What is Ecology?What is Ecology?

Origin of the word…”ecology”

Greek origin

OIKOS = household

LOGOS = study of…

Study of the “house/environment” in which we live.

Ecology is study of interactions between non-living components in the environment…

light water wind nutrients in soil heat solar radiation atmosphere, etc.

AND…

Living organisms… Plants

Animals

microorganisms in soil, etc.

To study Ecology involves…

For non-living (abiotic) Cycles including: water Phosphorus Nitrogen

CO2 and O2

soil analysis, etc.

For living (biotic)

animal behaviorOrganisms and their relationships population (studies) etc.

Ecology… views each locale as an integrated whole of

interdependent parts that function as a unit.

tundracaribou

Nonliving

dead organic matter

nutrients in the soil and water.

Producers green plantsTundra

Consumers herbivores and

carnivores

Decomposers fungi and bacteria

Tundra

Caribou

ECOLOGY: ECOLOGY:

Levels of Levels of OrganizationOrganization

- a hierarchy of organization- a hierarchy of organization in the environmentin the environment

Levels of organization - Terms

Biosphere Surface of the earth Composed of many ecosystems

Ecosystem

Includes living and nonliving organism's Large or small as we decide

Backyard, Central Park, butterfly garden outside Ms. Sprattler’s room (by tennis courts)

Levels of organization - Terms

Community – All living populations (diff. species) that live in a particular area.

Population – one species live in one place at one time

Levels of organization - Terms

Habitat – Address of an organism, physical location of community

Organism – simplest level of organization

Niche ~ role in the environment

Cape May WarblerFeeds at the tips of branchesnear the top of the tree

Bay Breasted WarblerFeeds in the middlepart of the tree

Yellow-Rumped WarblerFeeds in the lower part of the tree andat the bases of the middle branches

Detritivores Feed on dead/ decaying matter

Decomposer

Part II Organisms & relationships

Relationships in the Environment

Symbiosis - When 2 species live closely together

Predator - Prey =one organisms lives and the other organisms dies (-, -)

Lynx and Snowshoe Hare

Predator Prey graph

Parasitism ~ one organisms benefits and the other organism is harmed

( -,-)

Commensalism ~ One organism benefits and the other organism is not affected

( + , o )

Commensalism ( +,o)

Mutualism ~ Both organisms benefit( +, +)

Crocodile and plover – plover picks leeches and food from open croc

mouth

Part III ~ Feeding Relationships

Food Chains~ A pathway for matter and energy to pass from one organism to another

Organisms eat and are eaten

Food chain ~ a series of steps in where organisms transfer energy by

eating and being eaten

Many organisms eat more than one type of food ~ food web

Food Chains Seldom stand Alone

Food Weba network of feeding interactions of various organisms

in an ecosystem

Food webs More diverse ecosystems bring more

stability to an Ecosystem

The End!!