Exploring Ecology: Interactions in Nature

1. Ecology

2. What is ecology? Ecology-the scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environments, focusing on energy transfer • It is a science of relationships • Ecology Video (20 min)

3. What do you mean by environment? The environment is made up of two factors: Biotic factors- all living organisms inhabiting the Earth Abiotic factors- nonliving parts of the environment (examples- temperature, soil, light, moisture, air currents)

4. Biome Ecosystem Community Population Organism

5. Organism-any unicellular or multicellular form exhibiting all of the characteristics of life, an individual • the lowest level of organization

6. Population-a group of organisms of one species living in the same place at the same time

7. Community- several interacting populations that inhabit a common environment and are interdependent

8. ecosystem-populations in a community and the abiotic factors with which they interact (ex. marine, terrestrial)

9. Ecosystems support life… • An ecosystem is made of a community of organisms (biotic factors) plus all of the abiotic factors in the area.

10. biome- a large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plant and animal communities • the highest level of organization

11. Niche -the role a species plays in a community (“job”) Habitat- the place in which an organism lives out its life (“address”) Habitat vs. Niche

12. A niche is determined by the tolerance limitations of an organism, or a limiting factor limiting factor- any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence of organisms in a specific environment Habitat vs. Niche

13. Habitat vs. Niche • Examples of limiting factors: • Amount of water • Amount of food • Temperature

14. Feeding Relationships There are 3 main types of feeding relationships: 1. Producer – Consumer 2. Predator - Prey 3. Parasite - Host

15. Feeding Relationships of Producers Producer- all autotrophs (plants and algae), that obtain energy from the sun • Bottom (1st step) of the food chain

16. Feeding Relationships of Consumers Consumer– (heterotrophs) they ingest food containing the sun’s energy • Herbivores • Carnivores • Omnivores • Decomposers

17. Feeding Relationships of Consumers Herbivores • eat plants (producers) • primary consumers • prey animals

18. Feeding Relationships of Consumers Carnivores • eat meat Predators • Hunt prey animals for food Scavengers • Feed on dead animals

19. Feeding Relationships of Consumers Omnivores- eat both plants and animals

20. Feeding Relationships of Consumers Decomposers breakdown the complex compounds of dead and decaying plants and animals into simpler molecules that can be absorbed (bacteria and fungi) Kids Corner - Herbivore, Omnivore, Carnivore Kids Corner - Producer,Consumer,Decomposer

21. Organisms can interact within ecosystems: • Competition results when two organisms both need the same resource. Sometimes groups of organisms will cooperate with each other in order to improve their chances of survival. • Predator (hunter) and prey (hunted) relationships also exist in ecosystems.

22. Symbiotic Relationships Brain Pop - Symbiosis Symbiosis-two speciesliving together 3 Types of Symbiosis: 1. Commensalism 2. Parasitism 3. Mutualism

23. Symbiotic Relationships Commensalism one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped (good-I don’t care) Example - orchids on a tree Epiphytes: A plant, such as a tropical orchid or a bromeliad, that grows on another plant upon which it depends for mechanical support but not for nutrients. Also called aerophyte, air plant.

24. Symbiotic Relationships Commensalism one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped Example - polar bears and cyanobacteria

25. Symbiotic Relationships Parasitism one species benefits (parasite) and the other is harmed (host) (good-bad) Parasite-Host relationship

26. Symbiotic Relationships Parasitism-Parasite-Host Examples – lampreys, leeches, fleas, ticks,tapeworm

27. Symbiotic Relationships Mutualism beneficial to both Species (good-good) Examples - cleaning birds and cleaner shrimp

28. Symbiotic Relationships Mutualism beneficial to both species Ex. lichen

30. = 1 species

31. Trophic Levels • Each link in a food chain is known as a trophic level • Trophic levels represent a feeding step in the transfer of energy and matter in an ecosystem

32. Trophic Levels Biomass the amount of organic matter comprising a group of organisms in a habitat • As you move up a food chain, both available energy and biomass decrease • Energy is transferred upwards but is diminished with each transfer

33. Trophic Levels E N E R G Y Tertiary consumers- top carnivores Secondary consumers-small carnivores Primary consumers- Herbivores Producers- Autotrophs

34. Trophic Levels Food Chain simple model that shows how matter and energy move through an ecosystem

36. Trophic Levels Food Web shows all possible feeding relationships in a community at each trophic level • Represents a network of interconnected food chains

37. Food chain Food web (just 1 path of energy) (all possible energy paths)

41. Kids Corner - Energy Chains Trophic Levels Energy Pyramid model that shows the amount of energy available at each feeding level of an ecosystem The amount of available energy decreases as you go up the pyramid BrainPop-Energy Pyramid

47. Matter changes forms-but is neither created nor destroyed as it continually cycles through ecosystems-it is all part of a never-ending circle of life!

48. Matter Cycles Through an Ecosystem • Living organisms depend on the environment to meet their needs • Material, or matter, are the needs required by all living things • Cycle- a series of events that happen over and over again • Cycling maintains homeostasis (balance) in the environment

49. Ecosystem Cycles • 1. Water cycle • 2. Carbon cycle • 3. Nitrogen cycle

50. Water Cycle • Water cycle – movement of water through the environment • As water moves through the ecosystem, it changes in physical form, moving back and forth between solid, liquid, and gas