Biology

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Biology

• Ecology
• Biomes and Relationships

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Ecology

• Topics
• Introduction to Ecology
• Abiotic Biotic factors of an Ecosystem
• Predator/ Prey Relationships
• Symbiotic Relationships

• Essential Questions
• What is ecology? What do ecologists study?
• Compare and contrast biotic and abiotic factors.
  What is their importance in an ecosystem?
• Identify and describe the following symbiotic
  relationships mutualism, commensalisms, and
  parasitism.
• Describe the relationship of a predator to its
  prey.

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Ecology Key Terms

• Ecology
• Abiotic
• Biotic
• Population
• Community
• Ecosystem
• Habitat
• Niche
• Predator
• Prey
• Symbiosis
• Commensalism
• Parasitism
• Mutualism
• Organism
• Biosphere

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What is Ecology?
Ecology is the study of the interactions of
living organisms with one another and with their
nonliving environment of matter and energy study
of the structure and functions of nature
What roles do insects play?
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What are the Characteristics of Life?
Biotic living components of an
ecosystem Abiotic Nonliving component of an
ecosystem
Other animals281,000
All things living have the following specific
properties Cellular organization All living
things are made up of cells Metabolism -
Organisms obtain and use energy Homeostasis
Maintain environment Reproduction Organinisms
have offspring Heredity Organisms pass traits
to their offspring
Fungi69,000
Prokaryotes4,800
Insects751,000
Plants248,400
Protists57,700
Known species1,412,000
About 1.4 million species have been identified,
but estimates of number of species range from 3.6
million to 100 million
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Ecosystem Organization Overview
Biosphere- Zone of earth where life is found.
Sometimes called the ecosphere
Ecosystems- Community of different species
interacting with one another and with the
chemical and physical factors making up its
nonliving environment
Communities- Populations of all species living
and interacting in an area at a particular time
Populations- Group of individual organisms of the
same species living in a particular area
Organisms Any form of life (species)- group of
organisms that resemble one another in
appearance, behavior, chemical makeup and
processes, and genetic structure.
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Ecosystem Components
The major components of ecosystems are abiotic
(nonliving) water, air, nutrients, solar energy,
and biotic (living) plants, animals, and microbes.
Niche How organisms interact with each other
within a community. An organism role in the
ecosystem Habitat is the place where a
population or an individual organism usually
lives
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Major Biomes and the Role of Climate
The amount of energy received and topography of a
region determines climate. Terrestrial parts of
the biosphere are classified as biomes, areas
such as deserts, forests, and grasslands.
Aquatic life zones describe the many different
areas found in a water environment, such as
freshwater or marine life zones (coral reefs,
coastal estuaries, deep ocean).
Temperature, precipitation and topography
(abiotic factors) determine the vegetation
(plants) and the animals they will support
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Climate
Long-term average weather patterns 30-1 million
years
It is determined by
Average Precipitation
Average Temperature
and
Influence by
Ocean Currents
Latitude
Altitude
That affects
Temperature Controls Factors that influence
ecosystem
Where organisms Live (Habitat)
How Organisms Live (Niche)
What organisms eat (energy flow)
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Biomes of the World
Polar
Temperate
Tropic of Cancer
Equator
Tropics
Tropic of Capricorn
Semidesert, arid grassland
Arctic tundra (polar grasslands)
Desert
Boreal forest (taiga), evergreen
coniferous forest (e.g., montane coniferous
forest)
Tropical rain forest, tropical evergreen forest
Mountains (complex zonation)
Temperate deciduous forest
Tropical deciduous forest
Ice
Temperate grassland
Tropical scrub forest
Dry woodlands and shrublands (chaparral)
Tropical savanna, thorn forest
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Forests
Tropical Rainforest
Deciduous Forest
Taiga
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Tundra
Grassland
Desert
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Ice Worlds
Unique Environments
Caves
Mountains
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Aquatic Life Zones-Marine and freshwater portions
of the biosphere. Examples include freshwater
life zones (such as lakes and streams) and ocean
or marine life zones
Depth in meters
High tide
Sun
Low tide
Coastal Zone
Open Sea
Sea level
0
50
Euphotic Zone
Photosynthesis
100
Estuarine Zone
Continental shelf
200
500
Bathyal Zone
Twilight
1,000
1,500
Marine Life Zones Shallow seas Open Ocean
2,000
Abyssal Zone
3,000
Darkness
4,000
5,000
10,000
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Freshwater Life ZonesFreshwater life zones
contain less than 1 by volume of salt. These
zones include standing (lentic) bodies such as
lakes, ponds, and wetlands and flowing (lotic)
systems such as streams and rivers.
Lentic bodies Standing water Lakes are large
natural bodies of standing water found in
depressions. Rainfall, melting snow, and stream
drainage feed lakes. Lakes generally consist of
four distinct zones depending on depth and
distance from shore
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Major Characteristics of Freshwater Stream and
Rivers

• The source zone is narrow
• and fast moving. It dissolves
• large amounts of oxygen from
• air and most plants are
• attached to rocks. Light is
• available, but is not very
• productive.
• The transition zone forms
• wider, deeper streams that
• flow down gentler slopes. The
• water is warmer, with more
• nutrients and supports more
• producers, but has slightly
• lower dissolved oxygen.
• The floodplain zone has
• wider, deeper rivers. Water
• temperature is warmer, less

Flowing Freshwater Systems Three aquatic life
zones, each with different conditions can be
identified along stream flow.
Freshwater Life Zones
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Wetlands

• Types
• Marshes dominated by grasses and reeds few trees
• Swamps dominated by trees and shrubs
• Prairie Potholes depressions carved out by
  glaciers
• Floodplain which receive excess water during
  heavy rains and floods
• Tundra receive excess water during the artic
  summer
• Seasonal Are wetland are only soggy for a short
  time of the year

Importance of wetlands Inland wetlands cover the
land for a part of all of each year. Wetlands
include swamps, marshes, prairie potholes,
floodplains, and arctic tundra in
summer. Scientists also use soil composition and
plant life to define whether a particular area is
a wetland. Wetlands provide a number of free
ecological services such as filtering toxic
wastes/pollutants, absorbing/storing excess water
from storms, and providing habitats for a variety
of species.
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Relationships

• Symbiotic Relationships
• A relationship in which two species live closely
  together
• Mutualism
• Commensalism
• Parasitism

Predator / Prey
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Symbiotic Species Interactions
Mutualism (/) Pollination mutualism Insects Nutr
itional mutualism Hermit crabs and
Anemones Gut inhabitant mutualism Cellulose
digesting protozoa
Parasitism (/-) Parasite organisms feeding on
or in another species Host organisms fed on by
parasites External parasites Internal parasites
The head of the tapeworm is called a scolex, and
is equipped with hooks and suckers which are used
for attaching to the intestinal wall of the host.
Adult tapeworms, some reaching a length of 15
feet, are parasites in the guts of animals and
absorb nutrients across their body surface. The
structures behind the head are called proglottids.
Commensalism (/0) Species interaction that
benefits one and has little or no effect on the
other. Example Small plants growing in shade of
larger plants or Hermit crab and Rag worm
Lifecycle of a Parasite
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Species Interactions Predation / prey
Prey Acquisition Example Killer Whales
Predator Avoidance
Camouflage
Deceptive Behavior
When touched, the snake caterpillar changes
shape to look like the head of a snake
Span worm
Wandering leaf insect
Deceptive Look
Chemical Warfare
Hind wings of Io moth resemble eyes of a much
larger animal
Predator / prey relationships
Tundra Savannah Ocean
Poison dart frog
Mimicry
Foul-tasting monarch Butterfly
Bombardier beetle
Viceroy butterfly mimics monarch butterfly
Hunting and Escaping
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Predator Avoidance - Camouflage
American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus)
camouflaged, Florida.
Flatfish on sand, showing ability to blend with
background. Protective coloration and camouflage.
Crab Spider camouflaged on a Woodland Sunflower.
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Predator Avoidance Mimics
Ant Mimic Spider (Castianeira variata) with ant.
Moth (Eupterotidae) mimicking a chewed leaf.
Viceroy (top) and Monarch (below) Butterflies.
Mullerian mimicry.
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Predator Avoidance Chemical Warfare and Warning
Coloration
Three-Striped Poison Frog (Epipedobates
trivittatus), Tambopata River, Peru.
Monarch caterpillar (Danas plexippus) on Milkweed.
Eastern Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius), Florida.
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Ecology Key Terms
Organizing key terms

• Ecology
• Abiotic
• Biotic
• Population
• Community
• Ecosystem
• Habitat
• Niche
• Predator
• Prey
• Symbiosis
• Commensalism
• Parasitism
• Mutualism
• Organism
• Biosphere

Organization Biosphere Ecosystem Community Popu
lation Organism (species)
Relationships Symbiosis Mutualism (/)
Commensalism (/0) Parasitism (/-) Predator
Prey Habitat (location) Niche
(role / job)
Living v. nonliving Biotic (living) Abiotic
(nonliving)