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Understanding Ecology and the Biosphere: Key Concepts and Processes

This overview of ecology introduces the Greek origins of the term and explores the biosphere, encompassing all life on Earth and its interactions with the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. Key topics include biotic and abiotic factors, energy flow, food chains, and cycles of matter, such as the carbon and nitrogen cycles. It explains the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in ecosystems, the functioning of trophic levels, and the concept of limiting nutrients that affect growth. Gain insights into the complex relationships that sustain life on our planet.

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Understanding Ecology and the Biosphere: Key Concepts and Processes

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Presentation Transcript

  1. Ecology: The Biosphere Mrs. Yanac

  2. Origin of the word…”Ecology” • Greek origin • Oikos = household/home • Logos = study of • “Study of household/home” • Real meaning • Study of organisms & their environment or surroundings

  3. What is the Biosphere? • All the life on the planet PLUS • the land (lithosphere) • the water (hydrosphere) • the air (atmosphere)

  4. Levels of Organizations • “Ida, please come eat baked beans”

  5. Biotic vsAbiotic Factors • Biotic (Living) • Plants • Animals • Fungi • Microorganisms

  6. Abiotic Factors • Light • Water • Wind • Soil • Heat • Atmosphere

  7. Energy Flow • Sunlight is the main energy source for all life on Earth • Producers (AUTOTROPHS) • Green plants & Photosynthetic organisms • Consumers (HETEROTROPHS) • Herbivores & Carnivores • Decomposers (HETEROTROPHS) • Fungi & Bacteria

  8. Photosynthesis • Autotrophs (plants & some microorganisms) use light to make food • These producers are found at the beginning of the food chain

  9. Food Chains • Shows a one-way flow of energy

  10. Food Webs • Links or connects ALL the food chains in an ecosystem together.

  11. Another Food Web

  12. Trophic Levels • Producers • Get energy from the sun or chemicals • Primary Consumers • Consumes producers • Secondary Consumers • Consumes primary consumers • Tertiary Consumers • Consumes Secondary/Primary Consumers

  13. Rule of 10 • Only 10% of the energy is passed on to the next trophic level • The remaining 90% of energy is lost as heat

  14. Biomass pyramid

  15. Pyramid of numbers

  16. Recycling in the Biosphere • All major components of life are neither created nor destroyed, they are just recycled. • Water – all living things need water to survive • Carbon – key component of living tissue • Nitrogen – used to make amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins • Phosphorous – essential to living organisms because it forms part of DNA & RNA

  17. The water cycle

  18. The carbon cycle

  19. The nitrogen cycle

  20. The phosphorous cycle

  21. Limiting Nutrient • Achemical needed for growth that is either missing or only available in a small amount • Algae needs both phosphorous and nitrogen to grow • if one of these is limited the algae can not continue to grow • If one of these is abundant the algae will grow until resources are used up • Algal blooms  deplete oxygen levels in water & toxic to aquatic life

  22. Algal Blooms

  23. Recap • What are the levels of organization in the biosphere? • What are the trophic levels found in a food chain? • What are ABIOTIC factors in the environment? BIOTIC factors? • Where does all energy flow begin? • How much energy is transferred to the next trophic level? • What is a limiting nutrient?

  24. The End

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