1. Ecology

2. Warm-Up
Identify subatomic particles and describe how they are arranged in atoms.
Protons: (+) in nucleus Neutrons (+/-) in nucleus
Electrons (-) in orbitals outside of nucleus
Compare the types of bonding between atoms to form molecules.
Ionic: transfer of e- Covalent: sharing of e-
Metallic: between two or more metals
Explain the difference between organic and inorganic molecules.
Organic: ALWAYS contain carbon
Inorganic: does NOT
Agenda:
-WarmUp
-Oh Deer! Data Collection
-Ecology Station Notes

3. A What is ecology? Ecology- the scientific study of
interactions among organisms and
Interactions between organisms and their environment or surroundings. A

4. Levels of organization
There are many levels of organization in which ecologist study. From largest to smallest they are…
Biosphere
Biome
Ecosystem
Community
Population
Individual A

5. Biosphere
contains the combined portions of the planet in which all life exists
including land, water, and air, or atmosphere. A

6. Biome-
a large geographical area of distinctive plant and animal groups
A group of ecosystems that have the same climate
Examples: tropical rainforest, temperate grasslands, polar deserts A

7. Ecosystem-
a collection of all the organisms that live in a particular place, together with their nonliving (physical) environment
All living and nonliving things in a particular place
Example: aquatic ecosystem- contains fish, plants, turtles, oxygen, sunlight, carbon dioxide, etc. A

8. A Community All the living things in a specific place
Groups of populations that live together in an area
Example: aquatic ecosystem- contains fish, turtles, plants A

9. Population
Groups of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area
Examples: rainbow trout, snapping turtles, etc. A

10. Individual- a single organism

11. Energy Flow
Without a constant input of energy, living systems can’t function.
Sunlight is the main source of life on Earth.
Of all the sun’s energy that reaches the Earth’s surface, less than 1% is used by living things.
This is enough to produce as much as 3.5 kg of living tissue per square meter a year in some tropical rainforests. D

12. D Some organisms obtain energy from a source other than sunlight.
Rely on energy stored in inorganic compounds
Ex. Mineral water that flows underground or boils out of hot springs is loaded with chemical energy D

13. Producers
Autotrophs- organisms that can capture energy from sun or chemicals and use that energy to produce food
plants, some algae, and certain bacteria
Because they make their own food, autotrophs are also known as producers.
Producers are essential to the flow of energy through the biosphere. D

14. D There are 2 ways that organisms produce energy.
Photosynthesis- using energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and energy rich carbohydrates such as sugars and starches.
Plants, algae, bacteria
CO2 + H2O  C6H12O6 + O2 D

15. Chemosynthesis- when organisms use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates
Food produced in the absence of light
Rely on energy within chemical bonds or inorganic molecules such as hydrogen sulfide
Chemosynthesis is performed by several different types of bacteria.
Live in remote places on Earth, such as volcanic vents and hot springs D

16. Heterotrophs- organisms that rely on other organisms for their energy and food supply
Can’t capture energy directly from the physical environment
Also called consumers D

17. D There are many different types of heterotrophs
Herbivores- obtain energy by eating only plants
Ex. Cows and deer
Carnivores- eat animals
Ex. Sharks, snakes, dogs D

18. D Omnivores- eat both plants and animals
Ex- humans, bears, and crows
Detritivores- feed on plants and animal remains and other dead matter
Ex. Mites, earthworms, snails, and crabs
Decomposers- break down organic matter
Bacteria and fungi D

19. Feeding Relationships
Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction
Sun  autotrophs  heterotrophs D

20. Food Chain
A series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten.
Example: producer (grass) fed upon by a herbivore (rabbit) fed upon by a carnivore (fox) G

21. Food Web
In most ecosystems, feeding relationships are more complicated than a simple food chain.
A network of complex feeding interactions
Links all the food chains in an ecosystem together G

22. G

23. G Trophic Levels Each step in a food chain or food web.
1st trophic level – Producers
2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. - Consumers
Each consumer depends on the trophic levels below it for energy G

24. Ecological Pyramids
A diagram that shows the relative amounts or energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a food chain or web. G

25. Energy Pyramid
Only part of the energy that is stored in one trophic level is passed on to the next energy level.
This is because organisms use most of this energy for life processes, such as respiration, movement, and reproduction.
Some of the remaining energy is released into the environment as heat.
Only about 10% of the energy available within one trophic level is transferred to organisms at the next trophic level G

26. Biomass Pyramid
Biomass-the total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level.
Represents the amount of potential food available for each trophic level in an ecosystem. G

27. Pyramid of Numbers
Based on the number of individual organisms at each trophic level. G

28. Biogeochemical Cycles
Unlike the one way flow of energy, matter is recycled within and between ecosystems.
Matter flows through the ecosystem through biogeochemical cycles.
Water cycle
Nutrient cycle
Carbon cycle
Nitrogen cycle
Phosphorous cycle E

29. Water cycle
Water enters the atmosphere as water vapor when it evaporates from the ocean or other bodies of water.
Evaporation- the process by which water changes from liquid form to gas.
Transpiration- evaporation from the leaves of plants.
Water vapor cools and condenses into tiny droplets that form clouds.
When the droplets become large enough they return to the Earth as precipitation.
On land, the precipitation
Runs off land into rivers and streams
Seeps into the soil (some becomes ground water)
Water in the soil enters plants through roots, and it cycles all over again. E

30. E

31. Nutrient Cycles
Nutrients are passed through the environment through nutrient cycles.
Carbon Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
Phosphorous Cycle E

32. Carbon Cycle
Carbon dioxide is taken in by plants during photosynthesis and is given off by both plants and animals during respiration.
4 main types of processes move carbon through its cycle
Photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition
Erosion and volcanic activity
Decomposition of dead organisms
Human activities, such as mining, cutting, and burning forests, burning fossil fuels E

33. E Nitrogen Cycle All organisms require nitrogen to make proteins
Nitrogen gas makes up 78% of the atmosphere.
Only certain types of bacteria can use the nitrogen gas (N2) found in the atmosphere.
Such bacteria convert nitrogen gas into ammonia in a process called nitrogen fixation.
Other bacteria convert ammonia into nitrates and nitrites
Once nitrates and nitrites are available, producers can use them to make proteins
Consumers then eat the producers and reuse the nitrogen to make their own proteins. E

34. Phosphorous Cycle
Phosphorous is essential because it forms DNA and RNA.
Phosphorous does not enter the atmosphere. It remains on land in rocks and soil.
Plants absorb phosphorous from soil or water.
Consumers absorb the phosphorous from the plants. E

35. Nutrient limitation
If a nutrient is in short supply, it will limit an organism’s growth.
When an ecosystem is limited by a single nutrient that is scarce or cycles very slowly, this is called a limiting nutrient.
Algal bloom- an immediate increase in the amount of algae and other producers due to runoff into waterways from heavily fertilized fields. E

36. B What shapes an ecosystem?
Biotic factors- all living factors that influence an organism.
Abiotic factors- all the nonliving factors that influence an organism B

37. B I will be able to: Define habitat and niche.
Describe the difference between habitat and niche.
Define and give an example of the 4 different types of ecosystem relationships. B

38. A B Habitat- the area where an organism lives.
Niche- the full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which an organism uses those conditions.
If an organisms habitat is its address, its niche is its occupation.
Includes place in the food web, range of temperatures that an organism needs to survive, type of food it eats, how it obtains its food, how and when it reproduces A B

39. Community Interactions- the way that organisms interact within a community
Competition
Predation
Symbiosis
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism H

40. Competition- occurs when organisms of the same or different species attempt to use an ecological resource at the same place at the same time.
Resource- any necessity of life, such as food, habitat, etc.
Ex. Trees may compete for light, lizards may compete for insects
Community Exclusion Principle- no 2 species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time.
Direct competition results with a winner and a loser, and the loser often dies H

41. Predation- an interaction in which one organism captures and feeds on another organism
Predator- the organism that does the killing and eating
Prey- the organism that is hunted and killed H

42. H

43. Symbiosis- any relationship in which 2 species live closely together.
3 types of symbiotic relationships: mutualism, commensalism, parasitism H

44. H Mutualism- a relationship in which both species benefit.
Ex. Flowers and bees; the flowers are pollinated, bees get food. H

45. Commensalism- a relationship in which one organism benefits, and the other is not affected.
Barnacles and whales; barnacles benefit because they get food from the water that the whale is moving through, the whale has no known benefit and is not harmed. H

46. Parasitism- a relationship in which one organism benefits while the other is harmed.
Parasite- the organism that benefits, lives on or inside another organism, obtaining all or most of its nutritional needs from it
Host- the organism that is harmed
Parasites usually weaken but do not kill their hosts.
Ex. Tapeworms, ticks, fleas, H

47. H

48. H

49. H

50. Ecological Succession- the series of changes that occur in a community over time.
Ecosystems are constantly changing in response to natural and human disturbances.
As an ecosystem changes, older inhabitants gradually die out and new organisms move in, causing further changes to the community. K

51. Primary Succession- on land, succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil exists.
Ex. Surfaces formed after volcanic eruptions, bare rock exposed from glacial melting
Pioneer species- the first organisms to populate an area. K

52. Secondary succession- succession that occurs after a disturbance to a community
Ex. Fires, human activities such as farming K

53. Carrying Capacity- the maximum population size that a given environment can support..
Determined by limiting factors- factors that can affect the growth of a population i

54. f Limiting factors may be
Density-dependent- factors that depend on population size
Ex. Food, shelter, competition, predation, disease,
Density-independent- factors that can affect population regardless of population size
Ex. Natural disasters, human interference, weather, f

55. Population Growth
Exponential Population Growth- population grows at an exponential rate, and is not limited by biotic or abiotic factors (resources are abundant) j

56. Logistic Population Growth- population grows exponentially at first, and then it slows as resources become limited. (as carrying capacity is reached) j