1. Principles of Ecology

2. GPS Standard:
SB4. Students will assess the dependence of all organisms on one another and the flow of energy and matter within their ecosystem
a. Investigate the relationships among organisms, populations, communities , ecosystems and biomes

3. Ecology: Ecological Relationships
Identify relationships among components in an ecosystem
Relate adaptations to the survival of organisms
Explain the adaptations of an organism that enable the organism to be successful within an ecosystem
Relate the stages of succession to changes in an ecosystem after a natural disaster

4. Organisms and Their Environment
Biotic – living factors in an ecosystem
Grass, trees, animals, insects
Abiotic – nonliving factors in an ecosystem
Rocks, soil, water, air, minerals
Abiotic factors often determine the Biotic factors in a community

5. Levels of Organization in Ecology
Organism
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biome
Biosphere

6. Organism

7. A single individual of a particular species.
What defines a group as a species?

8. Organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce fertile offspring = _____________
SPECIES

9. EX: Horse X donkey = mule
EX: Horse X donkey = mule
64 chromosomes
62 chromosomes
63 chromosomes
Horses and donkeys are different species.
If you breed them, the result is a mule
which can NOT have offspring!

10. Population

11. A group of organisms of one species that interbreed and live in the same place.

12. Community

13. A collection of interacting populations.

14. Ecosystem

15. A community and all of the physical surroundings, or abiotic factors, that affect that community.

16. Biome 16

17. Group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar climax communities.

18. The portion of the planet in which all life exists = _________________
The scientific study of interactions of organisms with each other and with their environment = ______________
The portion of the planet in which all life exists = _________________
(includes land, water, atmosphere)
ECOLOGY
BIOSPHERE
Extends from about
8 km above the Earth’s surface
to 11 km below the ocean’s surface

19. Organisms in Ecosystems
Every organism in an Ecosystem has a job or role. It’s NICHE.
The place where an organism lives is its HABITAT

20. HABITAT vs NICHE? Habitat is like an address OCCUPATION
HABITAT vs NICHE?
Habitat is like an
organism’s ____________
Niche is like an
organism’s ______________
address
OCCUPATION

21. Section 2.2
GPS Standard:
SB4. Students will assess the dependence of all organisms on one another and the flow of energy and matter within their ecosystem
b. Explain the flow of matter and energy through ecosystems by
*Arranging components of a food chain according to energy flow
* Comparing the quantity of energy in the steps of an energy pyramid 21

22. Ecology: Transfer of Matter and Energy
Recognize the role of an organism within a food chain or food web
Analyze the transfer of energy and matter through an ecosystem
Explain the concept of an ecosystem in terms of its components and the flow of matter and energy through the system
Construct food chains and webs, based on the position of an organism within an ecosystem

23. The Earth is SOLAR POWERED!
ALL LIVING THINGS USE ENERGY
The Earth is SOLAR POWERED!
_____________ is the main source of energy for life on Earth.
SUNLIGHT

24. AUTOTROPHS = PRODUCERS Can make their own food
ALL LIVING THINGS USE ENERGY
AUTOTROPHS = PRODUCERS Can make their own food
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Most autotrophs use _______________
to capture solar energy
Main producers on land
= green plants
In water = algae
BIOLOGY; MIller and Levine; Prentice Hall; 2006

25. HETEROTROPHS = ____________ Get energy from consuming other organisms
CONSUMERS
HETEROTROPHS = ____________ Get energy from consuming other organisms

26. HETEROTROPHS = CONSUMERS
HERBIVORES
________________ =
eat only plants
eat only animals
eat both plants & animals
CARNIVORES
OMNIVORES

27. HETEROTROPHS = CONSUMERS
DETRITIVORES
________________ =
feed on plant & animal remains
EX: mites, earthworms,
snails, crabs
break down and absorb organic matter
EX: bacteria & fungi
DECOMPOSERS

28. ↑ ↑ CONSUMERS (Heterotrophs) PRODUCERS (Autotrophs)
Energy flows through an ecosystem in a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by being eaten
CONSUMERS (Heterotrophs)
________________
_________________
= _________________ ↑ ↑
PRODUCERS (Autotrophs)
FOOD CHAIN

29. Energy Flow in An Ecosystem
Food chain – chain of energy movement from organism to organism
**Arrows show the flow of energy 29

30. In most ecosystems feeding relationships are more complex
Pearson Education Inc, Publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall
In most ecosystems feeding relationships are more complex
FOOD WEB
A ______________ links ALL the food chains in an ecosystem together.

31. PRODUCERS FIRST Each step in a food chain or web = _______________
ALWAYS
make up the
________
trophic level.
TROPHIC LEVEL
PRODUCERS
FIRST

32. Lower levels must be bigger to support the level above.
Only about_____ of
the energy from
each level is passed
on.
10%

33. Some energy is used for life processes such as growth, development,
movement,
metabolism,
transport, and
reproduction.
The rest is
lost as ________
HEAT

35. Living relationships
Symbiosis – the interactions of organisms in an ecosystem
Predator/Prey – one kills and one is eaten
Commensalism – one benefits
Mutualism – both benefits
Parasitism – one benefits and one is harmed
Competition – when two or more organisms use one resource

37. Cut out your organisms.
Organize them into a food web on your piece of construction paper.
Check your web with one of us before you glue it.
Label trophic levels, producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers.
Draw arrows to show the flow of energy.
Label each consumer as carnivore, herbivore, omnivore, or scavenger.