1. Ecological Relationships

2. Ecology
Is the study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment

3. Levels of Organization
Species-> Populations-> Communities-> Ecosystem-> Biome-> Biosphere
Small-> Large

4. Food Chains A group of organisms involved in a linear relationship
Producer-> First Order Consumer (Primary)-> 2nd Order Consumer (Secondary)-> 3rd Order Consumer (tertiary or top)
i.e.- grain-> mouse-> snake-> eagle
Straight line of energy flow

6. Food Web
A group of food chains that show all the relationships between producers and consumers in a specific community

7. These organisms are indicators in a community (major producers and consumers)
Herbivores- feed solely on plants
Carnivores-eat meat
Omnivores-feed on both
Decomposers- feed on dead/ decaying; ex: fungi, bacteria, worms

8. Definitions
Producer- Autotroph; any plant specimen capable of capturing light energy and turning it into chemical energy. Occurs in the chloroplasts of plant cells

9. Photosynthesis Equation=
6 CO2 + 6 H2O  C6H12O6 + 6 O2
Carbon dioxide + water  glucose + oxygen
Glucose- fuel used by cells to create energy

10. Consumer- Heterotrophs; organisms that are capable of feeding on producers or other consumers.
The further away (higher order consumer) the consumer is from the energy source (producer), the less energy is available for life processes
90% of energy transferred to each higher level of the food chain is lost to heat or decomposition

11. The Energy Pyramid
Shows the relationship between the different trophic levels in an ecosystem
Trophic levels- energy levels in the pyramid that represent the different orders of consumers and producers. These levels get smaller as you work your way up the pyramid
10% Rule- only ten percent of the energy that is available for each level is actually converted into the biomass of that level
Biomass- overall mass of the organisms in a certain level

12. Ecosystems can change….
Ecological Succession-is the observed process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.
Primary Succession- succession that occurs on totally uninhabited areas (no plants, no soil)
Pioneer Species- first species to exist; ex: mosses/lichens
Secondary Succession- succession that occurs in an area that was previously inhabited (usually occurs due to natural disaster)