nutrient Cycles 3 cycles
Cycling maintains homeostasis (balance) in the environment.
3 cycles
Water cycle
Carbon cycle
Nitrogen cycle

58. The Water Cycle All living things require water to survive.
Water molecules are constantly moving between oceans, rivers, lakes, atmosphere, clouds, soil, and living beings.
Water never leaves the Earth
Evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation

59. Water cycle

61. Evaporation
Evaporation: Process by which the sun heats up liquid water and changes it to a gas
Water loss from lakes, rivers, oceans etc….

62. Condensation
Condensation: Process by which water rises into the atmosphere, cools and becomes a liquid again.
*Water vapor forms clouds

63. Precipitation
Precipitation: Process by which water condenses and falls back to the earth.
*rain, snow, sleet etc…

64. Transpiration: The process of evaporation from plant leaves.

65. Runoff
Runoff: Water that collects in rivers, streams, and oceans

66. The Carbon Cycle Carbon is a key component of living tissue.
Carbon is taken in by plants during photosynthesis and given off by plants and animals during respiration.
Decomposing plants & animals return Carbon to the soil

67. The Carbon Cycle Types of processes moving carbon:
Biological processes like photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition, take up and release carbon & oxygen.
Geochemical processes like erosion and volcanic activity release carbon dioxide in to the atmosphere and oceans.
Human activities such as mining, cutting and burning forests and fossil fuels, release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

69. Summary Carbon (as CO2) is accumulated… Carbon (as CO2) is released…
Photosynthesis uses sunlight to make carbohydrate from CO2.
Carbon (as CO2) is released…
Respiration - carbon is oxidized for energy.
Combustion - carbon is burned
Weathering - rain (slightly acidic) weathers calcium carbonate rocks

70. The Nitrogen Cycle
All organisms require nitrogen to make amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
Many different forms of nitrogen occur in the biosphere:
Nitrogen gas (N2) in the atmosphere
Ammonia (NH3) in soil
Nitrate (NO3-)
Nitrite ions (NO2-) in waste produced by organisms
Ammonium (NH4+)

71. The Nitrogen Cycle
Atmospheric nitrogen (N2) makes up nearly 78%-80% of air.
Organisms can not use it in that form.
Lightning and bacteria convert nitrogen into usable forms.

72. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria:
Some live in a symbiotic relationship with plants of the legume family (e.g., soybeans, clover, peanuts).

75. Review

77. E N R G Y Trophic Levels Producers- __________
Tertiary consumers- top ___________
_________ consumers-small carnivores/omnivores
Primary _________- Herbivores
Producers- __________

78. Food __________ Food ___________
(just 1 path of energy) (all possible energy paths)

79. Symbiotic Relationships
Symbiosis = two species living together
3 Types of symbiosis:
1. Commensalism
2. Parasitism
3. Mutualism
Cleaning shrimp

80. Mutualism, Commensalism or Parasitism??

81. Habitat or Niche
_______ - the role a species plays in a community; its total way of life
________- the place in which an organism lives out its life
Although several species may share a habitat they each have their own niche. A niche is a very narrow range where a species fits within a habitat.

82. Question 1
Leaves fall from deciduous trees in autumn. The carbon in these leaves is returned to the atmosphere through which of the following processes? A. condensation B. decomposition C. photosynthesis D. transpiration

83. Question 2 Which of the following processes
releases primarily oxygen into the
atmosphere?
A. combustion
B. osmosis
C. photosynthesis
D. respiration

84. Question 3
If many trees are removed from a forest by logging, what is the most immediate effect on the carbon cycle in that forest? A. increased rates of decomposition B. decreased use of atmospheric CO2 C. decreased combustion of fossil fuels D. increased production of organic compounds