1. Ecology Unit

2. Learning Targets The student will * Explain what is studied in ecology * Order the levels of ecological organization from smallest to largest * Describe the components of an ecosystem: *Interactions between Abiotic and Biotic factors *Flow of energy *Nutrient cycling

3. What is ecology? Ecology- the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments, focusing on energy transfer and nutrient cycling. It is a science of relationships.

4. What do you mean by environment? The environment is made up of two factors: Biotic factors- all living/once living organisms inhabiting the Earth and their products (ie. Scat, beeswax) Abiotic factors- nonliving parts of the environment (i.e. temperature, soil, light, moisture, air currents)

5. Organism Population Community Biosphere Ecosystem

6. OrganismOrganism- any unicellular or multicellular form exhibiting all of the characteristics of life, an individual. The lowest level of organization

7. PopulationPopulation-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)

8. CommunityCommunity- several interacting populations that inhabit a common environment and are interdependent.

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

10. BiosphereBiosphere- life supporting portions of Earth composed of air, land, fresh water, and salt water. The highest level of organization

11. Watch Video Levels of Biological Organization

12. “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

13. Habitat vs. Niche Niche –a species (job) “way of life” Includes habitat What it eats, How and where does it get food Does it hibernate How does it mate How does it affect other organisms Habitat- the place it lives and get resources it needs to survive (address)

14. 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.

15. Examples of limiting factors- Amount of water Amount of food Temperature Habitat vs. Niche

16. Watch Movie Organisms and their Unique Niches

17. Feeding Relationships There are 3 main types of feeding relationships 1. Producer- Consumer 2. Predator- Prey 3. Parasite- Host

18. Feeding Relationships Producer- all autotrophs (plants), they trap energy from light and convert it to chemical energy (glucose) through photosynthesis Foundation (bottom) of the food chain

19. Feeding Relationships Consumer- all heterotrophs: they ingest food containing the sun’s stored energy Herbivores Carnivores Omnivores Decomposers

20. Feeding Relationships Herbivores –Eat plants Primary/ 1 st order consumers

21. Feeding Relationships Carnivores-eat animals Predators –Eat prey

22. Feeding Relationships Carnivores- eat animal Scavengers –Feed on carrion (dead animals)

23. Feeding Relationships Omnivores -eat both plants and animals

24. Feeding Relationships Decomposers Breakdown the complex molecules in of dead plants and animals into simpler atoms and molecules that are recycled back to nature

25. Symbiotic Relationships Symbiosis- two organisms of different species living together in close association in which at least one benefits 3 Types of symbiosis: 1. Commensalism 2. Parasitism 3. Mutualism

26. Symbiotic Relationships Commensalism- one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped Ex. Cattle egrets and cattle – as the cattle move their hooves kick up bugs that the egret bird eats, cattle not affected

27. 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..

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

29. Symbiotic Relationships Parasitism- parasite-host Ex. lampreys, leeches, fleas, ticks,tapeworm Parasitic Lamprey on a host fish

30. Symbiotic Relationships Mutualism- Both species benefit Ex. Tick bird and Rhinoceros Tick bird gets insect meal, Rhino gets insects removed

31. Symbiotic Relationships Mutualism- Beneficial to both species Ex. Lichen gets food from photosynthetic algae, Algae lives protected in fungal threads

33. Watch Video Symbiotic Relationships

34. Type of relationship Species harmed Species benefits Species not affected Commensalism Parasitism Mutualism FFill in the chart below - check off each box that applies to describe the symbiotic relationship

35. Trophic Levels Each food chain step-trophic level. Trophic levels represent a feeding step in the transfer of energy and matter in an ecosystem.

36. 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. (At each feeding level an organism uses energy to heat its body and carry out life processes – so energy gets” used up at each trophic level)

37. Trophic Levels Producers- Autotrophs (plants, algae(protists), cyanobacteria) Primary consumers- Herbivores (ex. Rabbits, deer, - other plant eaters) Secondary consumers- small carnivores Tertiary consumers- top carnivores E N E R G Y flow

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

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

43. Food chainFood web (just 1 path of energy) (all possible energy paths)

48. Nutrient Cycles Molecules and matter exist in fixed amounts. These nutrients naturally cycle between the living and nonliving world to maintain homeostasis (balance) in the environment. 3 cycles to investigate: 1. Water cycle 2. Carbon cycle 3. Nitrogen cycle

49. Water cycle- Movement of water between the land, water bodies and air through the processes of evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation

50. Water cycle-

51. Carbon cycle- The processes of Photosynthesis and Respiration result in cycling carbon and oxygen through the environment.

52. Photosynthesis 6CO 2 + 6 H 2 O > C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6 O 2 Cell Respiration C6H12O6 + 6 O2 > 6CO2 + 6 H2O

53. Carbon cycle-

54. Watch Movie Carbon Cycle

55. Nitrogen cycle- Atmospheric nitrogen (N 2 ) ~ 75% of air. BUT, organisms can’t use it in that form. Can be converted into a usable form by lightning and nitrogen fixing bacteria that live in soil.

56. Nitrogen cycle- Nitrogen-fixing bacteria: Have a mutualistic relationship with plants in the pea/ legume family (e.g., soybeans, clover, peanuts).

58. Atmospheric nitrogen Lightning Nitrogen fixing bacteria Ammonium Nitrification by bacteria NitritesNitrates Denitrification by bacteria Plants Animals Decomposers Nitrogen Cycle

59. Watch Movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaFVf HftzpIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaFVf HftzpI