Ecology (pt1)Ecology (pt1)

What is Ecology?What is Ecology?

• Study of Study of interactions among interactions among

1. Organisms 1. Organisms (Living-Living)(Living-Living)

2. Organisms and 2. Organisms and their environment their environment (Living-Nonliving)(Living-Nonliving)

SpeciesSpecies- a group of - a group of similar organisms that can similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile breed and produce fertile offspring.offspring.

Section 3-13-2 Ecological Levels of Organization

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Levels of OrganizationLevels of Organization

• IndividualIndividual- one - one organism (living)organism (living)

• Ex a mooseEx a moose

Levels of OrganizationLevels of Organization

• PopulationPopulation- groups - groups of individuals that of individuals that belong to the belong to the species and live in species and live in the same area. the same area. (living-living same (living-living same species)species)

• Ex many mooseEx many moose

Levels of OrganizationLevels of Organization

• CommunityCommunity- groups - groups of different of different populations (more populations (more than one population or than one population or different groups of different groups of species)species)

Ex many groups of Ex many groups of moose beavers, trees, moose beavers, trees, grass (all living)grass (all living)

Levels of OrganizationLevels of Organization

• EcosystemEcosystem- all - all organisms in a organisms in a particular area along particular area along with the nonliving. with the nonliving. (living and nonliving)(living and nonliving)

Ex many groups of Ex many groups of moose beavers, moose beavers, trees, grass, rocks, trees, grass, rocks, water, mountainswater, mountains

Levels of OrganizationLevels of Organization

• BiomeBiome- group of - group of ecosystems that have ecosystems that have the same climate and the same climate and similar dominant similar dominant communitiescommunities

• BiomesBiomes: tropical rain forest, : tropical rain forest, tropical dry forest, tropical tropical dry forest, tropical savannah, temperate savannah, temperate grassland, desert, temperate grassland, desert, temperate woodland and shrub land, woodland and shrub land, temperate forest, temperate forest, northwestern coniferous northwestern coniferous forest, boreal forest (taiga), forest, boreal forest (taiga), tundra, mountains and ice tundra, mountains and ice capscaps

Levels of OrganizationLevels of Organization

• BiosphereBiosphere- all of - all of the planet where the planet where life exhists, life exhists, includes land, includes land, water, and, airwater, and, air

• Life extends 8 km Life extends 8 km up and 11 km up and 11 km below the surfacebelow the surface

What shapes an ecosystem?What shapes an ecosystem?

• Biotic factorsBiotic factors- - biological (living) biological (living) influences on influences on ecosystemecosystem

• Ex. Interactions Ex. Interactions between organisms, between organisms, predation, predation, symbiosis, etc.symbiosis, etc.

• Abiotic factorsAbiotic factors- - nonliving influences nonliving influences on ecosystemson ecosystems

• Ex. Temperature, Ex. Temperature, precipitation, precipitation, nutrient availability, nutrient availability, sol type, sunlight.sol type, sunlight.

BioticBiotic- anything living- anything living

AbioticAbiotic- anything non-- anything non-livingliving

Habitat vs. NicheHabitat vs. Niche

• HabitatHabitat- an area where an organism lives - an area where an organism lives

• NicheNiche- full range of physical and biological - full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those the way in which the organism uses those conditions. Includes where in the food conditions. Includes where in the food chain it is, where an organism feedschain it is, where an organism feeds

• HabitatHabitat is like an address in an is like an address in an ecosystem and a ecosystem and a nicheniche is like an is like an occupation in an ecosystemoccupation in an ecosystem..

Community InteractionsCommunity Interactions

• when organisms live together in an ecological when organisms live together in an ecological community they interact constantly.community they interact constantly.

• Three types of interactionsThree types of interactions– CompetitionCompetition– PredationPredation– SymbiosisSymbiosis

Competition- competing Competition- competing for resourcesfor resources• occurs due to a limited occurs due to a limited

number of resourcesnumber of resources

• ResourceResource- any - any necessity of life. water, necessity of life. water, nutrients, light, food.nutrients, light, food.

• Competitive Competitive exclusion principleexclusion principle- - no two species can no two species can occupy the same niche occupy the same niche in the same habitat at in the same habitat at the same timethe same time

PredationPredation

• PredationPredation- when - when an organism an organism captures and feeds captures and feeds on another on another organism.organism.

• PredatorPredator- hunter- hunter

• PreyPrey- hunted- hunted

SymbiosisSymbiosis

• SymbiosisSymbiosis- any relationship where - any relationship where two species live closely together. (3 two species live closely together. (3 types)types)– MutualismMutualism– CommensalismCommensalism– ParasitismParasitism

SymbiosisSymbiosis

• MutualismMutualism- both - both species benefit species benefit from a relationship.from a relationship.

• Lichens (fungus Lichens (fungus and Algae)and Algae)

One example is the lichens, little non-descript patches of stuff you see growing on rocks and tree bark. This is a symbiosis, consisting of a fungus and an alga. The fungus provides a protective home for the algae, and gathers mineral nutrients from rainwater and from dissolving the rock underneath. The alga gathers energy from the sun. There are thousands of species of lichen in the world; actually thousands of species of fungi with just a few species of algae which can form a partnership with almost any of them.

SymbiosisSymbiosis

• CommensalismCommensalism – – One member of a One member of a symbiotic relationship symbiotic relationship benefits and the other benefits and the other is neither helped or is neither helped or harmedharmed

• Ex. Clownfish uses a Ex. Clownfish uses a sea anemone as sea anemone as shelter which does not shelter which does not harm the sea harm the sea anemoneanemone

SymbiosisSymbiosis

• ParasitismParasitism- One - One creature benefits creature benefits and one creature is and one creature is harmedharmed

• Ex tapeworm. Ex tapeworm. Feeds in a humans Feeds in a humans intestines intestines absorbing his/her absorbing his/her nutrients.nutrients.

Energy Flow (Trophic Energy Flow (Trophic Levels)Levels)• ProducersProducers- capture - capture

energy from sunlight or energy from sunlight or chemicals and use the chemicals and use the energy to produce food.energy to produce food.

• Producers are Producers are autotrophsautotrophs- they - they make food from their make food from their environment environment photosynthesisphotosynthesis

• Get energy from the Get energy from the sunsun

• ConsumersConsumers- get - get energy from energy from consuming producerconsuming producer

• Consumers areConsumers are heterotrophs- heterotrophs- get get energy from other energy from other organismsorganisms

Types of ConsumersTypes of Consumers

• HerbivoresHerbivores- eat only plants- eat only plants

• CarnivoresCarnivores- eat animals- eat animals

• OmnivoresOmnivores- eat both plants and - eat both plants and animalsanimals

• DetritivoresDetritivores- eat dead matter (plants - eat dead matter (plants and animals)and animals)

Feeding RelationshipsFeeding Relationships• Energy flows through an ecosystem in one Energy flows through an ecosystem in one

direction from:direction from:– 1. the sun or inorganic compounds1. the sun or inorganic compounds– 2. To autotrophs (producers)2. To autotrophs (producers)– 3. To heterotrophs (consumers)3. To heterotrophs (consumers)– Decomposers get energy from decomposing dead Decomposers get energy from decomposing dead

organismsorganisms

Food WebFood Web- A network of - A network of feeding relationships. feeding relationships.

(More realistic that a food (More realistic that a food chain)chain)

Food Chain- a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating or being eaten.

Trophic levelsTrophic levels

• Each step in a food Each step in a food chain or a food web is chain or a food web is called a trophic level.called a trophic level.– Producers are the first Producers are the first

trophic leveltrophic level– Consumers are the Consumers are the

second, third, or second, third, or higher trophic levelhigher trophic level

• Each trophic level Each trophic level depends on the one depends on the one below for energybelow for energy

Energy PyramidEnergy Pyramid

• Only part of the energy Only part of the energy stored in one level can stored in one level can be passed to the next- be passed to the next- most energy is most energy is consumed for life consumed for life processes (respiration, processes (respiration, movement, etc., and movement, etc., and heat is given off)heat is given off)

• Only 10% of the energy Only 10% of the energy available within one available within one trophic level is trophic level is transferred to organisms transferred to organisms in the next trophic levelin the next trophic level

Biomass PyramidBiomass Pyramid

• Biomass- the total Biomass- the total amount of living amount of living tissue within a tissue within a given trophic level.given trophic level.

• A biomass pyramid A biomass pyramid represents the represents the amount of potential amount of potential food available for food available for each trophic level each trophic level in an ecosystem.in an ecosystem.