PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY

WHAT IS ECOLOGY? Scientific study of the interactions among organisms and their environments.

ASPECTS OF ECOLOGICAL STUDY -Biosphere: part of the Earth that supports life. -Environment: non living and living surroundings. -Abiotic factors: non living factors, light, soil. -Biotic factors: living organisms interactions.

LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION IN ECOLOGY ORGANISM POPULATION COMMUNITY ECOSYSTEM BIOSPHERE

ORGANISM Complete individual, living being.

POPULATION -A group of one species of organisms that live together in the same place at the same time -Interbreed. -Share and compete for resources. -Adaptations may reduce competition.

COMMUNITY -A group of interbreeding populations in the same area at the same time. -Changes in one population affects another.

ECOSYSTEM -Composed of the interactions between organisms, and their surrounding abiotic factors.

BIOSPHERE -All portions of Earth where life exists. -Relationship between all of the ecosystems.

ORGANISMS IN ECOSYSTEMS -HABITAT: Where the organism lives. -NICHE: The role and position the species has in the environment. (what do you do in the environment?)

Predator prey relationship

Living together of different species may aid survival. Symbiosis Living together of different species may aid survival.

LIVING RELATIONSHIPS 1. Mutualism: Both species benefit from the relationship. 2. Commensalism: One species benefits while the other species doesn’t benefit nor is harmed. 3. Parasitism: One species benefits while the other species is harmed.

FEEDING RELATIONSHIPS Autotroph: Heterotroph: PLANTS CARNIVORE HERBIVORE SCAVENGER DECOMPOSER OMNIVORE

CYCLES IN NATURE -Energy in an ecosystem is replenished by the sun. -Matter in an ecosystem has to be recycled. -Atoms making up organisms today are the same as those present when life on Earth began.

Water Cycle

The Water Cycle Precipitation Evaporation Condensation Transpiration Runoff Groundwater

Carbon Cycle Carbon Cycle Video

The Carbon Cycle Atmosphere Photosynthesis Respiration Wastes Soil Fuel Pollution

STOP….WAIT A MINUTE…..

NUTRITION AND ENERGY FLOW

HOW ORGANISMS OBTAIN ENERGY -Producers: AUTOTROPHS make their own food -Consumers: HETEROTROPHS take their food in ready made Carnivores: meat, hawk Herbivores: plants, rabbit Omnivores: meat and plants, bear Scavengers: carrion and refuse, buzzard

-Decomposers: breakdown and release nutrients from dead organisms, bacteria and fungi.

MATTER AND ENERGY FLOW IN ECOSYSTEMS -Food chain: Model used to show how matter and energy flows through an ecosystem. -Autotrophs  Heterotrophs  Decomposers

-Usually 3-5 links. -10% of available energy reaches next link. (Because energy is used/lost as heat at each link.) Grass  rabbit  fox

Practice building food chains…on your own time Click on the link below (or access build food chain activity from the wiki ecology page) and build all the food chains. http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/ani mals/kidscorner/games/foodchaingame.htm

FEEDING LEVELS -Trophic level: A feeding step in a food chain. (Animal may occupy more than one trophic level in an ecosystem.) 1st trophic level = green plant = producer 2nd trophic level = herbivore = primary consumer/1st order 3rd trophic level = carnivore = secondary consumer/2nd order 4th trophic level = carnivore = tertiary consumer/3rd order 5th trophic level = carnivore = quaternary consumer/4th order

What is wrong with this diagram?

Food Web -Model showing all possible feeding relationships at each trophic level in a community.

-Network of interlinked food chains.

WRITE 2 FOOD CHAINS IN THIS FOOD WEB

ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDS -Shows how energy flows through an ecosystem. -Initial energy source is the sun. -Autotrophs/1st trophic level at base of all pyramids.

Pyramid of Energy -Based on the amount of energy available at each trophic level. -Only 10% of the energy is past to the next level. Decreases at each level by 90% , this energy is used or lost as heat.

THE END