INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY ECOLOGY - The study of _____________ things ( __________________ ) and their ___________________ with the ________________ environment. living organisms interactions non-living living tree BIOTIC = __________ Ex. __________ ABIOTIC = _____________ Ex. ________ non-living water lives backyard HABITAT - Where an organism __________ Ex. _______________ NICHE - The ________ an organism plays Ex. _______________________ __________________________ role ROBIN – Builds a nest, flies around, and eats worms

COMPETITION fight similar greater cardinal insects plant not A _________ for resources. ** The more _______________ the niche, the ______________ the competition ** fight similar greater cardinal insects Ex. A robin will compete with a _______________ because they both eat ____________. The robin will ______ compete with a daisy because the daisy is a __________ and makes its own food using ________________________. plant not photosynthesis

LEVELS OF STUDY IN ECOLOGY DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE 1. _________________ All the ______________ of one _____________ _________ 2. _____________ All the _________________ populations ________________ 3. _____________ The biotic ______________ interacting with the abiotic 4. _____________ All the places on __________ where life exists ______________ members POPULATION deer species interacting COMMUNITY deer, grass, birds community ECOSYSTEM deer, grass, birds air, water, soil environment earth forest, jungle, desert, ocean BIOSPHERE

NUTRITIONAL ROLES IN ECOSYSTEMS AUTOTROPHS ( _________________) - Green plants and ________ that make their own ________ using _____________________. “Auto” = _____________ “Troph” = _____________ Producers algae food photosynthesis self feeder Consumers eat (B) HETEROTROPHS ( _________________ ) - Organisms that _____ other organisms. “ Hetero” = ____________ “ Troph” = ____________ other feeder

5 TYPES OF HETEROTROPHS: 1. _________________ - Plant eaters Ex. _____________ __________ 2. _________________ - Meat eaters Ex. __________ ___________ TYPES OF CARNIVORES: A. PREDATOR – Hunts, ________, and eats its ________ Ex. __________ B. SCAVENGER - Eats ____________ food killed by predators Ex. _____________ ___________ HERBIVORES rabbit cow fox lion CARNIVORES kills prey wolf leftover vulture crow

OMNIVORES raccoon human DECOMPOSERS dead soil fungi bacteria PARASITES 3. _________________ - Eats both plants & animals Ex. ___________ ___________ 4. _________________ - Absorb nutrients from _________ and decaying materials returning minerals to the ________. Ex. _____________ ______________ 5. _________________ - Live on and eat off of their ___________. Ex. ____________________ DECOMPOSERS dead soil fungi bacteria PARASITES host fleas on a dog

________ ENERGY BIOMASS ___________ ___________________ ___ % of the FOOD CHAIN ENERGY PYRAMID _______ ______ ________ ENERGY BIOMASS ___________ ___________________ ___ % of the ________ energy ____________ ____________________ _____________ ________ ______ _____________ ______ ENERGY BIOMASS The _____ is the original source of energy LEAST LEAST FOX Carnivore Secondary Consumer 10 RABBIT Herbivore Primary Consumer Producer MOST GRASS MOST Autotroph sun

FOOD WEBS - Show inter-connected _________________ NOTE: The arrow points to the _________ Ex. The stored energy in the ________ goes into the body of the _______ LIST ANY 2 FOOD CHAINS YOU SEE: ___________  __________  ___________ ___________  __________  ___________ food chains eater frog owl berries squirrel fox leaves grasshopper mouse

CYCLES IN ECOSYSTEMS WATER CYCLE carbon water through Evaporation Atoms such as ___________ (C), and molecules such as ________ H2O, cycle among the living and non-living parts of the biosphere. WATER CYCLE Water moves ____________ the living and non-living components of ecosystems by the processes of: _________________ carbon water through Evaporation Transpiration Condensation Precipitation

(2) OXYGEN/CARBON DIOXIDE CYCLE Plants give off oxygen through the process of _______________________ Animals give off carbon dioxide through the process of _________________________ PHOTOSYNTHESIS: ________ + ________  ___________ + ________ + _________ RESPIRATION: __________ + _________  _____________ + ________ + _________ photosynthesis cellular respiration CO2 H2O C6H12O6 O2 H2O C6H12O6 O2 ATP energy CO2 H2O

ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION “Succession” = An orderly series of ________ The environment can be _____________________ altered or _______________ by humans, climate changes or natural ________________ such as forest fires and floods. The _______________ ecosystem will recover in __________ that takes many years. Finally, the ecosystem will reach a ____________ stage that can last for 100’s or 1000’s of years. EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSION IN NEW YORK STATE As plants die and __________________ the _______ gets thicker. ________ ________ ___________ __________ (_________ STAGE) 1 2 3 4 steps substantially changed disasters damaged stages stable decompose soil grass shrubs conifers hardwoods stable