1. The Biosphere

2. Vocabulary Food Chain Food Web Ecology Trophic Level Biosphere
Ecological Pyramid
Biogeochemical Cycles
Evaporation
Transpiration
Nitrogen Fixation
Denitrification
Water Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
Carbon Cycle
Ecology
Biosphere
Species
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biome
Producer
Consumer
Autotroph
Heterotroph
Decomposer

3. Learning Target
I can compare and contrast the different levels of organization in ecology

4. What is Ecology?
It is the study of the interactions between organisms and their environment
The interaction between the biotic and abiotic factors

5. Abiotic Factors
The environment’s nonliving components—physical and chemical components that shape the environment

6. Abiotic Factors
Energy source
Temperature
Water
Nutrient Availability

7. Energy Source Without a constant source of energy, living things die!!
What is the primary source of energy for living things on Earth?

8. You Are Correct! It’s the SUN

9. Temperature Directly affects metabolism
All living organisms have a range of temperature in which they best operate
At or below 0oC and above 45oC will destroy the enzymes of most organisms.

10. Water Is essential for all life.
Critical for most metabolic chemical reactions
Helps maintain body temperature
Helps prevent dehydration

11. Nutrient Availability
Nutrients are all the chemical substances an organism needs to sustain its life.

12. Biotic Factors
All of the living organisms in an area

13. Ecology
Levels Of
Organization

14. What is the Biosphere? It is the areas on Earth where life is found
It includes any place on land, in the water or in the atmosphere where organisms live

15. Where are living organisms found in the biosphere?
Living organisms are found from about 8 km above the Earth to about 11 km deep in the ocean

16. Ecosystem
All the abiotic factors and biotic factors found in a certain place at any time.

17. Community
All the organisms living in a specific area at a specific time

18. Population
A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time

19. Species
A group of organisms so similar that they can breed and produce fertile offspring

20. Learning Target
I can compare and contrast the different levels of organization in ecology.

21. Learning Target I can discuss the flow of energy through an ecosystem.
I can create and discuss a food web.

22. Energy Flow The sun is the main source of energy for life on earth.
< 1 % of all sunlight that reaches earth is used by living organisms.
What happens to the rest?

23. Most is reflected off as heat energy.

24. Producers or Autotrophs
Use sunlight or chemicals to make their own food.
Examples:

25. Photosynthesis 6CO2 + 6H2O C6H12O6 + 6O2
Performed on land by plants and in water by algae.

26. Can organisms make their own food without the aid of sunlight?
Chemosynthesis: using chemical energy to make carbohydrates.
Usually performed bacteria found in harsh environments
Ocean vents, volcanoes, hot-acidic environments

27. Consumers or heterotrophs: Must get their energy by eating other organisms
Herbivores Omnivores
Decomposers
Carnivores Detritivores

28. Food Chains

29. Food Webs More complex than food chains
A complex net of interactions among organisms. (interdependence)

30. Trophic Levels
Each location or step in a food chain or food web represents a trophic level.
Examples: producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, etc.

31. Ecological pyramids
Only about ten percent of the energy available within a trophic level is transferred to oragnisms at the next higher level.

32. Pyramid of Numbers

33. Biomass Pyramids
Biomass and numbers

34. Learning Targets
I can discuss the flow of energy through an ecosystem.
I can create and discuss a food web.

35. Learning Targets
I can differentiate between the biogeochemical cycles.

36. Cycles of matter
Unlike energy, matter is constantly being recycled in an ecosystem.
Known as biogeochemical cycles

38. Transpiration The release of water from the leaves of plants.
Water is exchanged through
a plant’s stomata.
Evaporation is the second
process that releases water
into the atmosphere.

39. Carbon Cycle
Biological processes (photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition)
Geochemical processes (volcanoes)
Biogeochemical (fossil fuels)
Human activity (factories, deforestation, car exhaust)

41. Nitrogen Cycle All organisms need nitrogen to live.
Most abundant gas in atmosphere (80%)
Nitrogen gas is unusable for plants
Must be “fixed” or changed into the nitrate or nitrite form by bacteria in the soil. Known as nitrogen fixation

43. Phosphorus cycle P is important in the production of DNA and RNA.
Unlike water,oxygen, and nitrogen, phosphorus is NOT found in the atmosphere. Found in rocks and minerals.

45. Nutrient Limitation
When a single nutrient is scarce for a particular ecosystem and limits the growth of organisms in that ecosystem.

46. Learning Targets
I can differentiate between the biogeochemical cycles.