1. Organisms and Their Environments
Ecology
Organisms and Their Environments

2. Ecology
The study of the interactions of organisms and their environment

3. Biotic Factors All the living organisms that inhabit an environment.
Bio = life tic = pertaining to.
Animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, protists

4. Abiotic Factors All the non-living parts of the environment
A = not/without, bio = life
Examples = soil, rocks, water, minerals, temperature

5. NOTE:
All organisms depend on others for food, shelter, reproduction and protection. We must study an organism’s relationship with other organisms at different levels and see how different factors affect them.

6. Levels of Biological Organization

7. Organism

8. Population
A group of organisms of one species that interbreed and live in the same area.

9. Community
A collection of populations that interact with one another.

10. Ecosystem
Interactions of a community and its abiotic factors

11. Biome  large community of plants and animals that occupies a distinct region. 

12. Biosphere The portion of the Earth that supports life.
Many different environments exist here.
Bio = life

13. Niche vs. Habitat

14. Niche The role a species plays in a community.
Includes the space, food, and other conditions the organism needs to survive.

15. Habitat
The place where the organism lives.

16. NOTE:
Several species may share a habitat, but the food, shelter, and resources of that habitat are divided into separate niches.

17. Interactions between Organisms
Aka relationships

18. Autotrophs Organisms that use solar energy to make their own food.
Auto = self
Also called Producers

19. Heterotrophs
Organisms that depend on other organisms for food and energy.
Hetero = other
Also called consumers

20. 5 Types of Heterotrophs

21. Herbivores
Eat only plants

22. Carnivores
Eat other heterotrophs

23. Scavengers
Eat organisms that are already dead

24. Omnivores
Eat both animals and plants
omni = all

25. Decomposers
Absorb nutrients from dead organisms
Fungi, Bacteria

26. Competition
Organisms of the same or different species attempt to use an abiotic or biotic resource in the same ecosystem.

27. Predation
An interaction in which one organism captures and feeds on another organism.

29. Symbiosis
Close and permanent relationships between organisms

30. Commensalism
One species benefits and the other is not harmed or benefited.

31. Crab sheltering in carpet of a sea anemone

32. Mutualism
Both species benefit.

33. Golden damselfish being cleaned by 2 different cleaner fish- both parties benefit.

34. Parasitism
One species benefits and the other is harmed.

35. Mosquitoes are a parasite
Mosquitoes are a parasite. They benefit from our blood and we are harmed by the bite and/or transmitted disease.

36. These are common parasites.
Lice, Hookworms, Fleas, Ticks, Leeches

37. Energy in Ecosystems
Note: Organisms interact in order to obtain energy and resources necessary to stay alive.

38. Energy Flow Energy flows thru an ecosystem in one direction:
sun autotroph heterotroph

39. Food Chain
A model that shows how matter and energy move through an ecosystem. It has arrows that show the direction that energy is being transferred.

40. FOOD CHAIN

41. Trophic Level
A feeding step in a food chain that represents each organism.

42. 4 3 2 1

43. Can you name the trophic levels below??
Tertiary consumer
Primary consumer
Producer
Secondary consumer

44. Food Web
Shows all the possible feeding relationships at each trophic level in a community.

46. Ecological pyramids
Diagram that shows the relative amounts of energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a food chain or food web.
3 types

47. Energy Pyramid
Pyramid of Energy
Heat
0.1% Consumers
1% Consumers
10% Consumers
100% Producers
Parasites, scavengers, and decomposers feed at each level.
10% Rule - Only about 10% of energy available within one trophic level is transferred to organisms at the next trophic level
The rest is lost as heat

49. Pyramid of numbers
Based on the number of individual organisms at each trophic level
Pyramid of Numbers
Fox (1)
Birds (25)
Grasshoppers (250)
Grasses (3000)

50. Biomass Pyramid
The total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level is called biomass.
A pyramid of biomass represents the amount of potential food available for each trophic level in an ecosystem.

52. NOTE:
Energy and matter are constantly being recycled. A balance of everything going on in an ecosystem is called HOMEOSTASIS.