1. Ecology and Meteorology

2. What is Ecology? The study of the interactions between organisms and the living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) components of their environment.The study of the interactions between organisms and the living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) components of their environment.

3. What is Interdependence? INTERDEPENDENCE- Describes the fact that all organisms interact with other organisms in their surroundings and with the nonliving portions of their environment. Their survival depends upon these interactions.

4. Consequences A consequence of interdependence or interconnectedness is that any disturbance or change in the ecosystem can spread through the network of interactions and affect the entire ecosystem in often negative ways.A consequence of interdependence or interconnectedness is that any disturbance or change in the ecosystem can spread through the network of interactions and affect the entire ecosystem in often negative ways.

5. Listen, Sketch, Retell

6. Box #6 for Listen, Sketch, Retell Activity 1. Explain the concept of interdependence. 2. What are the consequences of being so interdependent? 3. Elephants play a key role in the pollination of plants and savannah trees. Poachers are killing elephants at an alarming rate for their tusks. Explain the effect this might have on the ecosystem.

7. Levels of Organization A.Biosphere: The broadest, most inclusive level of organization. The thin volume of Earth and its atmosphere that supports life; all organisms are found within the biosphere. Organisms are found: 1. Land and Soil 2. Water 3. Lower Atmosphere B. Biome: A major regional or global biotic community. Includes: Aquatic, Desert, Grasslands, Forests, and Tundra

8. Levels of Organization C. Ecosystem - includes all of the organisms and the non-living environment found in a particular place. (e.g. A pond) Community - all the interacting organisms living in an area (e.g. all the fish, turtles, plants, algae, & bacteria in the pond) D. Community - all the interacting organisms living in an area (e.g. all the fish, turtles, plants, algae, & bacteria in the pond)

9. Levels of Organization E. Population -includes all the members of a species that live in one place at one time. F. Organism: one specific member of a population.

11. The Ecology of Organism A. Ecologists can learn a lot about organisms by studying them in their habitat, or where they live

12. The Ecology of Organisms B. Ecologists separate the environmental factors that influence organisms into two classes: Biotic factors –the living components of the environment

13. The Ecology of Organisms. Abiotic factors- the nonliving factors of the environment (physical and chemical Characteristics) Abiotic factors are not constant, they vary from place to place. (ex. temperature)

14. Niche An organisms way of life, or role it plays in its environment.

15. Energy Transfer All organisms need energy to carry out essential functions such as growth, movement, maintenance and repair, and reproduction.

16. Where does all energy originate? A.In an ecosystem energy flows from the sun to the producers or autotrophs then to the organisms that eat the autotrophs, and then to the organisms that feed on the other organisms.

17. What is a trophic level? A Trophic Level indicates an organism’s position in a sequence of energy transfers. 1. Food Producers-(Autotrophic) make their own food using solar or chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis e.g. green plants, algae, bacteria

18. Trophic Level 2. Food Consumers -(Heterotrophic) cannot make their own food; feed on plants and animals and organic wastes. 1. Herbivores -eat only plants 2. Carnivores -eat only animals 3. Omnivores -eat plants and animals

19. Consumers 3. Scavengers or Detritivores -consumers that feed on dead organisms; other organisms kill. Important in recycling chemicals. e.g. vulture, crayfish, snails 4. Decomposers- organisms that break down (decay) dead tissues and wastes into nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorous. Some of these molecules are absorbed by the decomposers and some of them are returned to the soil of water. Ex. bacteria, fungi

20. How does energy transfer in trophic levels? Most food chains only consist of few trophic levels because only about 10% of the energy available at one level is transferred to the next level. Organisms at the bottom of the food chain are usually much more abundant than organisms at the highest level.

21. Energy pyramids This energy transfer can be seen in the diagram below. The pyramid shape of the diagram indicates the low percentage of energy transfer from one level to the next.

22. Energy pyramid Only 10% of the energy is passed on to the next trophic level and 90% of the energy is used for life processes (ex: respiration, digestion) or dissipates in the environment as heat.

23. What are biogeochemical cycles? Biogeochemical cycles include the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles. They are important because they recycle and reuse energy and matter in an ecosystem.

24. Water Cycle The availability of water is one of the key factors that regulate the productivity of terrestrial (land) ecosystems. The movement of water from the atmosphere to the earth and back again is called the water cycle.

26. The Water Cycle The processes involved in the water cycle are: a)Precipitation-water moves from the atmosphere to the earth in the form of rain, snow, and hail. b)Evaporation- water moves from the earth to the atmosphere. c)Transpiration- process where plants lose or evaporate water through pores in their leaves called stomata. d)Percolation- process where water soaks into the soil or in underground formations of porous rock; it is then called groundwater.

27. The Water Cycle Water on the surface of the earth in the form of streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes is called Run-off water. As water soaks into the ground, its level rises underground, creating a zone of saturation called the Water Table.

30. The Carbon Cycle The carbon cycle involves the process of Photosynthesis & Respiration where the gases, oxygen and carbon dioxide are recycled through living organisms.

31. The Carbon Cycle 1.During photosynthesis plants use carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to make glucose. Oxygen is given off as a waste product.

32. The Carbon Cycle 2. During respiration plants & animals use oxygen to break down glucose for energy, and water and carbon dioxide are given off.

33. The Carbon Cycle 3. Decomposers release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when they break down organic compounds.

34. The Carbon Cycle 4. Humans influence the carbon cycle by our burning of fossil fuels, (Coal, oil, & natural gas) which provides us with lots of energy but also releases large amounts of carbon dioxide; which contributes to Global Warming.

37. The Nitrogen Cycle All organisms need to make proteins & nucleic acids there is a complex pathway that nitrogen follows in an ecosystem called Nitrogen Cycle.

38. The Nitrogen Cycle Some processes involved in the nitrogen cycle are: A.Nitrogen Fixation- Nitrogen gas (N 2 )  Ammonia (NH 3 ) The process of converting nitrogen gas (N 2 ) into ammonia (NH 3 ). This is done by bacteria found in the soil

39. Nitrogen Cycle B. Ammonification – Waste  Nitrogen  Ammonium (NH 3 ) The process of breaking down dead organisms and animal wastes. Bacteria, or in some cases, fungi, (decomposers) convert the organic nitrogen within the remains back into ammonium (NH 4 )

40. Nitrogen Cycle C. Nitrification – Ammonium (NH 4 )  nitrites (NO 2 ) + nitrates (NO 3 ) Bacteria in the soil transform the ammonia into nitrites (NO 2 ) and nitrates (NO 3 ) which plants can use to make amino acids..

41. Nitrogen Cycle Through assimilation, plants can absorb nitrate or ammonium ions from the soil via their root hairs. Animals obtain nitrogen by eating these plants then digesting the proteins and nucleic acids.

42. The Nitrogen Cycle D. Denitrification- nitrites (NO 2 ) and nitrates  nitrogen gas (N 2 ) The process in which nitrogen is returned to the atmosphere where anaerobic bacteria break down nitrates and nitrites and release nitrogen back into the atmosphere.