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Ecology. SNC1D. Why Study Ecology?. Sustainability: The ability to maintain an ecological balance. Ecology: The study of the interaction of living things with each other and with abiotic factors in their environment. Abiotic Factors: e.g. Biotic Factors: e.g.
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Ecology SNC1D
Why Study Ecology? Sustainability: • The ability to maintain an ecological balance
Ecology: The study of the interactionof living things with each other and with abiotic factors in their environment. Abiotic Factors: e.g. Biotic Factors: e.g.
Ecology can begin at the level of a single organism • But organisms do not live in isolation
Ecological Ladder Biosphere Biome Ecosystem Community Population Species Organism Increasing complexity
Ecosystems rarely have sharp boundaries • Organisms can move from one ecosystem to another Ecotone: The transition area between two ecosystems • Contains members of the community of both ecosystems
Biodiversity:The number and variety of species in an ecosystem • Ecotones have ______ biodiversity. • High biodiversity usually indicates a more sustainable ecosystem.
Terms To Define: • 7 terms on the ecological ladder • Herbivore, carnivore, omnivore • Habitat • Sustainable Ecosystem • Natural and Artificial Ecosystems • Niche
The Sun • The source of all energy • Light • Heat • Evaporation (for precipitation) • Photosynthesis • _30__% of the total energy is reflected by clouds or Earth’s surface • _44__% heats atmosphere, surfaces, • __25___% heats and evaporates water • ___1__ % wind • _0.023__% for photosynthesis
Trophic Levels • Categorize living things (biotic factors) according to how they gain their energy.
1st Trophic Level • Contains organisms that are able to make their own food from abiotic factors (e.g. soil nutrients, sunlight) • Organisms in the 1st trophic level are called producers______ or ___autotrophs___ • E.g.
2nd Trophic Level • Contains organisms that feed on producers • Rely DIRECTLY on producers for their source of energy. • Organisms in the 2nd trophic level are called herbivores/ primary consumers/ heterotrophs_ • E.g.
3rd Trophic Level • Contains organisms that rely on primary consumers as their main energy source • But, indirectly, are still dependent on producers • Organisms in the 3rd trophic level are called __secondary consumers______________ • E.g.
Decomposers • Organisms that feed on detritus Detritus: Waste from biotic factors, including their dead remain • Return nutrients (abiotic factors) to the ecosystem • E.g.
4th Trophic Levels 3rd Trophic Levels 2nd Trophic Levels 1st Trophic Levels
4th Trophic Levels 3rd Trophic Levels 2nd Trophic Levels 1st Trophic Levels
Food Chains • Step-by-step sequence linking organisms that feed on each other • Arrows show the flow of energy (“is eaten by”) • Do not exist in nature • Show simple feeding relationships
Food Webs • In reality, each organism has a variety of food sources and is therefore involved in multiple food chains • These food chains interlock to form a complex food web Food Web:Representation of the complex feeding relationships in an ecosystem
Energy Flow • Organisms use about 90 % of the energy they take in to grow and reproduce, leaving just 10% of the energy they receive to pass along to the next trophic level. grass →grasshopper → frog →snake → hawk
Ecological Pyramids • Are used to organize the information of these transfers, and the most common are: