Ecology: An Introduction

. 1.Finish/turn in Vocabulary from yesterday 2.Food Web Poster a.Get poster paper from front b.You need to create a food web with at least: - 3 plants - 8 animals You can choose any kind of ecosystem you wish, (jungle, ocean, desert, etc..) Page 27 has a good example but don’t just copy it. c. Each organism should be drawn, colored and labeled. d. Remember, arrows show where the energy goes. (Point to what does the eating). Use ruler for nice arrows. Arrows should be dark, in marker. Put a “C” next to each consumer and a “P” next to each producer. e. Food Web is titled “Food Web” with a large title and your name on the poster f. Your poster should be NEAT and COMPLETE. Otherwise you will have to do the entire thing over again. 

Ecology: An Introduction Ecology: The study of the interactions that take place among living things and their environment Biosphere: All the parts of the earth Top portion of earth’s crust (lithosphere) All the waters that cover Earth’s surface(hydrosphere) Atmosphere is all the gases that surround earth

. Biosphere

. Ecosystem: All the organisms living in an area and the nonliving features of their environment Biotic- living factors Abiotic- nonliving factors BIOTIC- living examples:

. ABIOTIC: Abiotic- nonliving Examples:

What is a species? Organisms that are genetically the same. Can have babies. Not the same

Some animals CAN reproduce that are not species. But offspring are sterile. + = Horsedonkeymule + = LiontigerLiger

Rare Animal Hybrids between species Zorse Beefalo Grizzly/Polar Bear hybrid

+ = sealparrotsparrot + = koalaelephantkoalaphant

. And don’t forget the Chihuahua Squirrel And the Vampire Penguin

. Parts of an ecosystem Population: All the organisms in an ecosystem that are of the same species (biotic) Rainforest ecosystem: jaguars, trees, ferns, agoutis, monkeys, etc…

. Community: All the populations that live together in a particular area. (Desert: lizards, beetles, vultures, coyotes, cacti, etc….) Habitat: The place in which an organism lives provides the kinds of water and soil, the temperature, and the amount of food (energy) the organism needs to survive. Habitats……desert, rainforest, tundra, lake, deep sea, river, beach, tide pool, Biobottle, etc…..

. Niche: The role an organism plays in It’s ecosystem

. Competition: The struggle between individuals or populations in an ecosystem, each seeking to gain access to a good supply of the necessities of life. -food and water -living space penguin rookery strangler fig and tree

. Limiting Factor: Anything that limits the growth of a population Includes abiotic/biotic features of the ecosystem Examples: Waterprey Living spacefood

. Carrying Capacity The maximum number of individuals an ecosystem can support.

. Energy Transfer Food Chain:- chain of organisms along which energy, in the form of food passes. An organism feeds on the link before it and is in turn prey for the link after it

. Organisms that cannot make their own energy are called consumers Organism that can make their own energy are called producers

. FOOD WEB- A group of interconnecting food chains They show the relationships between consumers and producers in an ecosystem

. Energy Pyramids show -that the amount of available energy decreases down the food chain -it takes a larger number of producers to support a small number of primary consumers -it takes a large number of primary consumers to support a small number of secondary consumers 1 lion (secondary consumer) 7 giraffe (primary consumer) Many trees (producers)