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ECOLOGY
What is Ecology?
ECOLOGY: The study of interactions among organisms with each other and with the environment.
How organisms interact with one another.
How organisms interact with their non-living environment
Levels of organizationatoms
molecules
organelles
cells
organs
tissues
systems
organism
species
population
community
ecosystem
biosphere
ECOLOGY
Species Groups of organisms that can potentially
interbreed to produce fertile offspring
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus
Do you know any species?
Species have either an autotrophic or heterotrophic method of nutrition:
- Autotrophs obtain inorganic nutrients from the abiotic environment.
- Consumers are heterotrophs that feed on living organisms by ingestion.- Detritivores are heterotrophs that obtain organic nutrients from detritus by internal digestion. - Saprotrophs are heterotrophs that obtain organic nutrients from dead organisms by external digestion.
Population All the organisms of the same species which live
in the same habitat.
The black-veined white butterfly
(Aporia crataegi) mating
A population is always composed of same-species organisms
HabitatThe type of environment where an organism lives. (e.g. a stream, a temperate woodland, trees tops)
Melursus ursinus
Community Formed by populations of different species living
together and interacting with each other
7-spotted lady bird
(Adephagia septempunctata)
Bean aphids
(Aphis fabae)
Red ant
(Myrmica rubra)
Broom plant
(Cytisus scoparius)
Biodiversity The total number of different species in an ecosystem and their relative abundance
Worcester City Museums© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
Components of an Ecosystem Abiotic Factors: nonliving factors that have
an effect on living thingsSuch as:
light, water, wind, nutrients in soil, heat, solar radiation, atmosphere, etc.
AND…
Biotic Factors: living or once living organismsLiving organisms…
Plants Animals microorganisms in soil, etc.
Energy flow and organismsAutotrophs
Organisms which can make their own energy-rich, organic molecules from simple inorganic molecules (e.g. green plants synthetize sugars from CO2 and H2O)
© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
Heterotrophs
Organisms who must obtain energy-rich, organic compounds from 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)
© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
Consumers Omnivore: eats both plants and animals
Carnivore: meat eater
Herbivore: plant eater
Print this page and paste it into your notebook ;)
THE ENERGY CYCLE
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/biology/enercyc.html
Check this video that explains the energy flow in ecosystems: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_RBHfjZsUQ
Feeding relationships Predators & prey Herbivory Parasite & host Mutualism Competition
Large blue butterfly
(Maculinea arion)
Why are ecological interactions important?
Interactions can affect distribution and abundance.Interactions can influence evolution.
Camouflage – blending in
How has predation influenced evolution?
Adaptations to avoid being eaten:
spines (cactii, porcupines)hard shells (clams, turtles)toxins (milkweeds, some frogs)bad taste (monarch butterflies)
CamouflageAposematic colorsMimicry
as predators become better at locating and subduing pray, their pray over time develops adaptations to elude and defend themselves.
Aposematic colors – warning
Mimicry – look like something that is dangerousor tastes bad
Food Chains
Sequence of relationships between trophic levels.
Show the flow of energy from the SUN to the heterotrophs.
Trophic level: an organism’s feeding position in a food chain.
Producers are essential to every single food chain
Food Web Shows the feeding relationships in a
community. Arrows show the flow of energy.
