Ecology

What is ecology?

Ecology is the study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment.

Scientists who study these relationships are called ecologists.

Biomes Vs. Ecosystems

We have already learned about biomes. Biomes are large natural area with a similar climate, animals, and plants.

Biomes Vs. Ecosystems

Biomes and ecosystems are similar in that they both include the living and non-living things of an area. However, ecosystems can be much smaller. A pond or a log can be an ecosystem.

An ecosystem is the interaction of living things of an area and the non-living surroundings.

Biotic & Abiotic factors

Biotic factors are all of the LIVING things of an ecosystem (ex. animals, plants, fungi, bacteria)

Biotic & Abiotic factors

Abiotic factors are all of the NON-LIVING things of an ecosystem (ex. air, soil, sun, water, wind)

Pick out the biotic & abiotic factors of this

ecosystem

Levels of Organization

There are many ways living things interact with other living things in their environment. We describe these living and non-living things in five levels of organization.

A single living species is an organism.

A group of the same species living together is a population.

A group of different species living together is a community.

Levels of Organization

ecosystems- all the living and nonliving things of an area

biosphere- all life on Earth

Energy Flow

What do all living things need to survive?

air, water, food/energy, & shelter

Where does this energy begin?The sun

Energy Flow

All living need similar things to survive. We classify these living things by how they get their energy:Producers- make their

own energyConsumers- get their

energy from another sourceDecomposers- break

down dead/decaying material for energy

Producers

Producers make their own food through a process called photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis is when a plant converts sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide and converts it to glucose (food) and oxygen.

Producers

The chemical equation for photosynthesis is 6CO2 + 6H2O = C6H12O6

+ 6O2

Where: CO2 = carbon dioxide, H2O = water, C6H12O6 = glucose, & O2 = oxygen

Consumers

Consumers can eat producers or other consumers. There are four types:1) Herbivores: Eat plants (ex. cows,

deer, horses)2) Carnivores: Eat other animals

(ex. wolves, coyotes)3) Omnivores: Eat plants and

animals (ex. bears, humans)4) Scavengers: Eat dead

plants/animals (ex. vulture)

Consumers

The hunter versus the hunted:Predator- the hunterPrey- the hunted

Decomposers

Decomposers include fungi and bacteria. They play an important role in nature. They break down the unused dead material and turn them into nutrients for the soil, which plants use to grow.

Food Chains

We can put these living things into a food chain to show the flow of energy.

decomposers

Food Chains

Although all food chains may not show this, they always begin with the sun and end with decomposers.

Food Chains

We divide food chains into different levels:1) Producers- plants provide the basis for energy2) Primary consumers- herbivores that eat the

plants3) Secondary consumers- animals that eat the

primary consumers

Food Chains

4) Tertiary consumers- animals that eat the secondary consumers

5) Quaternary consumers- animals that eat the tertiary consumers

Food Chains

Label each level.

Food Webs

Food webs show the energy flow among the living things in an ecosystem.

They also show that animals can act as different levels of consumers depending on what they eat.

Food Webs

For example, what are three things the fox eats?

Mice, squirrels, rabbits

Now make several food chains from these animals.plant -> mouse -> foxplant -> rabbit -> foxplant -> squirrel -> foxplant -> insect -> mouse ->

fox

Food Webs

plant -> mouse -> fox

plant -> rabbit -> fox

plant -> squirrel -> foxIn these food chains, the

fox is acting a the secondary consumer.

plant -> insect -> frog -> foxIn this food chain, the fox is

acting as a tertiary consumer.

Food Webs

Now let’s look at the snake. Create a food chain where the snake is a secondary consumer. Then create one where it is a tertiary consumer.

Energy Pyramid

Imagine that we were to take a nature walk in the woods outside. What kinds of living things would we see?Producers:Primary consumers:Higher-level consumers:

Which level would we see the most of and the least of?

Energy Pyramid

So why do we have lots of producers and few higher-level consumers?

By the time you get to the end of any food chain, most of the energy that was available at the beginning is no longer available. Scientists came up with the energy pyramid to explain this.

Primary consumers

Secondary consumer

Tertiary consumer

Producers

Energy Pyramid

Producers provide the basis for energy.

Our primary consumers are the moose and rabbit. They spend much of their time grazing on grass. They will then most of this energy to do everything that is required to live like…Breathe, grow, move,

etc.

Primary consumers

Secondary consumer

Tertiary consumer

Producers

Energy Pyramid

The moose and rabbit will use 90% of the energy they have eaten.

This means only about 10% of the original energy is left to feed the wolf. This 10% is stored in the tissues (muscles, organs, fat, etc.) inside the organism.

Primary consumers

Secondary consumer

Tertiary consumer

Producers

Energy Pyramid

The same is true for the wolf. It will use 90% of the energy it got from the moose or rabbit, and 10% will be passed on to the mountain lion.

Primary consumers

Secondary consumer

Tertiary consumer

Producers

Energy Pyramid

It takes the energy millions of producers just to support one higher-level consumer. This is why we have so much plant life at the bottom of each food chain yet so few consumers at the top of each food chain.

Primary consumers

Secondary consumer

Tertiary consumer

Producers