ECOLOGY!

1. ECOLOGY!

2. What is Ecology? - study of the interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment. Some Vocabulary Review!

3. What is Ecology BIOTIC FACTORS – all living things in an environment Ex: plants and animals ABIOTIC FACTORS – all the non living things (physical and chemical)

4. http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/data/media/1/river-ecosystem_1752.jpghttp://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/data/media/1/river-ecosystem_1752.jpg

5. http://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/uploads/20947_a_ecosystem.jpghttp://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/uploads/20947_a_ecosystem.jpg

6. http://www.myphotoclub.com/storage/users/111/111/images/8654/_DSC0133mpc.jpghttp://www.myphotoclub.com/storage/users/111/111/images/8654/_DSC0133mpc.jpg

7. Smallest unit in Ecology…. Individual Organism – one organism in an ecosystem Population – group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area. Vocabulary

8. Ecology Community – two or more different populations living together Ecosystem – all abiotic and biotic factors in an area

9. Ecology Biosphere – the sum of all Earth’s ecosystems

10. Ecology Main ABIOTIC factors to know! Sunlight Water Temperature Soil Wind Severe disturbances

11. Different environments on Earth : CLIMATE What is climate? - usually look at the temperature and rainfall of a particular area - Different patterns due largely to the uneven heating of the Earth

12. Uneven heating patterns Because the earth is a sphere – the sun’s rays hit it at different angles causing the different climate zones http://www.pearsonsuccessnet.com/snpapp/iText/products/0-13-115075-8/index.html

13. Wind and Rain patterns

14. Food Webs and Energy • Review: • Autotrophs- producers • Heterotrophs- consumers and decomposers • Herbivores- primary consumers (eat plants) • Carnivores- secondary consumers (eat herbivores) • Decomposers- consume organic wastes and dead organisms.

15. Food Webs and Energy • 10% rule- each level of the food pyramid receives 10% of the energy from the level below it. Hawk (8 kcal) Snakes (80 kcal) Herbivores (800 kcal) Grasses (8,000 kcal) Hawks need to eat a lot more to get the energy they need

16. Food Web and Energy • Biomass- the total quantity of living matter at each trophic level. • Just like available energy decreases, so does biomass at each level.

17. Relationships in Ecosystems • Predation- one species (predator) consumes another (prey). • Competition occurs when two species are consuming the same prey.

18. Relationships in Ecosystems • Niche- particular combination of resources that a species is adapted to. • Example: A niche is available in forests for an animal that can live in the treetops and eat fruit.

19. Relationships in Ecosystems • Symbiosis- Relationships in which species live together • Mutualism- both species benefit • Parasitism- one organism gains at the expense of the other • Commensalism- one organism benefits and the other is unaffected

20. Limiting Factors • Factors that limit productivity in an ecosystem • Supply of water for desert plants • Supply of light • Supply of iron for algae • Supply of nitrogen in the soil • Temperature

21. Limiting Factors • Productivity and population size of other species • Population size of birds is limited by productivity of insects that they eat • Or by the availability of nesting sites

22. Population Dynamics • Two types of population growth • Exponential- growth under ideal conditions. Will result in enormous numbers of individuals. • Logistic- At first grows normally but slows down as competition and other factors limit reproduction and survival.

23. Carrying capacity • The largest population of a species that the environment can support. • Are not stable • Invention of fertilizers led to more crops which led to more humans. The increase in crops could support a higher carrying capacity for humans.