1. Ecology
Movement of energy

2. Know the 3 “E’s”
Ecology = the study of the relationship between organisms and their environment.
Ecosystem = all the living and nonliving components of an environment and how they interact.
Environment = an organisms immediate surroundings consisting both living and nonliving things.

3. Community = interacting organisms in an environment.
Habitat = actual place (location) where an organism lives in an ecosystem.
Niche = specific way of living for each organism . NO TWO SPECIES HAVE THE SAME NICHE!!!
A niche includes habitat, environment, ecosystem, diet, defenses, etc..

4. Types of Organisms: Producers = Autotrophs Consumers = Heterotrophs
Make their own food
Photosynthesis
Consumers = Heterotrophs
Get energy by eating other organisms...can not make own food.
They eat other consumers or producers.

5. Herbivores = eat producers
Carnivores = eat consumers
Omnivores = eat consumers and producers
Decomposers = cause decay. Break down complex molecules into simpler molecules, recycle nutrients (ex. Bacteria / Fungi)

6. So is a predator a producer or consumer??
Predator = an organism that will hunt, catch, and eat other organisms.
Ex) Wolf
So is a predator a producer or consumer??
Prey = the organism that is being hunted, caught, and eaten!!!
Ex) Rabbit

9. Populations can’t grow forever and forever….
Population = # of organism of the SAME species, living within a certain area at a particular time.
Populations can’t grow forever and forever….
Limiting Factor = any factor that keeps a population from growing indefinitely/forever.
Ex) predators, death, disease, lack of food/water/shelter/land (resources)

10. Carrying capacity – the maximum number/amount of organisms a population can support.
Every population has a “carrying capacity”.

12. Energy Flow To eat is to obtain energy from breaking down molecules
Energy flows from the sun to producers to consumers
Trophic level – position in the sequence of energy transfers

13. Energy Flow in Ecosystems
1st Trophic Level
plants and other organisms that
make their own food
i.e., producers
aka autotrophs

14. Energy Flow in Ecosystems
2nd Trophic Level
Eat the 1st trophic level
consumers, herbivores

15. Energy Flow in Ecosystems
3rd Trophic Level
Eat the 2nd trophic level
organisms that eat herbivores
consumers, carnivores

17. This diagram has 4 trophic levels

18. Fewer organisms at higher trophic levels than at lower trophic levels (pyramidal shape).
An ecosystem can hold 5 trophic levels at the most because the energy decreases as you move up the levels.

19. What do you think the ultimate source for energy is for all trophic levels??

20. Food Chain A single pathway of feeding relationships
Grass eaten by mouse which is eaten by a snake which is eaten by a hawk

22. Food Web More complex than a food chain
Shows some (or many) feeding relationships in an ecosystem

24. Plants absorb energy from the sun to make sugar/glucose
Energy Transfers
Plants absorb energy from the sun to make sugar/glucose
Each trophic level loses energy as you move up.
10% Rule = Loss of energy as you move up the food pyramid/chain/trophic levels.

25. 10% Rule in more detail….
Higher trophic levels contain less energy and therefore can support fewer individuals.
An herbivore eats a plant and only gets 10% of the plant’s energy (rest of the energy is lost doing work, or as heat)
A carnivore eats an herbivore and also only gets 10% of the energy in the herbivore

26. In food chains and food webs there is something called BIOMAGNIFICATION that can occur.
Biomagnification - the increase of a pollutant as you move up trophic levels/food chains. Example: DDT chemical

29. BioMAGNIFICATION… get bigger!!!!
So…as you move up the trophic levels or up the food chains….the pollutant INCREASES!!!
BioMAGNIFICATION… get bigger!!!!