1. Chapter 3 The Biosphere

2. Objectives for Today
Identify the levels of organization that ecologists study.
Describe the methods used to study ecology.

3. Section 3.1 What is Ecology?
Left side activity…
How do animals benefit plants?
Directions: With your partner, brainstorm 3 ways how animals benefit plants in their environment.

4. Study of interactions between organisms and their environment
Ecology
Study of interactions between organisms and their environment

5. The Biosphere Portion of earth that can support life
Includes land, water, and atmosphere

6. Levels of Organization
Organism (species)  population  community  ecosystem  biome  biosphere

7. Organism One individual in a species
Species: organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring
Ex. Zebra

8. Population
A group of organisms of the same species that live in the same area
Ex. Herd of zebras (zeal)

9. Community
Populations of different species living together and interacting
Ex. Zebras, giraffes, lions, trees, grasses

10. Ecosystem
All orgs. that live in one area (community), together with their nonliving (physical) environment
Ex. water, climate, precipitation, etc.

11. Biome Group of ecosystems with same climate and similar communities
The whole African savannah

12. Biomes

13. Ecological Methods
Ecologists study the living world using 3 approaches
Observing
Experimenting
Modeling

14. 1. Observing
First step
Can be simple to complex

15. 2. Experimenting
Test hypotheses
In a laboratory
In the natural world

16. 3. Modeling Some phenomena are very complex ex. Global warming
Use models to make predictions

17. 3. Modeling

18. What method of research is this ecologist using?
An ecologist is studying in the field. She records each time that a robin visits a bird feeder. She also records each time that a robin is scared away from a bird feeder by a hawk.
What method of research is this ecologist using?
At what level of organization is this ecologist studying?

19. Section 13.2
Ecosystem

20. Biotic vs. Abiotic Factors
biotic factor: living organisms that play an important role in the ecosystem
Ex.) plant, animal
abiotic factor: nonliving things that determines which living things can survive in a particular environment
Ex.) moisture, temperature, wind, sunlight, and soil

21. Biodiversity
is the assortment, or variety, of living things in an ecosystem

22. Keystone Species
A is a species that has an unusually large effect on its ecosystem

23. Section 3.2: energy flow

24. Autotrophs Auto = “self” Troph = “feeding”
Organisms that can make their own food (ex. plants, some bacteria)
Also called producers
Main source of energy??
Sunlight!

25. Photosynthesis
Uses light energy to produce “food” such as sugar and starches

26. Chemosynthesis Uses chemical energy to produce food
Some bacteria make food this way
Found at deep sea hydrothermal vents

27. Heterotrophs Any organism that must consume their energy
Also called consumers

28. Heterotrophs Herbivores Carnivores Omnivores Scavengers/ Detritivores
Name
What they eat
Examples
Herbivores
Carnivores
Omnivores
Scavengers/
Detritivores
Decomposers

29. How many consumers can you identify?

30. Show how energy flows in ecosystem
Food Chains & Food Webs
Show how energy flows in ecosystem
Sun  Producers  Consumers

31. Food Chain
Arrows show where energy is going to when one org. consumes another
Each step is called a trophic level

32. Trophic levels
Quaternary Consumers Tertiary Consumers Secondary Consumers Primary Consumers Primary Producers

33. Food Web Links all food chains in an ecosystem
Consumers not limited to one trophic level
More realistic than food chain b/c orgs rarely eat only one food or are eaten by only one predator

36. Identify the:
Herbivores
Carnivores
Omnivores
Producers
Primary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Tertiary Consumers

37. Identify the Herbivores, Carnivores, and Omnivores
Identify the Herbivores, Carnivores, and Omnivores. Identify the Producers, Primary Consumers, Secondary Consumers, and Tertiary Consumers

38. Food Web Activity

39. Ecological Pyramids
Energy pyramid – shows energy available at each trophic level

40. Energy Pyramid Only 10% of energy is transferred to next trophic level
Other 90%??
Tertiary Consumers (0.1%)
Secondary Consumers (1%)
Primary Consumers (10%)
Producers (100%)

42. Biomass Pyramid
Biomass – total amount of living tissue w/in a trophic level
Potential food available for each trophic level

44. Pyramid of Numbers
Based on numbers of individual orgs at each trophic level

45. Warm Up Page 73 – Answer the green “Writing in Science” question.
Draw an energy pyramid for your chosen food chain. Show the energy available at each trophic level. Start with 100% energy at the producer level.

46. Objectives
Describe how matter cycles among the living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
Explain why nutrients are important in living systems.
Describe how the availability of nutrients affects the productivity of ecosystems.

47. 3.3 Nutrient Cycles
Materials can be recycled through an ecosystem, energy cannot
Water, carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus are constantly recycled

48. Water Cycle
Evaporation/Transpiration Condensation Precipitation (4 Types) Runoff/Groundwater

49. Water Cycle

50. Carbon Cycle CO2 is released into the environment from:
Burning of fossil fuels and forests
Respiration

51. Carbon Cycle
Plants consume CO2 during photosynthesis (used to make sugars)
Carbon is then passed to consumers

52. Carbon Cycle

53. Nitrogen Cycle ~79% of atmosphere is nitrogen
You cannot get nitrogen you need by breathing it in
Must eat protein to get nitrogen

54. Nitrogen Cycle
Bacteria convert the atmospheric nitrogen into useful nitrates
Plants absorb nitrates through roots
Cosumers eat plants (or other consumers)
Organisms return nitrogen to the ecosystem when they die or decay

55. Nitrogen Cycle

56. Phosphorous Cycle Main source of phosphorous: weathering rock
Plants take in phosphorous from soil
Animals get phosphorous by eating plants
When animals die, they decompose and the phosphorous is returned to the soil to be used again

57. Phosphorus Cycle

58. Nutrient Cycles
hill.com/sites/ /student_view0/ unit1/chapter2/concepts_in_motion.html #

59. Primary Productivity Rate at which producers create organic matter
Depends on the amount of nutrients

60. Limiting nutrient A nutrient that is in short supply
Results in limited growth of organisms in that ecosystem
Adding fertilizers boosts primary productivity

61. Algal bloom
Runoff water containing fertilizers from farms can enter aquatic ecosystems
Can greatly increase the amount of algae

62. Algal bloom