1. Rainier Jr/Sr High School Mr. Taylor
Basics of Ecology
Rainier Jr/Sr High School
Mr. Taylor

2. Definitions
Ecosystem: A physically distinct, self-supporting unit of interacting organisms and their surrounding environment.
To be “self-supporting” the following needs must be met:
energy source: most often this is light energy from the sun converted to chemical energy through photosynthesis

3. Definitions
Ecosystem: A physically distinct, self-supporting unit of interacting organisms and their surrounding environment.
To be “self-supporting” the following needs must be met:
the captured chemical energy must be transferred from one organism to another (this is usually done by eating other organisms)

4. Definitions
Ecosystem: A physically distinct, self-supporting unit of interacting organisms and their surrounding environment.
To be “self-supporting” the following needs must be met:
there must be some method of decomposing waste materials and dead organisms which will accomplish....

5. Definitions
Ecosystem: A physically distinct, self-supporting unit of interacting organisms and their surrounding environment.
To be “self-supporting” the following needs must be met:
a way to recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem. If nutrients aren’t recycled, the system will soon run out and collapse.

6. Definitions
Population: a group of individuals of a single species occupying a common area and sharing common resources. (Same species, same place, same time).
Community: an interacting group of populations whose members form a system of production, consumption, decomposition, and reuse of resources in a common area.

7. Ecologic Succession
Biotic factors: those things that are living, were once living, or are waste products of a living organism.
Abiotic factors: things that are not now and were never part of a living organism.
sunlight, weather, water, soil type, slope, etc.
Ecological succession: a predictable, orderly pattern of replacements of communities in an ecosystem

8. Ecologic Succession
Bare land: contains NO organisms (living or dead) and usually few or no nutrients in a readily useable form
bare rock, lava flows, new sand dunes, glacial ponds...
Seral communities: those communities that establish themselves in succession but are eventually replaced by other communities.
Each seral community creates conditions that make it impossible to sustain itself.
lichens  moss  grass  shrubs  trees

9. Ecologic Succession
Climax community: a stable almost permanent community.
Conditions are present so it can sustain itself indefinitely.
varies mostly by the abiotic factors present.

10. Ecologic Succession
Primary succession: starts with bare ground or water.
Pioneer species (the first ones to colonize) are usually microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, algae, etc.)
Secondary succession: starts in an area where organisms have colonized before.
fires, earthquakes, landslide, flood,...
Pioneer species often grass/bushes.

11. Ecological succession

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