ECOLOGYStudy of living & nonliving parts of an ecosystem (environment) & how they

interact w/one another

I. 2 parts of Ecology

A. Abiotic – nonliving; ex. Sun, water, temp., land, soil, air, humidity

B. Biotic – living; plants (producers), animals (consumers – herbivores (plant-eaters), omnivores (both), & carnivores (meat-eaters) and decomposers (bacteria, fungi)

II. Biome – large area w/ characteristic plants, animals & conditions

A. Tropical Rainforest – warm, lots of rain, plants/vines, insects, animals

B. Coniferous Forest – cool temps., conifers, (evergreens), deer, elk

C. Deciduous Forest – seasons, deciduous trees (lose leaves in fall), deer, raccoons; Kentucky

Deciduous & Rain Forest – 3:35

Coniferous Forest – 1:20

D. Grassland – seasons, grasses, prairie dogs, bison

Grasslands – 1:58

E. Tundra – cold, permafrost (permanently frozen soil), lichens, mosses, polar bears

Tundra – 1:06

F. Desert – DRY, many are hot during day & cold at night, cacti, reptiles, nocturnal animals

Deserts – 1:51

G. Aquatic – marine (saltwater) & freshwater

Marine Biomes – 2:24

III. Habitat – physical area in which an organism lives

(smaller)A. Niche – way of life of a species; ex.

Habitat, feeding habits, other habits, reproductive behavior

What is the wolf’s niche?

Habitat/Niche – 2:18

B. Population – many organisms of the same species in an area; ex. all people, rabbits, trees, etc.

C. Community – many populations in an area; ex. all the deer, rabbits, trees, etc.

Populations & Communities – 2:19

D. Food chains – shows energy in a habitat; what eats what; ex. grass grasshopper frog snake hawk

E. Food Pyramid – takes organisms from a food chain & puts them in a pyramid ex.

Quaternary cons.

Tertiary cons.

Secondary cons.

Primary consumer

Producer

90% energy lost at each level due to:

Movement

Digestion

Respiration

Excretion

Reproduction

Growth

Energy lost

10

90

100

900

1000

9000

10,000

90,000

100,000

Food Pyramid shows:

• What eats what

• Need more organisms at bottom to support things above it

• More energy at bottom/less at top

• Lose energy (90%) at each level

Energy Pyramids – 1:05

F. Food Web – many food chains linked together; shows interactions of all organisms in a community

Food Web

Food Chains & Food Webs – 1:53

G. Competition – use or defense of a resource by one individual that reduces the availability of the resource to other individuals; ex. Organisms compete for food, space oxygen shelter, etc. (called limiting factors)

These two species are in direct competition for food.

H. Relationships

1. predator – organism that feeds upon another

2. prey – organism that is eaten

3. parasitism – one organism benefits while the other is harmed; ex. leeches

4. commensalism – one organism benefits & the other is unaffected; ex. clown fish live in anemones (remember Finding Nemo) because other fish avoid the stinging tentacles

5. Mutualism – both benefit; ex. flowers and bees

I. Carrying Capacity – the maximum # of organisms an area can hold

J. Community Changes: succession – series of changes that take place in a community as it ages

1.Land: grasses shrubs trees (climax community)

2. Water: lakes ponds bogs/ swamps land

K. Biochemical Cycles

1. Water cycle: evaporation, transpiration, precipitation, condensation

Water Cycle – 1:02

2. Oxygen/ Carbon cycle: cell respiration/ photosynthesis

Oxygen - Carbon Cycle – 1:27

3. Nitrogen cycle: Nitrogen “fixed” to usable form (nitrogen fixation) to form proteins

Nitrogen Cycle – 1:37