Ecosystems Unit

1. Key Learning:All living and nonliving things on our planet are connected. Unit Essential Question:How are the living and nonliving things connected in an ecosystem? Ecosystems Unit

2. Ecosystems Unit • Concept:What’s In An Ecosystem? • Lesson Essential Questions: • 1. How are population sizes determined? • 2. How do you identify what is in an ecosystem? • Vocabulary • Population • Sampling • Abiotic Factor • Biotic Factor You will be able to answer these questions by the end this section You should already know what these words mean. You will be able to use them in your responses and discussions throughout the unit

3. Ecosystems Unit Investigation #1: Sampling Populations

4. Natural Selection Natural Selection is a species’ response to Environmental Stress. Environmental Stress is any factor in the environment that makes it harder for a species to reproduce or get what it needs to survive.

5. Environmental Stress could be… • Competition from an organism requiring a similar habitat. • Climate change • Predation • Change in availability or type of food • Other factors that would put long term stress on a species!

6. Three basic things can happen when a species is under stress: • Go extinct in that area. • Move to another area (emigrate). • Adapt to survive the stress.

7. Ecosystems Unit What the Beak? Part A Complete the reading in your packet and answer the questions when you finish.

8. Ecosystems Unit What the Beak? Part B You will complete the lab. Follow all of Mr. Herlihy’s instructions and do not move ahead. If you miss a step, you will have skewed data and will not get full credit on the lab.

9. Ecosystems Unit

10. Ecosystems Unit Structure/Function Lab

11. Ecosystems Unit Interactions Among Organisms There are three main types : Symbiosis Competition Predation

12. Ecosystems Unit Competition: Food (nutrients), water and space are usually limiting factors in a habitat. Species that occupy similar niches will have to compete for these limited resources.

13. Ecosystems Unit Organisms have developed specialized forms, characteristics and behaviors that allow them to compete, these are called adaptations.

14. Ecosystems Unit Predation: An interaction in which one organism kills and eats another! The organism that does the killing is the predator, the one that is eaten is the prey! 

15. Ecosystems Unit Predators Have a wide range of specialized adaptations that allow them to catch prey. Think of some predators that you know, what adaptations do they have that help them in their niche?

16. Prey Ecosystems Unit Have specialized adaptations to allow them to survive!  Such as: Camouflage-coloring or body parts that allow them to blend with surroundings Mimicry- body markings that make it look like something more dangerous Protective coverings- shell or spines that make them hard to catch or eat Warning colors- bright colors that warn predators that they are poisonous

17. Ecosystems Unit Symbiosis - a relationship between populations in which one or both populations is benefited. There are 3 main types of symbiotic relationships: commensalism mutualism parasitism

18. Ecosystems Unit Commensalism- a relationship in which one species is benefited and the other is neither benefited nor harmed For instance: barnacles on an oyster The barnacle gets a place to live, the oyster is not harmed or helped.

19. Ecosystems Unit Mutualism - both species are helped. For instance: oxpecker (also called “tick-pickers”) and herding animals such as cows or water buffalo. The “tick-picker” gets food and protection from predators. The herd animal gets relief from parasites.

20. Ecosystems Unit Parasitism- one species is helped, the other is harmed. For instance: A tick and a dog. The tick gets food, blood from the dog. The dog is harmed, with too many ticks the dog will become anemic and will not be as healthy. Parasites RARELY kill the host. They almost always weaken it though.

21. Ecosystems Unit Energy Flow Through an Ecosystem Food Chains, Food Webs, Energy Pyramids

22. Ecosystems Unit • Begins with the SUN • Photosynthesis 6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight & chlorophyll C6H12O6 + 6O2

23. Ecosystems Unit Organisms that can make glucose during photosynthesis are called PRODUCERS. Producers use most of the energy they make for themselves.

24. Ecosystems Unit The energy that is not used by producers can be passed on to organisms that cannot make their own energy. Organisms that cannot make their own energy are called CONSUMERS.

25. Ecosystems Unit Consumers that eat producers to get energy: • Are first order or primary consumers • Are herbivores (plant-eaters)

26. Ecosystems Unit Most of the energy the primary consumer gets from the producer is used by the consumer. Some of the energy moves into the atmosphere as heat.

27. Ecosystems Unit Some energy in the primary consumer is not lost to the atmosphere or used by the consumer itself.This energy is passed on to another consumer.

28. Ecosystems Unit A consumer that eats another consumer for energy: • Is called a secondary or second order consumer • May be a carnivore or a herbivore • May be a predator • May be a scavenger

29. Ecosystems Unit Most of the energy the secondary consumer gets from the primary consumer is used by the secondary consumer. Some of the energy is lost as heat, but some energy is stored and can be passed on to another consumer.

30. Ecosystems Unit A consumer that eats a consumer that already ate a consumer: • Is called a third order or tertiary consumer • May be a carnivore or a herbivore • May be a predator • May be a scavenger

31. Ecosystems Unit Consumers that eat producers & other consumers • Are called omnivores • Omnivores eat plants and animals

32. Ecosystems Unit The transfer of energy from sun to producer to primary consumer to secondary consumer to tertiary consumer can be shown in a FOOD CHAIN.

33. Sun Food Web owl rat snake red fox toad rabbit field mouse butterfly corn grass flower bacteria fungi mold Decomposers break down all dead organisms and wastes from entire food web

34. Ecosystems Unit Another way of showing the transfer of energy in an ecosystem is theENERGY PYRAMID. Energy pyramids show: • That the amount of available energy decreases down the food chain • It takes a large number of producers to support a small number of primary consumers • It takes a large number of primary consumers to support a small number of secondary consumers

35. Ecosystems Unit

36. ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDS: The concept of a pyramid is useful to describe the energy (trophic) levels of organisms, the amount of biomass (the mass of all the living material), and amount of energy transferred from one trophic level to another.

38. Trophic Levels Tertiary Consumers Secondary Consumers Primary Consumers Producers

39. Biomass Pyramid Tertiary Consumer has 10% of the biomass found in the secondary consumer level, that’s 0.1 % of the producer level Secondary Consumer has 10% of the biomass found in the primary consumer level, that’s 1 % of the producer level Primary Consumer level has 10% of the biomass found in the producer level Producer level has the largest amount of biomass 90% of the materials (biomass) taken in by consumers ends up as waste. This means that in order to make 1 gram of tertiary consumer biomass, 1000 grams of producer is needed in the beginning!

40. Energy Pyramid 0.1% of the energy originally taken in by the plants 1% of the energy originally taken in by the plants 10% of the energy originally taken in by the plants 100% of the energy originally taken in by the plants