1. Today’s Bell Ringer 11 April
Bill Nye – food webs
FSA testing on Monday and Tuesday

2. Along with the definition of the following words – provide an example
13 April
Today’s Bell Ringer
Please Define these words -
Food Chain –
Food Web –
Along with the definition of the following
words – provide an example
Producers –
Primary consumer –
Secondary consumer –
Tertiary consumer –
Trophic level –
Do you remember what autotrophs and heterotrophs are?
Study Guide
Please do all of pages 133 & 134

3. Along with the definition of the following words – provide an example
14 April
Today’s Bell Ringer
In your notebook, think of something you ate this morning and
think about how it came to be in front of you.
It is all about energy transfer.
Please Define these words -
Food Chain –
Food Web –
Along with the definition of the following words – provide an example
Producers –
Primary consumer –
Secondary consumer –
Tertiary consumer –
Trophic level –
Do you remember what autotrophs and heterotrophs are?
Study Guide
Please do all of pages 133 & 134

4. Food Chain

5. Food web

7. Two of Newton’s four laws of Thermodynamics
First Law of Thermodynamics: Energy can be changed from one form to another, but it cannot be created or destroyed.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that "in all energy exchanges, if no energy enters or leaves the system, the potential energy of the state will always be less than that of the initial state." This is also commonly referred to as entropy.
10% Rule – The approximate energy of
one trophic level that is transferred to the next
(it is actually less than 10%)

8. What is your food web?
Where does it all begin?

9. A pyramid of numbers shows the numbers of individual organisms at each trophic level in an ecosystem.
tertiary
consumers
secondary
primary
producers 5
5000
500,000
5,000,000 5
A vast number of producers are required to support even a few top level consumers.

10. 10% Rule – The approximate energy of
energy transferred
energy
lost
10% Rule – The approximate energy of
one trophic level that is transferred to the next
(it is actually less than 10%)

11. Biomass is a measure of the total dry mass of organisms in a given area.
tertiary
consumers
secondary
primary
producers
75 g/m2
150g/m2
675g/m2
2000g/m2

12. Trophic Cascades – Wolves in Yellowstone National Park
Study Guide
Please do all of pages 139 & 140

13. 15 April
Today’s Bell Ringer
A few days ago you answered the Study Guide Questions on page 134.
Please review your answers then answer the following questions.
Why do scientists collect data?
What should be done with the data they collect?
Can ecological studies be done in a laboratory?
If you were going to study some aspect of the natural world, what would it be?

15. What relationships do you see here?

18. KEY CONCEPT Ecology is the study of the relationships among organisms (biotic/living) and their environment (abiotic/non-living).

19. Ecologists study environments at different levels of organization.
Ecology is the study of the interactions among living things, and between living things and their surroundings.

20. An organism is an individual living thing, such as an alligator.

21. A population is a group of the same species that lives in one area.
Organism

22. A community is a group of different species that live together in one area.
Population
Organism

23. An ecosystem includes all of the organisms as well as the climate, soil, water, rocks and other nonliving things in a given area.
Ecosystem
Community
Population
Organism

24. A biome is a major regional or global community of organisms characterized by the climate conditions and plant communities that thrive there.
Biome
Ecosystem
Community
Population
Organism

25. Ecological research methods include observation, experimentation, and modeling.
Observation is the act of carefully watching something over time.
Observations of populations can be done by visual surveys.
Direct surveys for easy to spot species employ binoculars or scopes.
Indirect surveys are used for species that are difficult to track and include looking for other signs of their presence.

26. Experiments are performed in the lab or in the field.
Lab experiments give researchers more control.
Lab experiments are not reflective of the complex interactions in nature.
Field experiments give a more accurate picture of natural interactions.
Field experiments may not help determine actual cause and effect.

27. Computer and mathematical models can be used to describe and model nature.
Modeling allows scientists to learn about organisms or ecosystems in ways that would not be possible in a natural or lab setting.
Ecologists use data transmitted by GPS receivers worn by elephants to develop computer models of the animal’s movements.

28. HOMEWORK
Over the weekend, please spend about 30 minutes looking at the landscape around your home/townhouse/apartment.
Count the number of different plants.
Count the number of different animals (birds, lizards, frogs, insects etc).
Repeat this activity in a nearby natural area, someplace where there isn’t turf grass or homes. The beach counts!
1) You will need to write up your observations in a narrative describing your 30-minute observations from around your home and the natural area.
2) You will also need to make a Table with the data you collected.
Turn in your write up on Monday for a grade.
3) Please summarize you overall observations of the urban and natural landscapes.
Organism
No. of species from around your home
No. of species from the natural area
Plants
Birds
Insects
reptiles
All other animals

29. Biomes

30. List all the ecological relationships you expect
to be occurring in this image?
Be prepared to share

31. Today’s Bell Ringer Define the following words:
April
Today’s Bell Ringer
13.3 – Energy in ecosystems
13.4 – Food chains and food webs
13.5 – Cycling of matter
13.6 – Pyramid models
Define the following words:
Decomposer –
Biodiversity –
Competition –
Limiting factors –
Niche –
Population density –
Predation –