1. Objectives:1) Explain and illustrate how living systems interact with the biotic & abiotic factors within an environment 2) Explain and illustrate how matter is cycled within an ecosystem 3) Explain and illustrate how energy is transformed and eventually exits an ecosystem

2. Chapter 19  Introduction to Ecology 19-1  Ecology I. Levels of organization B. Ecosystem 1. All the living and nonliving things found in a particular place a. Example- Pond 1. What things would be found in a pond ecosystem? a. Plants, bacteria, fish, rocks, O 2, etc 2. All ecosystems are found within the biosphere A. The biosphere 1. The broadest, most inclusive level 2. Consists of the upper most atmosphere to the deepest parts of the ocean 3. All living things are found in the biosphere a. Not distributed evenly

3. C. Communities 1. All the interacting living organisms in an area 2. Example- Pond a. What things would be found in a pond community? 1. Fish, plants, bacteria, etc. D. Populations 1. All the members of a species that live in one place a. Species- Organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring in nature 2. Example- Pond a. What things would be found in a pond population? 1. All the trout E. Organisms 1. A single member of a species (i.e.- 1 trout)

4. II. A key theme in ecology A. Interactions 1. Always remember that no organism is isolated a. All biotic and abiotic factors are interconnected within an ecosystem 1. Biotic = Living 2. Abiotic = nonliving B. Disturbances in Ecosystem 1. Consequences to interconnectedness a. disturbance/change in one portion of ecosystem will have affects on other portions of an ecosystem C. Examples: Yellowstone Ecology Global warming

5. Chapter 21  Community Ecology 21-1  Species interactions I. Predation 2. Prey a. Survival depends on ability to avoid being eaten by predator b. Example- Elk c. Natural selection favors traits that make prey efficient at avoiding being captured A. Predators, prey, and natural selection 1. Predators a. Survival depends on ability to capture food b. Example- Gray Wolf c. Natural selection favors traits that make predators efficient at capturing prey

6. B. Mimicry 1. One organism copying another organism C. Plant-Herbivore interactions 1. Physical and/or chemical defenses a. Thorns, poison ivy II. Competition A. Organisms within a community will have to compete for resources 1. Remember, one of the driving forces behind evolution

7. 21-3  Succession I. Successional Changes in Communities A. Succession 1. The gradual, sequential growth of species in an area 2. Pioneer species a. Species that predominate early succession b. Small, fast growing, and fast reproducing 1. Lichens, annual grasses/flowers, perennial grasses/flowers

8. B. Primary succession 1. Development of a community in an area that has NEVER supported life previously a. Very, very slow (about 200 years) b. No soil or nutrients have formed yet c. Lichens  annual grasses  perennial grasses  shrubs  trees

9. C. Secondary Succession 1. Development of a community in an area where an EXISTING community has been cleared by a disturbance a. Forest fire, drought, farming, hurricane, etc b. Much faster than primary succession c. Soil has been left intact d. Annual grasses  perennial grasses  shrubs  trees

10. I. Terrestrial ecosystems A. The different terrestrial ecosystems that occur on land across the planet are called biomes 1. Biomes are major biological communities that occur over wide areas of land B. 7 major biomes 1. Tropical Rain Forest a. Location 1. Near the equator in Asia, Africa,South America, and Central America b. Climate 1. Warm and moist 2. 43-51  F c. Yearly precipitation 1. 100 in Chapter 22-Ecosystems & the Biosphere 22-3  Terrestial Ecosystems

11. d. Vegetation 1. Mostly tall trees a. Due to the lack of light on the forest floor very few plants inhabit this area b. Vines, palm trees, leafy trees 2. Epiphytes a. Plants that live on the branches of trees 3. Orchids, ferns, mosses, lichens 2. Temperate Deciduous Forests a. Location 1. Eastern US, Europe, parts of Asia & the southern hemisphere b. Climate 1. Warm summers & cool to cold winters 2. 35-48  F

12. c. Yearly precipitation 1. 30-49 in d. Vegetation 1. Deciduous trees a. Trees that loose their leaves all at once in the fall b. Oak, hickory, elm, willow, cottonwood 2. Shrubs and a variety of plants and herbs 3. Savannas a. Location 1. Africa, South America, Australia b. Climate 1. Hot, alternating wet and dry seasons 2. 41-51  F

13. c. Yearly precipitation 1. 30-60 in 2. More rainfall than deserts but less than rain forests d. Vegetation 1. Grasses and trees 4. Coniferous Forests/Taiga a. Location 1. Northern Europe, Asia, North America b. Climate 1. Cool, short summers and cold, long winters 2. 26-40  F c. Yearly precipitation 1. 8-24 in

14. d. Vegetation 1. Coniferous trees a. Needle-leafed evergreens such as pine trees 2. Shrubs, grasses, flowers, a variety of plants 5. Temperate Grasslands/Prairies a. Location 1. Usually located in the interior of a continent a. In the U.S.  the Midwest

15. b. Climate 1. Dry, hot summers & cold winters 2. 32-46  F c. Yearly precipitation 1. 11-30 in d. Vegetation 1. Mainly grasses and crops 6. Tundra a. Location 1. Northernmost parts of North America & Europe b. Climate 1. Cold, long winters & cool, short summers, with little precipitation 2. 18-40  F c. Yearly precipitation 1. <10 in

16. d. Vegetation 1. Grasses, sedges, dwarf willows, & mosses 7. Desert 1. Location a. North Africa, central Australia, southwestern North America, eastern Asia 2. Climate a. very dry, often hot b. 36-53  F 3. Yearly precipitation a. < 9 in

17. d. Vegetation 1. Succulent plants, mainly cactus a. Succulent= high levels of H20 w/in the plant

18. Chapter 22  Ecosystems & The Biosphere 22-1  Energy Transfer I. Producers A. Intro 1. All organisms need food to survive a. Growth, movement, maintenance & repair, etc. 2. What is the ultimate source of energy in an ecosystem? a. The sun’s energy enters into an ecosystem through what organism? b. Plants convert the sun’s energy into what form of energy? 3. Producers a. Autotrophs 1. Any organism within an ecosystem that captures energy to make organic molecules

19. a. Can manufacture their own food b. Examples 1. Terrestrial ecosystem=Plants B. Measuring productivity 1. The amount of energy captured by producers and available to all nonproducers in an ecosystem a. Biomass 1. All organic material within an ecosystem 2. The amount of biomass in an ecosystem is directly related to productivity 3. What type of ecosystem would have the highest productivity? -Pine forest / Grassland (prairie) / Desert / Tropical rain forest- II. Consumers A. Heterotrophs 1. Organisms within an ecosystem that obtain organic food molecules by eating other organisms or their waste a. Cannot manufacture their own food 2. 4 catagories a. Herbivores b. Carnivores

20. c. Omnivores 1. Eat both producers and consumers 2. Examples? d. Detrivores 1. Consumers that eat the “garbage” of an ecosystem a. Dead organisms (plants,animals,etc) and their waste 2. Scavengers and decomposers III. Energy flow A. Intro 1. Once energy enters an ecosystem it must flow through the ecosystem in order for all organisms to obtain energy 2. Trophic levels a. Shows the feeding relationship among organisms consisting of several different levels b. The position of an organism in the sequence of food consumption c. Producers belong at the 1 st trophic level (bottom) 1. Largest group

21. B. Food chains and food webs 1. Food chains a. Shows the feeding relationship among organisms consisting of several different levels 1. Starts with producers b. A single linear transfer

22. 2. Food webs a. Shows the relationship between food chains within an ecosystem C. Quantity of energy transfers 1. Remember, we cannot transfer 100% of energy(food) a. Some energy will always be lost as what?

23. b. Some of the energy gets used by the organism itself 1. This energy is not available to the next consumer (trophic level)