1. Ecology

2. What is Ecology? So….Ecology is……..
“Something to do with the environment or something to do with saving it”
Eco = oikos (Greek) meaning “household, home, place to live”
ology = the study of
So….Ecology is……..

3. Some thoughts from ecologists:
“The study of structure and function of nature” (Odum)
“the study of the patterns of nature and how those patterns came to be, and how they change…” (Kingsland)
“Ecology works at characterizing the patterns seen in nature, studying the complex interactions among organisms and their environments, and the mechanisms involved in biological diversity”
(Smith & Smith)

4. It is a science of relationships.
Ecology- the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments, focusing on energy transfer
It is a science of relationships.
What do you think about when I say ecology? Recycling? Acid rain?

5. What do we mean by environment?
The environment is made up of two factors:
Biotic factors- all living organisms inhabiting the Earth
Abiotic factors- nonliving parts of the environment (i.e. temperature, soil, light, moisture, air currents)
When I say environment you think what—weather. Well Ok but it it much more than that

6. What is an Ecosystem? Ecosystems are….
*”subdivisions of the biosphere. They consist of communities of plants, animals, and microorganisms along the air, water, soil, or other substrates that support them”
*”a self-sustaining community of organisms that includes the organic and inorganic environment”

7. An example of an ecosystem. Can you identify
the biotic and abiotic components?
List the Biotic and Abiotic components of this ecosystem
What abiotic factors make this ecosystem possible?

8. Biosphere Ecosystem Community Population Organism
Just like with classification, ecology is hierarchal. Each level builds on itself and they fit together like nesting boxes.
Population
Organism

9. The lowest level of organization
Organism- any unicellular or multicellular form exhibiting all of the characteristics of life, an individual.
The lowest level of organization
The lowest level is the individual. The organism. Here we see a salmon and a bear as examples of organisms. REMINDER: organisms die, species go extint

10. Population-a group of organisms of one species living in the same place at the same time that interbreed and compete with each other for resources (ex. food, mates, shelter)
The next level is a population. A population consists of a single species living together and breeding. Give me an example of a population. Ex. large mouth bass living in Lake Meade. Beetles living under the same log. Here we have salmon spwning and two bears fishing.

11. Community- several interacting populations that inhabit a common environment and are interdependent.
Next level is a community which is several populations living together and depending on each other. What does interdependent mean? An example of a community is shown here with the bear and the salmon. They both live in a common environment and the bear needs the fish for food? How does the salmon need the bear?

12. Ecosystem- populations in a community and the abiotic factors with which they interact (ex. marine, terrestrial)

13. The highest level of organization
Biosphere- life supporting portions of Earth composed of air, land, fresh water, and salt water.
The highest level of organization
Lets review. Organisms make up populations, populations make up communities, communities and abiotic factors make up ecosystems, and all of the ecosystems make up the biosphere. From one to many and each depending on the other.

14. Odum - Fundamentals of Ecology
“The ecological niche of an organism depends not only on where it lives but also on what it does. By analogy, it may be said that the habitat is the organism's ‘address’, and the niche is its ‘profession’, biologically speaking.”
Odum - Fundamentals of Ecology
You don’t have to write this down!!

15. Habitat vs. Niche
Niche - the role a species plays in a community (job)
Habitat- the place in which an organism lives out its life (address)
Although several species may share a habitat they each have their own niche. A niche is a very narrow range where a species fits within a habitat.
Wolf’s First Law of Ecology: “Everything has a purpose; Nature doesn’t allow for slop.”

16. Habitat vs. Niche
A niche is determined by the tolerance limitations of an organism, or a limiting factor.
Limiting factor- any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence of organisms in a specific environment.
Although several species may share a habitat they each have their own niche. A niche is a very narrow range where a species fits within a habitat.

17. Habitat vs. Niche Examples of limiting factors- Amount of water
Amount of food
Temperature
Although several species may share a habitat they each have their own niche. A niche is a very narrow range where a species fits within a habitat.

18. Niche Example
Red Fox: The red fox's habitat might include forest edges, meadows and the bank of a river. The niche of the red fox is that of a predator which feeds on the small mammals, amphibians, insects, and fruit found in this habitat. Red foxes are active at night. They provide blood for blackflies and mosquitoes, and are host to numerous diseases. The scraps, or carrion, left behind after a fox's meal provide food for many small scavengers and decomposers. This then is the ecological niche of the red fox. Only the red fox occupies this niche in the meadow-forest edge communities. In other plant communities different species of animal may occupy a similar niche to that of the red fox. For example, in the grassland communities of western Canada and the United States, the coyote occupies a similar niche (to that of the red fox.)
Use this as a lead-in to the niche activity using life histories.

19. Using the Red Fox example, identify possible limiting factors that influence Red Fox populations.

20. Feeding Relationships
There are 3 main types of feeding relationships
1. Producer- Consumer
2. Predator- Prey
3. Parasite- Host
How do they trap the sun’s energy? Through what process? What is that process similar to in animal cells?

21. Feeding Relationships
Producer- all autotrophs (plants), they trap energy from the sun
Bottom of the food chain
How do they trap the sun’s energy? Through what process? What is that process similar to in animal cells?

22. Feeding Relationships
Consumer- all heterotrophs: they ingest food containing the sun’s energy.
Herbivores – eat …? Primary Consumer
Carnivores –eat …? Secondary,Tertiary
Includes predators, scavengers, etc.
Omnivores – eat …? Secondary, Tertiary
Decomposers – do what?
Energy moves up the food chain through the producer/consumer relationship.

23. Feeding Relationships
Consumer- Decomposers
Breakdown the complex compounds into simpler molecules that can be absorbed.
NOT just fungus!
Humans and bears are omnivores but a large and important subset of omnivores are the decomposers. They breakdown dead producers and release the energy back into circulation.

24. Symbiotic Relationships
Symbiosis- two species living together
3 Types of symbiosis:
1. Commensalism
2. Parasitism
3. Mutualism
Cleaning shrimp

25. Symbiotic Relationships
Commensalism-
one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped.
Ex. orchids on a tree
Epiphytes: A plant, such as a tropical orchid or a bromeliad, that grows on another plant upon which it depends for mechanical support but not for nutrients. Also called aerophyte, air plant.

26. Symbiotic Relationships
Commensalism-
one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped.
Ex. polar bears and cyanobacteria
You can see here that this polar bear is no longer white.

27. Symbiotic Relationships
Parasitism-
one species benefits (parasite) and the other is harmed (host)
Parasite-Host relationship

28. Symbiotic Relationships
Parasitism- parasite-host
Ex. lampreys,
leeches, fleas,
ticks,tapeworm

29. Symbiotic Relationships
Mutualism-
beneficial to both species
Ex. cleaning birds and cleaner shrimp
The Egyptian plover takes insects from the backs of buffaloes, giraffes and rhinos. The plover has also been observed taking leeches from the open mouths of crocodiles! In this association the plover receives a supply of food and the other animal rids itself of unwelcome pests

30. Symbiotic Relationships
Mutualism-
beneficial to both species
Ex. lichen
The Egyptian plover takes insects from the backs of buffaloes, giraffes and rhinos. The plover has also been observed taking leeches from the open mouths of crocodiles! In this association the plover receives a supply of food and the other animal rids itself of unwelcome pests

32. = 1 species Type of relationship Species harmed Species benefits
Species neutral
Commensalism
Parasitism
Mutualism
= 1 species
Feeding relationships and symbiosis illustrate Wolf’s Second Law of Ecology: “Life is NOT a Disney movie.”

33. Trophic Levels
Food chain- simple model that shows how matter and energy move through an ecosystem

34. Trophic Levels
Each link in a food chain is known as a trophic level.
Trophic levels represent a feeding step in the transfer of energy and matter in an ecosystem.

35. Trophic Levels
Biomass- the amount of organic matter comprising a group of organisms in a habitat.
As you move up a food chain, both available energy and biomass decrease.
Energy is transferred upwards but is diminished with each transfer.
Wolf’s Third Law of Ecology: “Energy flows, Matter cycles.”

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

39. What seems to always be missing in a food chain diagram
What seems to always be missing in a food chain diagram? The decomposers!

40. Trophic Levels
Food web- shows all possible feeding relationships in a community at each trophic level
Represents a network of interconnected food chains

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

42. “DIVERSITY BREEDS STABILITY”
Wolf’s Fourth Law of Ecology:
“DIVERSITY BREEDS STABILITY”

47. Cycling maintains homeostasis (balance) in the environment.
Nutrient Cycles
Cycling maintains homeostasis (balance) in the environment.
3 cycles to investigate:
1. Water cycle
2. Carbon cycle
3. Nitrogen cycle
Nutrient cycles illustrate Wolf’s Third Law of Ecology, and Wolf’s Fifth Law of Ecology: “There is no AWAY.”

48. Evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation
Water cycle-
Evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation

49. Water cycle-

50. Carbon cycle-
Photosynthesis and respiration cycle carbon and oxygen through the environment.

51. Carbon cycle-

52. Nitrogen cycle-
Atmospheric nitrogen (N2) makes up nearly 78%-80% of air.
Organisms can not use it in that form.
Lightning and bacteria convert nitrogen into usable forms.

53. Nitrogen cycle-
Only in certain bacteria and industrial technologies can fix nitrogen.
Nitrogen fixation-convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonium (NH4+) which can be used to make organic compounds like amino acids.
N2 NH4+

54. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria:
Nitrogen cycle-
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria:
Some live in a symbiotic relationship with plants of the legume family (e.g., soybeans, clover, peanuts).

55. Nitrogen cycle-
Some nitrogen-fixing bacteria live free in the soil.
Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria are essential to maintaining the fertility of semi-aquatic environments like rice paddies.

57. Nitrogen Cycle Atmospheric nitrogen Lightning
Denitrification by bacteria
Animals
Nitrogen fixing bacteria
Plants
Decomposers
Nitrification by bacteria
Nitrites
Nitrates
Ammonium

58. Phosphorus Cycle

59. Phosphorus cycle Usually a local ecosystem cycle
Inorganic phosphorus compounds
(in soil, water…)
Usually a local ecosystem cycle
Organic phosphorus compounds
(ATP)

60. Question: What would happen in the Nitrogen Cycle if the nitrogen-fixing bacteria were not working properly? Describe the impact on both producers and consumers.
• Question: Hypothetical scenario: Grandma Johnson had very sentimental feelings toward Johnson Canyon, Utah, where she and her late husband had honeymooned long ago. Her feelings toward this spot were such that upon her death she requested to be buried under a creosote bush overlooking the canyon. Trace the path of a carbon atom from Grandma Johnson’s remains to where it could become part of a hawk. Note: hawk did not dig up and consume Grandma Johnson’s remains.

61. This is called biological magnification
Toxins in food chains-
While energy decreases as it moves up the food chain, toxins increase in potency.
This is called biological magnification
Ex: DDT & Bald Eagles

62. “The ultimate test of a man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for the future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard” Gaylord Nelson