1. Ch Ecology

2. Organisms and their environment
What is ecology?
the study of the interactions that takes place between an organism and their environment

3. Ecology Biosphere: Portion of the Earth that supports living things
Ranges from high in the atmosphere to deep in the ocean
If the Earth were an apple, that would be the thickness of the peel!

4. What makes up the biosphere?
Biotic factors
All living things that live in an environment
plants and animals
Depend directly or indirectly for food, shelter, reproduction, or protection
Abiotic factors
All nonliving parts of an organisms environment
air, temperature, moisture, light, soil
how do these thing affect the organisms life cycle

5. Organization
The living world is organized according to different levels
The organism
Populations
Communities
Ecosystems

6. Organization The organism Lowest level of organization
Deals only with the individual plant or animal and nothing else

7. Organization Population
A group of organisms of the same species that interbreed and live in the same area at the same time
Share resources - determines size and distance they live
Compete for food, water, mates, and other resources
Some species have different forms to enable less competition
tadpoles vs. frogs - totally different food requirements

8. Organization Community
Populations that interact with each other in a certain area at a certain time
Contains many different organisms of different species
Interdependent - changes in one will affect the others!

9. Organization Ecosystem ALL living populations and nonliving things
Terrestrial ecosystems - located on land (forest, meadows, rotting logs)
Aquatic ecosystems - fresh and salt water (ponds, streams, oceans)
saltwater also called marine ecosystems and make up 70% of the Earths surface!

10. Vocab Ecology Abiotic factor Biotic factor Community Population
The non living parts of the environment
A group of 2 or more different species living in the same area
The study of organisms and the area in which they live
A group of organisms of the same species
Animals, plants, and fungi

11. Organisms in Ecosystems
Where do you live? That is your habitat
habitat - place where an organism lives its life
Can change over time
What else is in your habitat? Do the other things use the resources that same way you do?
niche - strategies and adaptations and species uses (how it gets food, where it gets shelter, where it reproduces)
a habitat contains many niches

12. Symbiosis
Most species do not battle for survival. Most survive because of the relationships between other species
Symbiosis - close, permanent association between organisms of different species

13. Symbiosis
Three types of symbiosis
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism

14. Symbiosis Mutualism Relationship in which both species benefit
Example - ants and acacia trees

15. Symbiosis Commensalism
Relationship when one species benefits and the other has no effect
Example - Spanish moss

16. Symbiosis
Parasitism
Relationship when one member of a species benefits at the expense of the other (called the host)
If the host dies, the parasite dies

17. Vocab check Parasitism Mutualism Commensalism Ecosystem Organism
All living and nonliving things in an environment
One species benefits and one has no effect
Both species benefit
Anything that is alive
One species benefits at the others expense

18. Nutrition and Energy
ALL energy for ALL life comes from one place :

19. Nutrition and Energy The Produces
Autotrophs - organism that uses light energy to make energy for life functions
Examples: grass and trees, algae

20. Nutrition and Energy The Consumers
Heterotrophs - organism that cannot make its own food and feeds on other organisms
Can feed on autotrophs, heterotrophs, or both

21. Heterotrophs Heterotrophs that feed only on plants - HERBIVORE
rabbits, grasshoppers, squirrels
Heterotrophs that eat other heterotrophs - CARNIVORES
lions, alligator, venus fly trap
Heterotrophs that do not kill for food but eat other animals that have already died - SCAVENGERS
vultures
Heterotrophs that eat animals and plant materials - OMNIVORES
humans, raccoons, bears

22. Decomposers Some organisms are called decomposers
decomposer - break down and release nutrients from dead organisms
fungi and bacteria

23. Flow of Energy Energy flows from producers to consumers
Simplest model of energy flow is called a food chain
how matter and energy move through an ecosystem
drawn using arrows to indicate energy transfer from autotroph to heterotroph to decomposers
Berries Mice Black bear
energy decreases in each transfer

24. Flow of Energy Berries Mice Black bear Fungi
each link of the chain represents one trophic level
a feeding step
A food chain only represents one possible route of energy

25. Flow of Energy
A food chain is easy to study, but does not show the complexity that exists
To show the relationships that exist between various organisms in the community we use a model called a food web

26. Ecological pyramids Another model of energy flow in an ecosystem
Bottom are the autotrophs
Each level up is a trophic level

27. Cycles in Nature
The matter on Earth has a set amount. It is not endless, but limited.
Matter is always recycled, never lost
Cycles:
Water cycle
Carbon cycle
Nitrogen cycle
Phosphorous cycle

28. Cycles in Nature Water Cycle We recycle water all the time
drink water - breathe out vapor / urinate

29. Cycles in Nature Carbon cycle Carbon is the molecule of life
During photosynthesis sunlight and CO2 are converted into carbon molecules (like sugar) for energy

30. Cycles in Nature
Carbon cycle

31. Cycles in Nature Nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen in the soil is used to make important molecules like proteins for plants
animals then eat the plants and convert the plant N into animal proteins (nitrogen)
you eat this and it transfers into human proteins
your waste (urine) takes the nitrogen out of your body and back to the ground where the cycle renews

32. Cycles in Nature Phosphorous cycle used for energy in your body
comes from the soil to plants
you eat plants and when animals die, the body decomposes back into the soil

33. Succession: Changes over Time
The orderly, natural changes and species replacements that take place in the communities of an ecosystem
Occurs in STAGES
Difficult to observe because it can take decades or centuries for communities to succeed

34. Primary Succession
The colonization of barren land by communities of organisms
Takes place on land where there are no LIVING ORGANISMS
Example:
Volcano

35. Primary Succession Pioneer species
First species to appear on new, barren land
Example:
Lichen – group of small organisms

36. Primary Succession – the process…
Pioneer species dies….
Provides 1st stage of soil….
New soil develops……
Small weedy plants develop…
New organisms move in…
Area grows in size….

37. Primary Succession
After some time, primary succession slows down and becomes stable
Climax community
Mature, stable community with little or no change
Change is dynamic – balances out
May last for hundreds of years

38. Primary Succession Stages

39. Secondary Succession
Sequence of changes that takes place after an existing community is severely disrupted in some way
i.e. A natural disaster
Community of organisms inhabiting an area gradually changes
Occurs in areas that previously contained LIFE + land still contains soil

40. Secondary Succession May take less time to reach climax community
Example:
Yellowstone National Park (1988)

42. Secondary Succession Stages