Ecology
What is ecology?
Ecology-
the scientific study of
interactions between organisms and their
environments, focusing on energy transfer
• It is a science of relationships.
EC0- House or Home
-OLOGY- The Study of
What do you mean by environment?
The environment is made up of two
factors:
Biotic factors- all living organisms
inhabiting the Earth
Abiotic factors- nonliving parts of
the environment (i.e. temperature,
soil, light, moisture, air currents)
Biosphere
Ecosystem
Community
Population
Organism
Organism- any unicellular or
multicellular form exhibiting all of the
characteristics of life, an individual.
•The lowest level of organization
Population-a group of organisms of
one species living in the same place
at the same time that interbreed
and compete with each other for
resources (ex. food, mates, shelter)
Community- several interacting
populations that inhabit a common
environment and are interdependent.
Ecosystem- populations in a
community and the abiotic factors
with which they interact (ex.
marine, terrestrial)
Name some biotic and abiotic factors in each picture.
Biosphere- life supporting portions
of Earth composed of air, land,
fresh water, and salt water.
•The highest level of organization
Feeding Relationships
•
There are 3 main types of feeding
relationships
1. Producer- Consumer
2. Predator- Prey
3. Parasite- Host
• Autotrophs- produce their own food
• Heterotrophs- feed on others
AUT0- SELF
HETERO- DIFFERENT
TROPH - FEED /GROWTH
Feeding Relationships
Producer- all
autotrophs (plants),
they trap energy
from the sun
• Bottom of the food
chain
Plankton
Phytoplankton
Microscopic plants and
animals.
Phytoplankton are primary producers .
Feeding Relationships
Consumer- all heterotrophs: they
ingest food containing the sun’s
energy
• Herbivores
• Carnivores
• Omnivores
• Decomposers
Feeding Relationships
ConsumerHerbivores
– Eat plants
• Primary consumers
• Prey animals
Feeding Relationships
Consumer-Carnivores-eat meat
• Predators
– Hunt prey
animals for food.
Feeding Relationships
Consumer- Omnivores -eat both plants
and animals
Feeding Relationships
Consumer-Carnivores
• Scavengers
– Feed on carrion,
dead animals
Feeding Relationships
ConsumerDecomposers
• Breakdown the
complex compounds
of dead and
decaying plants and
animals into simpler
molecules that can
be absorbed
Trophic Levels
Food chain- simple model that
shows how matter and energy
move through an ecosystem
Food Chain
-a linear path
of energy
transfer
Only 10% of energy is passed from
one trophic level to the next.
Most of the
energy is lost in
the form of heat.
Food chain
(just 1 path of energy)
Food web
(all possible energy paths)
Food web- Represents a network of
interconnected food chains
Toxins in food chainsWhile energy decreases as it moves up the
food chain, toxins increase in potency.
•This is called biological magnification,
sometimes also called bioaccumulation.
Ex: DDT & Bald Eagles
Mercury in Fish
Living Together
SYMBIOSIS
-is a close association between two different
types of organisms in a community.
One benefits the other is
unaffected.
+
0
Which organism benefits?
Which is neither helped or harmed?
is an interaction
between two or
more species
where both
species benefit.
+
+
Lichen
What do both the ants and
the honey suckle benefit ?
-one organism,
usually physically
smaller of the two
(the parasite)
benefits and the
other (the host) is
harmed.
+
-
Can you identify the host and
parasite in this picture?
2.
• The organism shown in Figure above (a
flea) is involved in which type of
symbiosis?
• A) commensalism
• B) parasitism
• C) predatorism
• D) mutualism
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3.
• Which of the following can increase the
amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere? SC.D.1.4.1 SC.G.2.4.6
• a. industrial burning of fossil fuels
• b. deforestation
• c. automobile exhaust
• d. all of these answers are correct
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5.
• A volcano in a mountainous, wooded region erupts,
spewing tons of ash and destroying the forested
area around the volcano. If the volcano remains
dormant during the next 1000 years, what will
probably happen?
– A. The mountains will erode and remain without
life.
– B. The area will remain unchanged, covered by
volcanic ash.
– C. The area will be repopulated by trees,
eventually becoming a forest again.
– D. The area will turn into a completely different
habitat, such as desert or plains.
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