Introduction to Ecology

1. Introduction to Ecology

2. What is Ecology? • Study of organism interactions with other organisms and the environment

3. Habitat & Niche • Habitat is the place a plant or animal lives • Niche is an organism’s total way of life

4. What shapes an Ecosystem? • Biotic factors: all living organisms within an ecosystem • ie – animals, fungus, plants, bacteria • Abiotic factors: physical and non-living factors within an ecosystem • ie – soil type, sunlight, temperature, precipitation

5. Abiotic or Biotic? Biotic

6. Abiotic or Biotic? Abiotic

7. Abiotic or Biotic? Abiotic

8. Abiotic or Biotic? Biotic

9. What are the Simplest Levels? • Atom • Molecule • Organelle • Cell • Tissue • Organ • System

10. Levels of Organization • Species • Population • Community • Ecosystem • Biome • Biosphere

11. 1st Level of Organization • Organism:An individual living thing that is made of cells, uses energy, reproduces, responds, grows, and develops • Ex: 1 zebra

12. Population • Groups of the same species that live in one particular area • Ex: all elephants that live in the African savanna

13. Community • Groups of different populations that live in a particular area. • Ex. All living things found in the African savanna such as elephants, giraffes, lions, grasses, trees, etc

14. Ecosystem • All living AND non-living components to a particular area • Ex. All the animals of the African savanna plus the climate such as temperature, precipitation and soil type

15. Biome • Group of ecosystem that have the same climate and communities • Ex: Savanna

16. 6th Level of Organization • Biosphere:The portion of Earth that supports life.

17. What level of Organization? Population

18. Energy Flow Through an Ecosystem Food Chains, Food Webs, Energy Pyramids

19. Energy Flow • Main source of Energy – SUN • Autotrophs/Producers – use sunlight or chemicals to produce organic compounds 6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight C6H12O6 + 6O2

20. Trophic Levels • Shows the amount of energy contained at each level • Organisms need energy • They get energy from food • Use energy on respiration, movement , reproduction • Only 10% of energy is passed from one trophic level to the next

21. The energy that is not used by producers can be passed on to organisms that cannot make their own energy.

22. The transfer of energy from the sun to producer to primary consumer then to higher order consumers can be shown in a FOOD CHAIN.

23. Food Webs: • Are interconnected food chains • They show the feeding relationships in an ecosystem

24. Identify the Producers, Consumers, & Decomposers: Count the Food Chains!

25. Heterotrophs/consumers – must take in organic compounds in order to make energy • Primary Consumers or Herbivores – only eat plants • Secondary Consumers– eat only animals that eat producers • Tertiary Consumers- eat secondary consumers • Etc.- quaternary, quinary, senary… • Detritivores – eat dead material • Decomposers – break down organic matter

26. Energy Pyramids • Organisms need energy • They get energy from food • Use energy on respiration, movement , reproduction • Only 10% of energy is passed from one trophic level to the next

28. Energy Pyramids

29. Energy Pyramids Show • Amount of available energy decreasesdown the food chain • It takes a large number of producers to support a small number of primary consumers

30. Biomass Pyramid • Biomass – total amount of living tissue within a trophic level • Grams of organic matter/unit area • Shows amount of potential food

31. Biomass Pyramid

32. Food Chains Show Available Energy

33. Pyramid of Numbers • Shows the number of individual organisms in each trophic level