1. Ecology: Review
SNC1P

2. • Abiotic and biotic characteristics
Ecosystems
Key Concepts
• Abiotic and biotic characteristics
• Photosynthesis and cellular respiration
• Nutrient cycles and energy flows
• Equilibrium and carrying capacity

3. Environment –
all of the living and non-living things that exit on Earth as well as their interactions with each other.
In order for future generations to enjoy the Earth as we do today we must use the natural environment in a sustainable way.

4. Healthy, sustainable environments have high levels biodiversity.
Sustainability-
populations of plants, animals, and other living organisms can continue to interact, and to reproduce indefinitely. Biodiversity is preserved.
Biodiversity-
The number of different types of organisms in an area.
Healthy, sustainable environments have high levels biodiversity.

5. Ecological systems are complex
Ecology – The study of how organisms interact with each other as well as with their environment.
Someone who studies Ecology is known as an ecologist.

6. Elements of Ecology
An Ecosystem is a complex, self-regulating system in which living things interact with each other and with non-living things.
An ecosystem is said to be self-regulating if the interactions keep it healthy and sustainable.

7. Ecosystems Have Communities
A Species is a group of similar organisms in an ecosystem. Members of a species can reproduce with each other, and their offspring can reproduce. Ex grey squirrels can reproduce when they mate with each other but not with a red squirrel.

8. Ecosystems Have Communities
A Population is a group of members of the same species that live in the same area. The area that an organism lives is its habitat.

9. Ecosystems Have Communities
A Community is made up of populations of different species that live and interact in an area. Example: a park
All of the interactions of a species with its ecosystem form the species niche. (what the squirrel does)

10. BIOME
A Biome is a large geographical region that contains similar ecosystems. On land, biomes are defined by the type of plants that grow in them, average temperature, and average rainfall. Ecosystems in a biome usually have similar biotic factors we divide them into terrestrial (land) and aquatic (water-based) biomes.

11. Abiotic non-living factors Biotic Living organisms Elements of Ecology
In order to classify what is living and what is not living, ecologists use the following terms.
Biotic
Living organisms
animals, plants, bacteria, fungi, and algae.
Abiotic
non-living factors
Rocks, water, air, temperature, hours of light, or salt concentration.

12. Biosphere 1. Atmosphere The layer of gasses that surround the earth.
The gasses are used to trap heat and moisture around the earth
The gases are also necessary for life to exist. (O2, CO2, H2O)

13. Biosphere 2. Lithosphere
The Earths solid, outer layer. It is 100km deep and runs under the oceans.
It contains soil which is home to many micro- organisms, plants, animals, and fungi.

14. Biosphere 3. Hydrosphere All of the water on the Earth.
All living organisms need water, and so they depend on the hydrosphere.

15. Biosphere

16. The Water Cycle
The sun warms the surface water, and the water evaporates into the atmosphere.
The water vapour cools and condenses to form clouds.
Water falling from the clouds to the ground is called precipitation
Water that runs from the ground into streams or rivers is called run-off.

17. The Water Cycle
Some water seeps through the soil and into ground water. Large underground lakes are known as aquifers.
Plants absorb some of the water in the ground and release it through their leaves in a process known as transpiration
The water vapour rises and the cycle continues.

19. The Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrifying bacteria convert the ammonia into nitrates
Nitrates are absorbed and used by the plants
Animals eat plants to obtain nitrogen.
The animals then produce ammonia which is removed as waste.
Nitrifying bacteria then convert the ammonia to nitrates.
Denitrifying bacteria in the soil convert nitrates back into nitrogen gas.

20. Nitrogen cycle

21. The Carbon Cycle (2 parts)
1. Photosynthesis
2. Cellular respiration
All living things contain carbon
Plants obtain carbon from the atmosphere
Forests are carbon reservoirs as well as coal and oil deposits
Oceans are also reservoirs for carbon dioxide

22. 1. Photosynthesis
The process that plants use to capture energy from sunlight
Plants use chlorophyll to combine carbon dioxide from the air (CO2) and water (H2O) to produce a sugar called glucose (C6H12O6) and oxygen gas (O2)
Summary
Carbon dioxide gas + water + sunlight  glucose + oxygen gas
CO2 + H2O + sunlight  C6H12O6 + O2

24. 2. Cellular respiration
The process both Plants and animals both to turn glucose into energy. It is almost the reverse of photosynthesis
Summary
Glucose + Oxygen gas  Carbon dioxide + Water + energy
C6H12O6 + O2  CO2 + H2O + energy

26. Photosynthesis + Cellular Respiration = Carbon Cycle

27. Producers and Consumers
Producers (Autotrophs)
Organisms that carry out photosynthesis
Convert the suns energy into useable chemical energy
Plants, algae and some other organisms

28. Consumers (Heterotrophs)
Organisms that eat other organisms to obtain energy because they cannot produce their own energy.
Ended here

29. Consumers (Heterotrophs)
Trophic levels of consumers
Primary Consumer
Eat producers
Grasshoppers, Deer, Moose
Secondary Consumer
Eat Primary consumers
Robins, Small snakes, Frogs
Tertiary Consumers
Eat Secondary Consumers
Foxes, Wolves,

30. Consumers
Consumers can further be classified as to what type of tissues they eat
Herbivore
Only eat plant tissue
Deer, Moose

31. Consumers Eat mostly animal tissue Carnivores Wolves, Coyotes
Animals that hunt and kill other animals are called predators; the animals they kill are the prey.
An animal can be a predator to a smaller animal and prey to a larger one.

32. Consumers Carnivores that eat the tissue of animals they did not kill
Scavengers
Carnivores that eat the tissue of animals they did not kill
Vultures
Omnivores
Eat plant and animal tissue
Most humans, Bears, Racoons

33. Consumers
Decomposers
Special group of consumers that break down organic matter and release the nutrients back into the ecosystem.
They do not eat the organic material directly; they release enzymes which break it down which they then absorb.
Fungi and bacteria
Detritivore
Consumers that feed on Organic Matter
The remains of dead organisms and animal waste
Snails, worms, maggots.

35. Food Web

36. Energy Pyramids
Only 10 % of the energy consumed is passed on to the next consumer.
The more levels there are between the producer and final consumer the less energy is left over.

37. Symbiotic Relationships (3 types)
Symbiosis is a close interaction between two different species in which members of one species live in, on, or near members of another species.
1. Commensalism
+ / 0 relationship
One partner benefits without significantly affecting the other
Example – Clown fish and anemone

38. Symbiotic Relationships (3 types)
2. Mutualism
+ / + relationship
Both organisms benefit
Example – Bees and flowers, crocodiles and dikkop birds

39. Symbiotic Relationships (3 types)
3. Parasitism
+/ - relationship
One organism, the parasite, harms the host
Example – Lamprey, tick

40. Predator – Prey Relationships
When one organism consumes a second organism
Example – Lions and Zebras
Some species use mimicry to avoid predators
one species looks like another species.
Monarch butterfly
Viceroy Butterfly

41. Competitive Relationships (2 types)
Where organisms compete for an important resource such as food, shelter or possibly mates.
May have negative effects on one another.
Actual fighting or exploitative competition
1. Intraspecific
Between members of the same species
Individuals may compete over food, water, light, space, safe sites, or mates.
Important factor limiting the population size of many species.

42. Competitive Relationships (2 types) 2. Interspecific
Between 2 or more species
As the population of one species increases, it may limit the density of the competing species

43. Biotic Potential
The maximum number of offspring that a species could produce, if resources were unlimited.

44. 4 Factors of biotic potential
Birth Potential
The maximum number of offspring per birth
Survival Capacity
The number of offspring that reach reproductive age.
Procreation
The number of times that a species reproduces a year.
Length of reproductive life
The age of sexual maturity and the number of years the individual can reproduce.

45. Limiting Factor
Limiting Factor - Environmental factor that prevents an increase in the number of organisms in a population or prevents them from moving into new habitats.

46. Limiting Factor Abiotic Limiting Factors Biotic Limiting Factors
Sunlight, water, soil, and air, natural disturbances such as storms, fires, droughts, and logging.
Biotic Limiting Factors
Competition among organisms for resources, presence of predators, reliance on other organisms for survival, and the presence of disease causing organisms.

47. Carrying capacity
The maximum number individuals that an organism can support without reducing its ability to support future generations of the same species.
Exceeding the carrying capacity hurts the environment.

48. Assessing Impacts on Ecosystems
Assessing Soils
Soil - is a loose covering on the ground containing a mixture of organic matter, minerals, and moisture. Soil quality has 3 parts.
1. Soil Profile
Topsoil is the uppermost layer in soil.
Contains
Humus – decaying organic matter
Rock particles
Bacteria, fungi, insects and worms.

49. 2. Subsoil is the layer below topsoil.
Assessing Soils
2. Subsoil is the layer below topsoil.
Little or no organic matter except roots of very large trees and bacteria.
3. Bedrock forms the bottom of the soil profile.
solid rock
Water sits above it
The top surface of ground water is called the water table.

50. Species at Risk
As a population declines overtime the species may become at risk.
Any native species that is in danger of becoming extinct or disappearing from a region.
There are different levels of risk
currently over 200 species at risk in Ontario

51. Levels Of Risk Level of Risk Definition Extirpated
A species that no longer exists in Ontario but still occurs elsewhere
Endangered
A species that faces extinction or extirpated
Threatened
A species that is at risk of becoming endangered if limiting factors are not reversed
Special Concern
A species with characteristic that make it sensitive to human activities or natural events.

52. Questions Questions attached to the review sheet AND
Page All questions – Answers P. 597
Page 164 – All questions - Answers P. 598