1. ECOLOGY

2. Based on these cartoons, what do you think ecology means?

3. What is ecology?
The scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment
Focuses on energy transfers between organisms

4. - The environment is made up of two factors:
Abiotic
Biotic
All the nonliving parts of the environment
Example: soil, air, water, light, and temperature
All the living organisms
Example: plants and animals

5. Ecological Divisions
Range from the biosphere which is the broadest to the individual organism
Biosphere = life supporting portions of Earth composed of air, land, fresh water, and salt water
Contains all
ecosystems on Earth
Highest level of organization

6. Ecological Divisions Cont’d
Ecosystem = all the biotic and abiotic factors with which they interact in a given area
Can be marine or terrestrial (land)

7. List all the biotic and abiotic factors in this ecosystem.

8. Ecological Divisions Cont’d
Community = several different interacting organisms that share a common environment and are interdependent
Includes plants and animals

9. Ecological Divisions Cont’d
Population = a group of organisms, of the same species, living in the same place at the same time that interbreed and compete with each other for resources
Food, water, shelter, mates

10. Ecological Divisions Cont’d
Organism = any unicellular or multicellular form exhibiting all the characteristics of life
An individual
Lowest level of organization

11. Using the same picture as before, identify a community, population, and organism

12. Niche Vs. Habitat
Niche = the role a species plays in a community (job)
Determined by limiting factors
Any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the number of organisms in a specific environment
Examples: amount of water and/or food, temperature
Habitat = the place where an organism lives (address)

13. Feeding Relationships
There are three main types of feeding relationships
Producer-Consumer
Predator-Prey
Parasite-Host

14. Feeding Relationships Cont’d
Producer = all autotrophs (plants):they trap energy from the sun
Forms the bottom of all food chains
Consumer = all heterotrophs: they ingest food containing the sun’s energy
Herbivore – Eat plants, primary consumers, prey animals
Carnivore – Eat meat, can be secondary, tertiary, or quaternary consumers
Scavenger – feed on carrion (dead animals)
Predator – hunt prey animals for food
Omnivore – Eat plants and animals
Decomposer- breakdown dead and decaying plants and animals

15. Classify the following organisms as carnivores, omnivores, decomposers or herbivores

16. Trophic Levels
Trophic levels represent a feeding step in the transfer of energy and matter in an ecosystem
Each link in a food chain is known as a trophic level
Food Chain = simple model that shows how energy and matter are transferred through an ecosystem
Arrows point in the direction of energy flow

17. Trophic Levels Cont’d
Food web = shows all possible feeding relationships in a community at each trophic level
Represents a network of interacting food chains

18. Food chain Food web
(just 1 path of energy) (all possible energy paths)

19. Draw another food chain that can be found in this food web

20. Energy and Biomass Pyramids
Energy Pyramids show the amount of energy available at each trophic level
The amount of energy available decreases as you move up the levels
Biomass Pyramids = show the amount of biomass available at each trophic level
The amount of biomass at each trophic level decreases as you move up the levels
Biomass = the amount of organic matter (living tissue) comprising a group of organisms in a habitat

21. Trophic Levels E N R G Y Producers- Autotrophs
Tertiary consumers- top carnivores
Secondary consumers-small carnivores
Primary consumers- Herbivores
Producers- Autotrophs