1. Ecosystems
8.L.3

2. Factors that effect us:
1. Abiotic Factors
Moisture
Wind/Air currents
Light
Temperature
Soil

3. A- stands for non
Bio- stands for living
Abiotic Factors- nonliving factors

4. 2. Biotic Factors:

5. What is the organization of Ecological Study?
Organism
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biosphere

6. Levels of Organization
Individual- one organism (living)
Ex. a moose

7. Levels of Organization
Population- groups of individuals that belong to the species and live in the same area. (living-living same species)
Ex. many moose

8. Density Dependent
Depends on the density (large population) competition for food, water, shelter, predation, parasitism/disease – triggered by increases in population

9. Density Independent
Occurs regardless of how large the population is and reduces the population through the following factors: abiotic (weather), pollution (human), natural disasters (fire)

10. Levels of Organization
Community- groups of different populations (more than one population or different groups of species)
Ex. many groups of moose, beavers, trees, grass (all living)

11. Levels of Organization
Ecosystem- all organisms in a particular area along with the nonliving. (living and nonliving)
Terrestrial or Aquatic
Ex. many groups of moose, beavers, trees, grass, rocks, water, mountains

12. Levels of Organization
Biome- group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities
Biomes: tropical rain forest, woodland, temperate forest, northwestern coniferous forest, tundra, mountains and ice caps

13. Levels of Organization
Biosphere- all of the planet where life exists, includes land, water, and, air

14. IN AN ECOSYSTEM: Organisms live in a Habitat
Organisms fit into a Niche of the environment

15. Habitat vs. Niche Habitat- an area where an organism lives
Niche- an organisms role in its environment
The Long Version  full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions. Includes where in the food chain it is, where an organism feeds
Habitat is like an address in an ecosystem and a niche is like an occupation in an ecosystem.

16. Community Interactions
When organisms live together in an ecological community they interact constantly.
Three types of interactions
Competition
Predation
Symbiosis

17. Competition- competing for resources
Occurs due to a limited number of resources
Resource- any necessity of life. Water, nutrients, light, food.
Competitive exclusion principle- no two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time

18. Predation
Predation- when an organism captures and feeds on another organism.
Predator- hunter
Prey- hunted

19. Symbiosis
Symbiosis- any relationship where two species live closely together. (3 types)
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism
Symbiosis

20. Symbiosis Mutualism- both species benefit from a relationship.
Lichens (fungus and Algae)
One example is the lichens, little non-descript patches of stuff you see growing on rocks and tree bark. This is a symbiosis, consisting of a fungus and an alga. The fungus provides a protective home for the algae, and gathers mineral nutrients from rainwater and from dissolving the rock underneath. The alga gathers energy from the sun. There are thousands of species of lichen in the world; actually thousands of species of fungi with just a few species of algae which can form a partnership with almost any of them.

21. Symbiosis
Commensalism – One member of a symbiotic relationship benefits and the other is neither helped or harmed
Ex. Holes used by bluebirds in a tree were chiseled out by woodpeckers after it has been abandoned .

22. Symbiosis Parasitism- One creature benefits and one creature is harmed
Ex tapeworm. Feeds in a humans intestines absorbing his/her nutrients.
Gross Science

23. Identify these relationships

24. Energy Flow (Trophic Levels)
Producers- make their own food
Consumers- get energy from consuming producers

25. Producers
Producers- capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use the energy to produce food.
Producers are autotrophs- they make food from their environment

26. 2 main types of autotrophs
One type gets energy from the sun-by photosynthesis
Another type gets energy without light- by chemosynthesis

27. Consumers
Consumers are heterotrophs- get energy from other organisms

28. Types of Consumers Herbivores- eat only plants Carnivores- eat animals
Omnivores- eat both plants and animals
Detritivores- eat dead matter (plants and animals)

29. Feeding Relationships
Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction from:
1. the sun or inorganic compounds
2. To autotrophs (producers)
3. To heterotrophs (consumers)
Decomposers get energy from decomposing dead organisms

30. Food Chain- a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating or being eaten.
Food Web- A network of feeding relationships.
(More realistic than a food chain)

31. Food Web

32. They can become very complex!

33. Trophic levels
Each step in a food chain or a food web is called a trophic level.
Producers are the first trophic level
Consumers are the second, third, or higher trophic level
Each trophic level depends on the one below for energy

34. Energy Pyramid
Only part of the energy stored in one level can be passed to the next- most energy is consumed for life processes (respiration, movement, etc., and heat is given off)
Only 10% of the energy available within one trophic level is transferred to organisms in the next trophic level

35. Biomass Pyramid
Biomass- the total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level.
A biomass pyramid represents the amount of potential food available for each trophic level in an ecosystem.

37. Energy Losses Energy transfers are never 100 percent efficient
Some energy is lost at each step
Limits the number of trophic levels in an ecosystem
Energy flow is a one way path! (not a cycle)

38. All Heat in the End
At each trophic level, the bulk of the energy received from the previous level is used in metabolism
This energy is released as heat energy and lost to the ecosystem
Eventually, all energy is released as heat

39. Biogeochemical Cycles (Matter moving through the environment)
All living organisms need certain elements/compounds for life processes
Ex: your cells need C,H,O,P,N & S in order to live and reproduce (make more cell)
Cycles in nature keep these elements “moving” from organisms to organism (and sometimes into the atmosphere)

40. Biogeochemical Cycles (Matter moving through the environment)
The flow of a nutrient from the environment to living organisms and back to the environment
Main reservoir for the nutrient is in the environment
Transfer rates to and from reservoir are usually lower than the rates of exchange between and among organisms.
Matter is recycled through an ecosystem – not one way flow

41. Three Categories Hydrologic cycle Atmospheric cycles
Water
Atmospheric cycles
Nitrogen and carbon
Sedimentary cycles
Phosphorus and sulfur

42. CYCLES IN NATURE

44. Carbon Cycle
Carbon moves through the atmosphere and food webs on its way to and from the ocean, sediments, and rocks
Sediments and rocks are the main reservoir

46. Carbon Cycle diffusion Atmosphere Bicarbonate, carbonate Terrestrial
photosynthesis
TERRESTRIAL ROCKS
volcanic action
weathering
diffusion
Atmosphere
Bicarbonate, carbonate
Terrestrial
Rocks
Land Food Webs
Marine food
webs
Soil Water
Peat, Fossil Fuels
Marine Sediments

47. Carbon in the Oceans
Most carbon in the ocean is dissolved carbonate and bicarbonate
Ocean currents carry dissolved carbon

48. Carbon in Atmosphere Atmospheric carbon is mainly carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is added to atmosphere
Aerobic respiration, volcanic action, burning fossil fuels, decomposition of organic materials
Removed by photosynthesis

49. Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen is used in amino acids and nucleic acids (all living organism need nitrogen to make proteins)
Main reservoir is nitrogen gas in the atmosphere
Decomposers are vital to convert ammonia into:
usable nitrites & nitrates for plants (nitrogen fixation)
nitrogen gas (denitrification = puts it back into the atmosphere)

52. Phosphorus Cycle
Phosphorus is part of phospholipids and all nucleotides
What are these?
It is the most prevalent limiting factor in ecosystems
Main reservoir is Earth’s crust; no gaseous phase (it never enters the atmosphere – like carbon and nitrogen)

53. Phosphorus Cycle mining FERTILIZER excretion GUANO agriculture
weathering
uptake by autotrophs
uptake by autotrophs
MARINE FOOD WEBS
DISSOLVED IN OCEAN WATER
weathering
DISSOLVED IN SOILWATER, LAKES, RIVERS
LAND FOOD WEBS
death, decomposition
death, decomposition
sedimentation
setting out
leaching, runoff
uplifting over geolgic time
MARINE SEDIMENTS
ROCKS

55. Foldable Density Dependent and Density Independent
Fold an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper hamburger style leaving about ½ inch on one side to write the title on.
Fold again hamburger style. Open and cut the flap up to the fold.
Left side label: Density Dependent
Right side label: Density Independent
Open and fill in information for appropriate side using the following format.
upper fold information (shorter side)
Picture on bottom of fold (longer side)

56. Comparison Density Dependent Density Independent
Food shortage
Competition for mates – breeding areas (habitat)
Disease caused by a microorganism or parasite
Introduction of an exotic species
Increased predation
Competition for water and other resources.
Food
Fire
Spraying with pesticides
Change in climate or temperature
Destruction of habitat
Drought