1 What is Ecology? copyright cmassengale. 2 3 4

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What is Ecology?What is

Ecology?

copyright cmassengale

copyright cmassengale 2





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Organisms and Their Environme

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Organisms and Their Environme

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What is Ecology??What is Ecology??

• The study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment.

• It explains how living organisms affect each other and the world they live in.

• The study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment.

• It explains how living organisms affect each other and the world they live in. copyright cmassengale

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Habitat & NicheHabitat & Niche• Habitat is the place a plant or animal lives

• Niche is an organism’s total way of life

• Habitat is the place a plant or animal lives

• Niche is an organism’s total way of life


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The Nonliving EnvironmentThe Nonliving Environment

• Abiotic factors- the nonliving parts of an organism’s environment.

• Examples include air currents, temperature, moisture, light, and soil.

• Abiotic factors affect an organism’s life.

• Abiotic factors- the nonliving parts of an organism’s environment.

• Examples include air currents, temperature, moisture, light, and soil.

• Abiotic factors affect an organism’s life.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/69/Lightning_in_Arlington.jpg

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The Living EnvironmentThe Living Environment

• Biotic factors- all the living organisms that inhabit an environment.

• All organisms depend on others directly or indirectly for food, shelter, reproduction, or protection.

• Biotic factors- all the living organisms that inhabit an environment.

• All organisms depend on others directly or indirectly for food, shelter, reproduction, or protection.


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Abiotic or Biotic?Abiotic or Biotic?

Bioticcopyright cmassengale

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Abioticcopyright cmassengale

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Abioticcopyright cmassengale

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Bioticcopyright cmassengale

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Levels of Organization

Levels of Organization


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What are the Simplest Levels?

What are the Simplest Levels?

• Atom• Molecule• Organelle• Cell• Tissue• Organ• System

• Atom• Molecule• Organelle• Cell• Tissue• Organ• System


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Levels of OrganizationLevels of Organization• Ecologists have organized

the interactions an organism takes part in into different levels according to complexity.

• Ecologists have organized the interactions an organism takes part in into different levels according to complexity.


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1st Level of Organization1st Level of Organization• Organism:

An individual living thing that is made of cells, uses energy, reproduces, responds, grows, and develops

• Organism:An individual living thing that is made of cells, uses energy, reproduces, responds, grows, and develops


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2nd Level of Organization2nd Level of Organization• Population:

A group of organisms, all of the same species, which interbreed and live in the same place at the same time.

• Population:A group of organisms, all of the same species, which interbreed and live in the same place at the same time.


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3rd Level of Organization3rd Level of Organization• Biological Community:All the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time.

• Biological Community:All the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time.


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4th Level of Organization4th Level of Organization• Ecosystem:

Populations of plants and animals that interact with each other in a given area with the abiotic components of that area. (terrestrial or aquatic)

• Ecosystem: Populations of plants and animals that interact with each other in a given area with the abiotic components of that area. (terrestrial or aquatic)


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5th Level of Organization5th Level of Organization

• Biosphere:The portion of Earth that supports life.

• Biosphere:The portion of Earth that supports life.


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The BiosphereThe Biosphere

• Life is found in air, on land, and in fresh and salt water.

• The BIOSPHERE is the portion of Earth that supports living things.

• Life is found in air, on land, and in fresh and salt water.

• The BIOSPHERE is the portion of Earth that supports living things.


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What level of organization?What level of organization?

Organism


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What level of Organization?What level of Organization?

Communitycopyright cmassengale

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What level of Organization?What level of Organization?

Populationcopyright cmassengale

ECOLOGY The study of living organisms in the natural environmentHow they interact with one another How the interact with their nonliving environment

© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

http://www.saburchill.com/IBbiology/bio_hp.html

Ecosystem Community + Abiotic environment, interacting



CommunityAll the populations of the different species living and inter-acting in the same ecosystem

7-spotted lady bird

(Adephagia septempunctata)

Bean aphids

(Aphis fabae)

Red ant (Myrmica rubra)

and

Broom plant

(Cytisus scoparius)



Species A group of organisms that can breed to produce fully fertile offspring

Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS


Population A group of organism of the same species which live in the same habitat at the same time where they can freely interbreed

The black-veined white butterfly(Aporia crataegi) mating



Biodiversity The total number of different species in an ecosystem and their relative abundance

Worcester City Museums© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

http://www.worcestercitymuseums.org.uk/coll/object/obj12/but3.htm




HabitatThe characteristics of the type of environment where an organism normally lives. (e.g. a stoney stream, a deciduous temperate woodland, Bavarian beer mats)



Energy and organismsAutotrophs

Organisms which can synthesise their own complex, energy rich, organic molecules from simple inorganic molecules (e.g. green plants synthesis sugars from CO2 and H2O)



HeterotrophsOrganisms who must obtain complex, energy rich, organic compounds form the bodies of other organisms (dead or alive)



DetritivoresHeterotrophic organisms who ingest dead organic matter. (e.g. earthworms, woodlice, millipedes)


Earth worm(Lumbricus terrestris)


SaprotrophsHeterotrophic organisms who secrete digestive enzymes onto dead organism matter and absorb the digested material. (e.g. fungi, bacteria)

Chanterelle

(Cantherellus cibarius)



Feeding relationships Predators & prey Herbivory Parasite & host Mutualism Competition

Large blue butterfly

(Maculinea arion)



The place of an organism in its environmentNiche

An organism’s habitat + role + tolerance limits to all limiting factors



THE COMPETITIVE EXCLUSION PRINCIPLEG.F. Gause (1934) If two species, with the same niche, coexist in the same ecosystem, then one will be excluded from the community due to intense competition



NicheThe niche of a species consists of: Its role in the ecosystem (herbivore,

carnivore, producer etc) Its tolerance limits (e.g. soil pH, humidity) Its requirements for shelter, nesting sites

etc etc, all varying through time



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1 What is Ecology? copyright cmassengale. 2 3 4