1 / 11

Ecology and Ecosystems

Ecology and Ecosystems . What is Ecology. Ecology and Biospheres . Ecology = Interactions among organisms AND between organisms and their environment. Biosphere = Contains the combined portions of the planet in which all life exists including: Land Water Air or Atmosphere .

nancy
Download Presentation

Ecology and Ecosystems

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Ecology and Ecosystems What is Ecology

  2. Ecology and Biospheres • Ecology= Interactions among organisms AND between organisms and their environment. • Biosphere= Contains the combined portions of the planet in which all life exists including: • Land • Water • Air or Atmosphere

  3. Species, Populations & Communities • Species= Group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed & produce fertile offspring • Populations= Groups of individuals that belong to the same species • Communities= Groups of different populations that live together in a defined area • Also the simplest grouping of more than one kind of organism in the biosphere

  4. Ecological Methods • Observing=First step in asking ecological questions EX: What are species like here? How many individuals of each species are here? • Experimenting=Used to test hypotheses. EX: setting up artificial ecosystem or conduct experiments in natural ecosystem • Modeling= Used to look at large scale ecological phenomena. Many consist of mathematical formulas. EX: A mathematical formula used to look at population fluctuations in a community

  5. Energy Flow • Sunlight is the main energy source for life • Some types of organisms rely on energy stored in inorganic chemical compounds • EX: chemosynthetic bacteria • Autotrophs=Capture energy from sunlight and or chemicals and use that energy to produce food. • EX: Plants, some algae, and certain bacteria • Producers= Organisms that produce their own food

  6. Energy Sources • Photosynthesis: Autotrophs use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into energy (Sugars and Carbohydrates) Releases oxygen into the air. • EX: Trees, grasses, algae • Chemosynthesis: Autotrops use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates and oxygen • EX: Bacteria that live in volcanic vents & hot springs

  7. Consumers • Heterotrophs= Organisms that rely on other organisms for their energy and food supply • 4 Types of Heterotrophs: • Herbivores: Eat plants EX: Caterpillars, deer • Carnivores: Eat meat EX: snakes, dogs, owls • Omnivores: Eat plants & meat: EX: Humans, bears • Detrivores: Eat plant & animal remains EX: Worms, crabs, snails, mites • Decomposers: Break down organic matter EX: Bacteria and fungi **HETEROTROPHS ARE ALSO CALLED ** CONSUMERS

  8. Feeding Relationships • Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction • From the sun or inorganic compound to autotrops and then to heterotrophs Food Chain= Series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating & being eaten EX: Shark eats squid which eats small fish, which eats zooplankton, which eats algae. Food Web= ecological model of relationships that form a network of complex feeding interactions among organisms in a community from producers to decomposers. • EX: feeding relationships in a salt marsh community

  9. Feeding Relationships Cont.. • Trophic Level= Each step in a food chain or food web • Producers= 1st trophic level • Consumers= 2nd, 3rd, and higher trophic levels

  10. Ecological Pyramids • Ecological Pyramid= Diagram showing the transfer of energy or matter in each trophic level of a food chain or web • Biomass= The total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level

More Related