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Principles of Ecology. Unit 2 Chapter 2. What is ecology?. Ecology : study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment. Biosphere. the portion of the Earth that supports living things Ex: ocean, forest, atmosphere. Abiotic vs. Biotic factors.
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Principles of Ecology Unit 2Chapter 2
What is ecology? • Ecology: study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment
Biosphere • the portion of the Earth that supports living things • Ex: ocean, forest, atmosphere.
Abiotic vs. Biotic factors • Abiotic = nonliving parts of the environment • Ex: light, air, temperature, soil • Biotic = living parts of the environment • Ex: bacteria, protist, fungus, plant, animal
Levels of organization from smallest to largest • Individual • Population • Community • Ecosystem
Individual • made of cells, uses energy, reproduces, responds, grows, and develops
Population • group of organisms all of the same species, which interbreed and live in the same area at the same time
Community • interacting populations in a certain area at a certain time
Ecosystem • interacting communities and abiotic factors
Habitat vs. Niche • Habitat: place where organism lives • Niche: role or position a species has in its environment
Habitats are capable of changing. What can lead to changes in habitats?
Symbiosis: interactions between two species • Mutualism: both benefits • Commensalism: one benefits, the other unaffected • Parasitism: one benefits, one is harmed
Mutualism Clownfish is protected, while providing a lure for the anemone. Some say that this relationship can be commensalistic.
Commensalism Volcano sponge using the crinoid sponge as a “lift” for increased filtration but the crinoid sponge is unaffected.
Parasitism Head lice
How organisms obtain energy • Autotroph (producer): photosynthetic or chemosynthetic, makes own food • Heterotroph (consumer): “eat” other organisms, cannot make own food • Decomposer: breaks down dead or decaying organisms, recycles matter
Heterotrophs - scavengers • Scavengers: feed off of dead or decaying living things but do not recycle matter back into the ecosystem
Heterotrophs - herbivores • consume only vegetative matter • mostly primary consumers.
Heterotrophs - carnivores • obtain energy from eating other consumers • Secondary and tertiary consumers
Decomposers Typical examples: fungus and bacteria
Food chain • shows how matter and energy move through an ecosystem (one route) berries → mice → black bear
Food web • shows interactions between organisms (all possible routes)
Energy pyramid Pyramid of Energy Heat 0.1% Consumers 1% Consumers Heat • Shows how much energy is available at each trophic (energy) level 10% Consumers Heat Heat Parasites, scavengers, and decomposers feed at each level.
Autotrophs Third-order heterotrophs Second-order heterotrophs First-order heterotrophs Decomposers
Four cycles in nature • Water cycle • Carbon cycle • Nitrogen cycle • Phosphorus cycle
