Basic Ecology

1. Basic Ecology

2. What is ecology? Ecology-the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments, focusing on energy transfer • It is a science of relationships.

3. What do you mean by environment? The environment is made up of two factors: Biotic factors- all living organisms inhabiting the Earth Abiotic factors- nonliving parts of the environment (i.e. temperature, soil, light, moisture, air currents)

4. Biosphere Ecosystem Community Population Organism

5. Organism-any unicellular or multicellular form exhibiting all of the characteristics of life, an individual. • The lowest level of organization

6. Population-a group of organisms of one species living in the same place at the same time that interbreed and compete with each other for resources (ex. food, mates, shelter)

7. Community- several interacting populations that inhabit a common environment and are interdependent.

8. Ecosystem-communities and the abiotic factors with which they interact (ex. marine, terrestrial)

9. Biosphere- life supporting portions of Earth composed of air, land, fresh water, and salt water. • The highest level of organization

10. Niche -the role a species plays in a community (job) Habitat- the place in which an organism lives out its life (address) Habitat vs. Niche

11. Feeding Relationships Producer- AKA Autotrophs • Get their energy by making glucose through photosynthesis • Bottom of the food chain

12. Feeding Relationships Consumer- all heterotrophs: they ingest food containing the sun’s energy • Herbivores • Carnivores • Omnivores • Decomposers • Scavengers

13. Feeding Relationships Consumer- Herbivores • Eat plants • Primary consumers

14. Feeding Relationships Consumer-Carnivores-eat meat • Predators • Hunt prey animals for food.

15. Feeding Relationships Consumer- Carnivores- eat meat • Scavengers • Feed on carrion, dead animals

16. Feeding Relationships Consumer- Omnivores-eat both plants and animals

17. Feeding Relationships Consumer- Decomposers • Breakdown the complex compounds of dead and decaying plants and animals into simpler molecules that can be absorbed

19. Symbiotic Relationships 3 Types of symbiosis: 1. Commensalism 2. Parasitism 3. Mutualism Symbiosis- two speciesliving together

20. Symbiotic Relationships Commensalism- Good/Don’t Care one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped Ex. orchids on a tree Epiphytes: A plant, such as a tropical orchid or a bromeliad, that grows on another plant upon which it depends for mechanical support but not for nutrients. Also called aerophyte, air plant.

21. Symbiotic Relationships Commensalism- Good/Don’t Care one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped Ex. Whale and barnacle

22. Symbiotic Relationships Parasitism- Good/Bad one species benefits (parasite) and the other is harmed (host) • Parasite-Host relationship

23. Symbiotic Relationships Parasitism- parasite-host Ex. lampreys, leeches, fleas, ticks,tapeworm

24. Symbiotic Relationships Mutualism- Good/Good beneficial to both species Ex. cleaning birds and cleaner shrimp

25. Symbiotic Relationships Mutualism- beneficial to both species Ex. lichen

27. Fungus living on the roots of plants Mutualism

28. Trophic Levels • Each link in a food chain is known as a trophic level. • Trophic levels represent a feeding step in the transfer of energy and matter in an ecosystem.

29. Trophic Levels Biomass- the amount of organic matter comprising a group of organisms in a habitat. • As you move up a food chain, both available energy and biomass decrease. • Energy is transferred upwards but is diminished with each transfer.

30. Less Energy Than Trophic Levels E N E R G Y Tertiary consumers- top carnivores Secondary consumers-small carnivores Primary consumers- Herbivores Producers- Autotrophs MOST AMOUNT OF AVAILABLE ENERGY

33. Trophic Levels Food chain- simple model that shows how matter and energy move through an ecosystem

34. Nature’s Recyclers

35. Trophic Levels Food web- shows all possible feeding relationships in a community at each trophic level • Represents a network of interconnected food chains

36. Food chain Food web (just 1 path of energy) (all possible energy paths)

37. MARSH ECOSYSTEM

39. Primary Succession- When a small community of living things begin to live in an area that did not previously contain plants or animals.

40. Secondary Succession- When an existing community is destroyed and the original plant community regrows. A disturbance is any event that interrupts life in an ecosystem. Examples: A forest fire, cutting down trees, animals grazing in a field, farming.

42. 1.Tropical Rainforest – hot, humid, heavy rainfall, tall trees, occur around the equator, many different species; most live in the canopy, birds, frogs, snakes, monkeys

44. 2. Taiga – coniferous forest; long cold winters; Canada; usually only one or two types of conifers- evergreen trees like pines, bear, caribou, deer, elk, beaver

46. 3. Temperate Deciduous Forest – Eastern U.S. ; leaves of trees change color, warm summers and mild winters; maple, oak, and elm trees, squirrel, deer, fox

48. 4. Desert – hot in the daytime, cold at night; dry; Africa; U.S.; Australia, plants and animals exhibit adaptations and behaviors that help them conserve water; cactus, short shrubs, scorpions, rodents, and snakes.

49. Tundra