Ecology and our World

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Ecology and our World
Ecology
The study of interactions between living things
and their environment
Levels in Ecology
1. Individual
A single member of a species
2. Population
A group of individuals of a species.
3. Community
Several species in an area.
4. Ecosystem
Living and nonliving things in an area
5. Biosphere
All the biomes
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How do organisms interact?
Producers
- organisms that produce their own energy, and
are food for other organisms.
They are also called autotrophs
Consumers
- organisms that have to eat other organisms for
their energy
They are also called heterotrophs
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Consumers come in a wide variety
Herbivores
- Organisms that eat only plant material.
Carnivores
- Organisms that eat only other animals.
Omnivores
- Organisms that eat both plant and animal.
Detrivores
- Organisms that eat dead matter
Decomposers
- Organisms that break down organic matter
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Who eats who?
Food Chain
- a series of steps showing which organisms eat
which. (transfer energy)
Food Web
- a chart linking all food webs in a particular
area
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Another way to show relationships
Ecological Pyramids
Biomass Pyramid
- each level in the pyramid shows the total
amount of organisms in the level
Numbers Pyramid
- each level shows the numbers of individuals in
the pyramid
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Energy Pyramid
- each transition shows the amount of loss of
energy from one level to the next.
90 of energy is lost to heat from one level to
the next.
Only 10 of your food is actually incorporated
into making you!
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Cycles in Nature
Water Cycle
- shows the different stages that water goes
through in ecology
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- the carbon that makes you and all other living
(and many non living) things is shown moving
through the environment.
Carbon Cycle
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Nitrogen Cycle
- All organisms require nitrogen. This cycle
shows how it moves through the environment.
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Daily Assignment
Define
1. Condensation 2. Precipitation 3.
Transpiration 4. Evaporation 5. Percolation 6.
Runoff 7. Nitrogen Fixation 8. Denitrification 9.
Trophic Level 10. Consumer 11. Producer 12.
Autotroph 13. Heterotroph 14. Biomass 15.
Chemosynthesis
Questions from the book
Section 3-1 section assessment question 1
pg. 65 Section 3-2 section assessment
questions 1-4 pg. 73 Section 3-3
section assessment questions 1-3 5 pg.80
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How do individuals interact in an environment?
The environment contains two different things
1. Biotic Factors
All living organisms
2. Abiotic Factors
All non-living things
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Biotic factors in the environment interact in
many ways
Competition
When groups are using limited resources
Situation leaves winners and losers.
Predation
When one organism feeds on another
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They can form a symbiotic relationship (three
different types)
1. Mutualism
Both individuals benefit.
2. Commensalism
One is helped, one is neither helped or harmed.
3. Parasitism
One is helped, the other is harmed.
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How are new environments created?
New land formation happens due to natural
occurrences.
Volcanoes
Tsunamis
But what happens when the world gets back to
normal?
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After the new land is created,
Succession takes place.
Primary succession
- (pioneer species) begin to colonize the newly
formed land. These are smaller plants and
grasses, then trees.
Secondary succession

• happens only when one type of plant replaces
  another type
• Ex. Trees taking over a meadow.

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Biomes
Def a large area that is characterized by
certain soil, climate. plants, and animals.
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Daily Assignment
Define
1. Niche 2. Resource 3. Competitive Exclusion
principle 4. Symbiosis 5. Pioneer
species 6. Tolerance 7. Microclimate
Questions from the book
Section 4-1 section assessment questions 1- 4
pg. 89 Section 4-2 section assessment
questions 1-4 pg. 97 Section 4-3
section assessment questions 1-3 5 pg 105