1. What Shapes an Ecosystem?

2. What Shapes an Ecosystem?
Biotic Factors – living/biological influences on organisms within an ecosystem.
Examples?
Abiotic Factors – physical/non-living influences on organisms within an ecosystem.
*Together, biotic and abiotic factors determine the survival and growth of an organism and the productivity of the ecosystem in which the organism lives = habitat (= home of organism; its “address”)

3. Abiotic and Biotic Factors
Abiotic Factors
Biotic Factors
ECOSYSTEM

4. Abiotic and Biotic Factors
Abiotic Factors
Biotic Factors
ECOSYSTEM

5. Biotic vs. Abiotic

6. Biotic vs. Abiotic

7. Biotic vs. Abiotic

8. Biotic vs. Abiotic

9. The Niche Niche = the ROLE of an organism in its habitat
What is the organism’s job?
What does the organism do for its environment?
The niche is the full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions
place in food web, range of temperatures needed to survive, food, physical conditions necessary for survival, reproduction, etc.
*Competitive Exclusion Principle - no two species can share the exact niche in the same habitat at the same time…Why?
One will become extinct.

10. Warblers and Their Niches
Cape May Warbler
Feeds at the tips of branches
near the top of the tree
Bay-Breasted Warbler
Feeds in the middle
part of the tree
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Feeds in the lower part of the tree and
at the bases of the middle branches
Spruce tree

11. Community Interactions
Powerfully affect an ecosystem
Three important types of interactions
Competition
Predation
Symbiosis

12. Competition
Competition – organisms compete for resources (food, water, shelter, etc)

13. Predation
Predation – one organism (predator) captures and feeds on another (prey)

14. Symbiosis Symbiosis – two species live closely together
Three major types of symbiosis
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism

15. Symbiosis - Mutualism Host Symbiont
Example: flower & bee – both organisms benefit from each other
Other examples?

16. Mutualism Examples

17. Symbiosis - Commensalism
Host Symbiont
Example: barnacle and whale – one organism benefits, the other is not hurt nor harmed
Other examples?

18. Commensalism Examples

19. Symbiosis - Parasitism
Host Symbiont
Example: tapeworm and human – one organism benefits while the other is harmed
Other examples?

20. Parasitism Examples

21. Ecological Succession
Ecological Succession – series of predictable changes that occurs 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 in the community.

22. Primary Succession
Bare rock to plant community – like on a volcanic island
First species to populate are called pioneer species (usually lichens)
No soil – have to make it by breaking down rocks first

23. Primary Succession

24. Secondary Succession
Soil to climax community (stable, mature community)
Wildfires, farms, marine environments
Soil already there