1. Ecology pp

2. Introduction
Ecology = the study of organisms and their relationships with each other & the environment Environment can be divided into 2 parts: 1. Biotic (living components) - examples: 2. Abiotic (nonliving components)

4. Energy Flow Through an Ecosystem
Types of organisms:
Producers, consumers, or decomposers
Each step in the flow of energy is a trophic or feeding level

5. Producers
Photosynthetic organisms
Produces their own food from inorganic substances
autotrophs

6. Consumers
Get energy either directly or indirectly from producers
Heterotrophs
Primary consumer (1°) = herbivores
Secondary consumers (2°) eats primary consumer
Tertiary consumers (3°) eats secondary consumers
Quaternary consumers (4°)….
Carnivores

8. Decomposers get energy from dead tissues & organic waste

10. Ecological Pyramids
Graphical representations of the trophic structure of ecosystems
3 types
Pyramid of energy
Pyramid of biomass
Pyramid of numbers

11. Basic Form:

12. Feeding Relationships
Food chain: series of organisms through which energy is passed
Example: wheat  vole  owl

13. Food web: complex relationship of interconnecting & overlapping food chains
Example: Fig p. 1027