Introduction to Ecology

1. Introduction to Ecology Chapter 18

2. What is Ecology? • Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and the living and nonliving components of their environment.

3. Interdepedence • We rely on and interact with our environment and everything in it.

4. Levels of Organizations

5. Ecosystem Components Biotic Factors Abiotic Factors The nonliving factors The physical and chemical characteristics of the environment • The living components • All living things that affect the organism

6. Tolerance Curve • A graph of performance versus values of an environmental variable.

7. Acclimation • An organism can adjust their tolerance to abiotic factors

8. Control of Internal Conditions Conformers Regulators Use energy to control some of their internal conditions • Do NOT regulate their internal conditions • Change as environment changes

9. When the going gets tough… • Migration • Move to a more favorable habitat • Dormancy • Enter state of reduce activity

10. Habitat • The place where an organism lives.

11. Niche • The way of life or the specific role of a species within its environment. • Range • Resources • Reproduction

12. Generalist vs Specialist • Generalist • Species with broad niches • Can tolerate a range of conditions and use a variety of resources • Specialist • Species with a narrow niches • Cannot tolerate big changes

13. Energy Transfer In an ecosystem, energy flows from the sun to autotrophs, then to the organisms that eat the autotrophs, and then to organsisms that feed on other organisms.

14. Producers • Any organism that makes its own food • Photosynthesis and Chemosynthesis • Production of organic compounds or biomass

15. Consumers • Any organism that can’t make its own food • Herbivores • Carnivores • Omnivores • Detritivores • Decomposers

16. Energy Transfer In an ecosystem, energy flows from the sun to autotrophs, then to the organisms that eat the autotrophs, and then to organsisms that feed on other organisms.

17. Energy Flow Energy flows through an ecosystem, moving from producers to consumers

18. Trophic Level • Indicates the organism’s position in a sequence of energy transfers

19. Food Chains and Food Webs Food Chain Food Web Interrelated food chains in an ecosystem • A single pathway of feeding relationships

21. Energy Transfer • Only 10 % of energy is passed on to the next trophic level.

22. Tertiary consumers 10 kcal Secondary consumers 100 kcal Primary consumers 1,000 kcal Producers 10,000 kcal 1,000,000 kcal of sunlight

23. Why so low? • Some organisms escape being eaten • Energy used by the prey for cellular respiration cannot be used by the predator to make new biomass • Parts of the organism/prey can’t be consumed by the predator • No transfer of energy is 100% efficient

24. Ecosystem Recycling

25. The Water Cycle

26. The Carbon Cycle

27. The Nitrogen Cycle

28. The Phosphorus Cycle