1. Ecology

2. What is ecology?
Ecology- the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments, focusing on energy transfer
It is a science of relationships
Ecology Video (20 min)
What do you think about when I say ecology? Recycling? Acid rain?

3. What do you mean by environment?
The environment is made up of two factors:
Biotic factors- all living organisms inhabiting the Earth
Abiotic factors- nonliving parts of the environment (examples- temperature, soil, light, moisture, air currents)
When I say environment you think what—weather. Well Ok but it it much more than that

4. Biome Ecosystem Community Population Organism
Just like with classification, ecology is hierarchal. Each level builds on itself and they fit together like nesting boxes.
Population
Organism

5. the lowest level of organization
Organism-any unicellular or multicellular form exhibiting all of the characteristics of life, an individual
the lowest level of organization
The lowest level is the individual. The organism. Here we see a salmon and a bear as examples of organisms. REMINDER: organisms die, species go extint

6. Population-a group of organisms of one species living in the same place at the same time
The next level is a population. A population consists of a single species living together and breeding. Give me an example of a population. Ex. large mouth bass living in Lake Meade. Beetles living under the same log. Here we have salmon spwning and two bears fishing.

7. Community- several interacting populations that inhabit a common environment and are interdependent
Next level is a community which is several populations living together and depending on each other. What does interdependent mean? An example of a community is shown here with the bear and the salmon. They both live in a common environment and the bear needs the fish for food? How does the salmon need the bear?

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

9. Ecosystems support life…
An ecosystem is made of a community of organisms (biotic factors) plus all of the abiotic factors in the area.

10. the highest level of organization
biome - a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities
the highest level of organization
Lets review. Organisms make up populations, populations make up communities, communities and abiotic factors make up ecosystems, and all of the ecosystems make up the biosphere. From one to many and each depending on the other.

11. Habitat vs. Niche
Niche - the role a species plays in a community (“job”)
Habitat - the place in which an organism lives out its life (“address”)
Although several species may share a habitat they each have their own niche. A niche is a very narrow range where a species fits within a habitat.

12. 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
Although several species may share a habitat they each have their own niche. A niche is a very narrow range where a species fits within a habitat.

13. Examples of limiting factors:
Habitat vs. Niche
Examples of limiting factors:
Amount of water
Amount of food
Temperature
Although several species may share a habitat they each have their own niche. A niche is a very narrow range where a species fits within a habitat.

14. Feeding Relationships
There are 3 main types of feeding relationships:
1. Producer – Consumer
2. Predator - Prey
3. Parasite - Host
How do they trap the sun’s energy? Through what process? What is that process similar to in animal cells?

15. (plants and algae), that obtain energy from the sun
Producer –
all Autotrophs
(plants and algae), that obtain energy from the sun
Bottom (1st step) of the food chain
Consumer – (heterotrophs) they ingest food containing the sun’s energy
Herbivores
Carnivores
Omnivores
Decomposers
Decomposers
breakdown the Complex compounds of dead and decaying plants and animals (bacteria and fungi)

16. Consumers Herbivores eat plants (producers) primary consumers
prey animals
Carnivores
eat meat
Predators
Hunt prey animals for food
Scavengers
Feed on dead animals
Omnivores - eat both plants and animals

17. Organisms can interact within ecosystems:
Competition results when two organisms both need the same resource. Sometimes groups of organisms will cooperate with each other in order to improve their chances of survival.
Predator (hunter) and prey (hunted) relationships also exist in ecosystems.

18. Symbiotic Relationships
Symbiosis - two species living together
Brain Pop - Symbiosis
3 Types of Symbiosis:
1. Commensalism
2. Parasitism
3. Mutualism
Cleaning shrimp

19. Symbiotic Relationships
Commensalism
one species benefits
and the other is
neither harmed nor
helped
(good-I don’t care)
Example - 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. Also called aerophyte, air plant.

20. Symbiotic Relationships
Commensalism
one species benefits
and the other is
neither harmed nor helped
Example - polar bears and cyanobacteria
You can see here that this polar bear is no longer white.

21. Symbiotic Relationships
Parasitism
one species benefits (parasite) and the other is harmed (host)
(good-bad)
Parasite-Host relationship

22. Symbiotic Relationships
Parasitism - Parasite-Host
Examples –
lampreys,
leeches, fleas,
ticks,tapeworm

23. Symbiotic Relationships
Mutualism
beneficial to both
Species
(good-good)
Examples - cleaning
birds and cleaner
shrimp
The Egyptian plover takes insects from the backs of buffaloes, giraffes and rhinos. The plover has also been observed taking leeches from the open mouths of crocodiles! In this association the plover receives a supply of food and the other animal rids itself of unwelcome pests

24. Symbiotic Relationships
Mutualism
beneficial to both species
Ex. lichen
The Egyptian plover takes insects from the backs of buffaloes, giraffes and rhinos. The plover has also been observed taking leeches from the open mouths of crocodiles! In this association the plover receives a supply of food and the other animal rids itself of unwelcome pests

26. = 1 species Type of relationship Species harmed Species benefits
Species neutral
Commensalism
Parasitism
Mutualism
= 1 species

27. Trophic Levels Each link in a food chain is known as a trophic level
Trophic levels represent a feeding step in the transfer of energy and matter in an ecosystem

28. 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

29. E N R G Y Trophic Levels Producers- Autotrophs
Tertiary consumers- top carnivores
Secondary consumers-small carnivores
Primary consumers- Herbivores
Producers- Autotrophs

30. Trophic Levels Food Chain
simple model that shows how matter and energy move through an ecosystem

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

33. Food chain Food web
(just 1 path of energy) (all possible energy paths)

37. Trophic Levels Energy Pyramid
Kids Corner - Energy Chains
Energy Pyramid
model that shows the amount of energy available at each feeding level of an ecosystem
The amount of available energy decreases as you go up the pyramid
BrainPop-Energy Pyramid

38. Matter changes forms-but is neither created nor destroyed as it continually cycles through ecosystems-it is all part of a never-ending circle of life!

39. Matter Cycles Through an Ecosystem
Living organisms depend on the environment to meet their needs
Material, or matter, are the needs required by all living things
Cycle- a series of events that happen over and over again
Cycling maintains homeostasis (balance) in the environment

40. Ecosystem Cycles
1. Water cycle
2. Carbon cycle
3. Nitrogen cycle

41. Water cycle – movement of water through the environment
As water moves through the ecosystem, it changes in physical form, moving back and forth between solid, liquid, and gas

42. Water Moves Through the Ecosystem
Evaporation – when water is heated, it changes back to vapor and returns to the atmosphere (liquid to gas)
Transpiration- water vapor is released through plants
Condensation – water changes to a liquid or solid from water vapor
Precipitation – water that falls to the earth

43. Water Cycle
Brainpop - Water Cycle

44. Carbon cycle – movement of carbon through the environment
Photosynthesis and respiration cycle carbon and oxygen through the environment

45. Carbon Cycle All living things are carbon based.
Producers remove carbon from the air
Animals consume carbon by eating producers or other consumer
Plants and animals release carbon during cellular respiration.
Carbon contained in fossil fuels and wood is released is CO2 during combustion.

46. Brainpop - Carbon Cycle

47. Organisms can not use it in that form
Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen cycle - movement of nitrogen through the environment
Atmospheric nitrogen (N2) makes up nearly 78%-80% of air
Organisms can not use it in that form
Nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert nitrogen into usable forms
Lightning can also convert the nitrogen in the air for plants to use.

48. Brainpop - Nitrogen Cycle

49. Biomes contain many ecosystems
Precipitation and temperature are the main factors that determine the plants and animals that can live in a particular region-thus making the biome.
There are two types of Biomes:
Terrestrial (land biomes)
Aquatic (water biomes)

50. Odum - Fundamentals of Ecology
“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
You don’t have to write this down!!