Ecology Notes
Color the entries for your evolution
unit and label them in your margin
Evolution
Evolution
Update Table of Contents
Levels of Organization Output
102
103
What is Ecology
• Ecology is the study of interactions
among organisms and their
environment
Recall the levels of organizations from our first unit…
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Atoms- basic unit of matter
Molecules- combined atoms
Cells- smallest unit of life
Tissue- groups of cells with
similar function.
• Organ- 2 or more types of
tissues that work together
• Organ System- group of
organs carrying out specific sets of
functions
• ORGANISM- several organ
systems functioning together
Here are the levels of organization that relate to
the study of ecology
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Organism
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biome
Biosphere
Levels of Organization
• Organism - single living individual
– Species- a group of similar
organisms that can breed and
produce fertile offspring
• Population- group of organisms of
the same species and live in the
same area
• Community - all interacting
populations that live together in a
given area
Levels of Organization
• Ecosystem- collection of all the
organisms that live in a particular place
together with their nonliving environment
– Ex. Rotting log, pond lake, clump of dirt, a
field, maple tree
• Biome- a group of ecosystems that have a
particular climate and similar species of
plants and animals
– Ex. Tundra
• Biosphere - contains the combined
portions of the planet in which all life
exists (land, water, and air)
Abiotic Factors
• Abiotic factors (non-living) – all physical and
chemical factors affecting an organism
– Examples: precipitation, sunlight, and
temperature, water (lakes), rocks, etc.
Biotic Factors
• Biotic factors (living) – all living things
that directly or indirectly affect the
environment
– Examples: Plants, animals, microorganisms
Output Directions:
• Start with the lowest level of
organization (organism) in the
smallest circle.
• Write the name of the level in
the circle.
• Then Draw a picture in each
circle to demonstrate your
understanding of the definition
of each level.
• Your picture that you used for
organism should continue
through all levels (i.e. if your
organisms is a fish, fish should
appear at each level)
• It must be colored!!!
STOP HERE!
Feeding Relationships
• Two feeding levels
– Producers - capture sunlight or
chemicals to make food (also called
autotrophs)
• Plants, algae, bacteria
– Consumers - rely on other organisms
for energy/food (also called
heterotrophs)
• Animals, fungi, bacteria
Types of Heterotrophs
• Herbivores- eat ONLY plants
– Cows, deer, caterpillars
• Carnivores- eat ONLY animals
– Snakes, wolves, owls
• Omnivores- eat BOTH animals and plants
– Humans, bears, crows
Types of Heterotrophs
• Decomposers - obtain nutrients by breaking down
remains of organic matter
– Examples: Bacteria, fungi, earthworms
Energy Flow
• Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction, from
the sun or inorganic compounds to autotrophs and
then to heterotrophs
– *Remember sunlight is the main energy source for life
on earth
• Photosynthesis
– Some organisms obtain their energy from chemicals
• Chemosynthesis
Flow of Energy
Food Chains
• Food chain - series of steps in which
organisms transfer energy from one
organism to another organism; shows only
one path for energy
– Example:
leaf  caterpillar  song bird
– producer  primary consumer  secondary consumer
Food Webs
• Food web – consists of many food chaings
that shows a network of complex interactions
formed by feeding relationships
– Links all the food chains in an ecosystem together
Trophic Levels
Each step in a food chain or food web is called a trophic level
– Producers make up the first trophic level
– Consumers make up the second, third, or higher trophic levels
• Second = primary consumer
• Third = secondary consumer
• Fourth = tertiary consumer
Energy Pyramid
• Energy pyramidshows the
transfer and loss
of energy from
one trophic level
to another
10% Rule
• 10% Rule - only 10% of the energy at any
one level is available for use by the next
level
– 90% is used by the organisms for living,
growing, and reproducing or it is lost as heat
– The number of higher level consumers that can be
sustained is much lower than the number of lower
level consumers and producers
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Output Directions:
• Follow the directions on your handout for
your output page.