What is Ecology ?

1. What is Ecology ? The study of how organisms interact with one another and their non-living environment

2. Biosphere Biosphere Ecosystems Communities Populations Organisms So Then What is an Ecosystem ? An ecosystem is how all of the living and non-living things interact together in an area.

3. Biosphere Biosphere Ecosystems Communities Populations Organisms So Then What is an Ecosystem ? Looking at the chart to the right.. Our BIOSPHERE is the part of the Earth where the organisms exist And an ECOSYSTEM is that area where the living and non-living things interact.

4. Energy for the Ecosystems A. Every ecosystem on Earth gets its energy from the same source: SUNLIGHT!!!

5. Producers • Organisms that can use sunlight or chemical energy to produce food are called: autotrophs

6. Producers • Photosynthesis: most common, uses energy from sunlight to make food • Example: Plants, sea weed, algae

7. Producers • Chemosynthesis: uses energy form inorganic chemical compounds to make food • Example: Sulfur bacteria in Yellowstone hot springs & deep sea hydrothermal vents

8. Producers • Autotrophs are also called producers • Producers/Autotrophs: use energy to build complex organic molecules out of inorganic molecules

9. Producers • Describe the flow of energy through an ecosystem: It goes in one direction from sun  producers  consumers

10. Parts of an Ecosystem An ecosystem contains BIOTIC (living) and ABIOTIC (non-living) things Examples of BIOTIC things: • Plants • Animals • Fungi • Bacteria

11. Parts of an Ecosystem ABIOTIC components are the NON-living parts of the ecosystem An Ecosystem is made of BIOTIC and ABIOTIC Components Examples of ABIOTIC things are: • Water • Air • Temperature • Sunlight

12. Food Chain A Food Chain tells us what eats what in an ecosystem. It shows the series of organisms through which food energy is passed.

13. Food Chain What is happening in this food chain? The insect is eaten by the frog

14. Food Chain What does the insect eat? Many insects eat the nectar from flowers

15. Food Chain What might eat the frog?

16. Food Chain What does this entire food chain show? 1) The slug eats the plant 2) The frog eats the slug 3) The heron eats the frog

17. Food Chain The arrow means “is eaten by” In this case the dragonfly is eaten by the frog.

18. Food Chain Remember… ALL food chains begin with a Producer ( Also known as an Autotroph)

19. Food Web In an ecosystem, there are many producers and consumers. Instead of a food chain, we can use a food web.

20. Humans Blue whale Sperm whale Killer whale Elephant seal Crabeater seal Leopard seal Emperor penguin Adélie penguins Petrel Squid Fish Carnivorous plankton Herbivorous zooplankton Krill Phytoplankton Food Web A food web shows the complex relationship formed by the overlapping and interconnecting food chains.

21. Energy Pyramid Steps in a food chain are called: Trophic Levels. A Trophic Level is a level of nourishment in a food chain.

22. Energy Pyramid The pyramid first shows us the Producers. Remember… Producersget their energy from the sun. Producersare the first and largest Trophic Level. Producers

23. Energy Pyramid Second, we see the Primary Consumers The Primary Consumersget their energy from eating the Producers. Primary Consumerscan be either Herbivores or Omnivores. Primary Consumers

24. Energy Pyramid Third, we see the Secondary Consumers The Secondary Consumersget their energy from eating the Primary Consumers Secondary Consumersare CarnivoresorOmnivores Secondary Consumers

25. Energy Pyramid Fourth, we see the Tertiary Consumers The Tertiary Consumers get their energy from eating the Secondary Consumers Tertiary Consumersare CarnivoresorOmnivores Tertiary Consumers

26. Energy Pyramid Some energy pyramids can have a fifth Trophic Level.

27. Primary Producers Producersmake their own food, from abiotic factors, such as sunlight or heat from chemical reactions.

28. Primary Producers Producersare also known as Autotrophs Some examples are: • Plants • Algae • Bacteria

29. Consumers Consumers are organisms that get their energy by eating other organisms

30. Consumers Consumersare also known as Heterotrophs Consumers can be: • Herbivores • Carnivores • Omnivores • Detritivores (Decomposers)

31. Consumers Herbivoreseat only plants. Herbivores are also known as Heterotrophs or Primary Consumers Herbivore Examples: • Large Mammals (Such as cattle & deer) • Insects

32. Consumers Carnivoreseat other animals Carnivoresare also known as Heterotrophs or Secondary or Tertiary Consumers Carnivore Examples: • Lions, Tigers • Wolves • Sharks • Snakes

33. Consumers Omnivoreseat both plants and animals Omnivoresare also known as Heterotrophs or Consumers Omnivore Examples: • Humans • Bears • Mice • Pigs

34. Consumers Detritivoresconvert waste into nutrients (also called decomposers) Detritivore Examples: • Worms • Beetles • Bacteria • Fungi

35. Consumers Scavengersbreak down dead plants and animals (also called heterotroph, consumer) Scavenger Examples: • Vulture • Crow • Hyena

36. Energy Pyramid Let’s look at the energy pyramidcloser. Energy pyramids:Are a way to graph how much energy is passed up the food chain from one organism to the next

37. Energy Pyramid Let’s look at the energy pyramidcloser. Only 10% of the energy from the prior trophic level is passed on. This is because energy is lost to the environment as heat

38. Draw an Energy Pyramid

39. Trophic level Tertiary consumers Secondary consumers Primary consumers Primary producers Energy Pyramid If an energy pyramid consists of plants that contain 500,000 calories of food energy, how many calories of energy would be available to consumers at each of the next three trophic levels?

40. Trophic level Tertiary consumers Secondary consumers Primary consumers Primary producers Energy Pyramid Primary Consumers: 500,000 cal x .1 = 50,000 calories Secondary Consumers: 50,000 cal x .1 = 5,000 calories Tertiary Consumers: 5,000 cal x .1 = 500 calories

41. Trophic level Tertiary consumers Secondary consumers Primary consumers Primary producers Food Web What does these energy numbers tell us?? There are very few Tertiary consumers, because it takes a HUGE amount of food energy to support them. For a large population to exist, it needs to feed from the LOWEST trophic level possible, because there is more food energy available.

42. Biomass Pyramid Biomass Pyramid: Represents the amount of living organic matter at each trophic level.

43. Draw a Biomass Pyramid

44. Pyramid of Numbers Pyramid of Numbers: Shows the relative number of individual organisms at each trophic level.

45. Draw a Pyramid of Numbers