Biotic — living factors that influence an ecosystem

2. Ecology—the scientific study of interactions between different organisms and between organisms and their environment or surroundings

3. Biotic—living factors that influence an ecosystem Abiotic—non-living factors that influence an ecosystem

4. Producers A. Sunlight is the main energy source for life on earth Also called autotrophs C. Use light or chemical energy to make food 1. Plants 2. plant-like protists (algae) 3. Bacteria

5. D. Photosynthesis—use light energyto convert carbon dioxideand water into oxygen and carbohydrates (Remember: 6CO2 + 6H2O 6O2 + C6H12O6) E. Chemosynthesis—performed by bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates Light Energy

6. Consumers Organisms that rely on other organisms for their energy and food supply B. Also called heterotrophs

7. Herbivores—obtain energy by eating only plants Carnivores—eat only animals

8. Omnivores—eat both plants and animals Decomposers—breaks down dead organic matter

9. Feeding Interactions A. Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction—from the sun or inorganic compounds to autotrophs (producers) and then to heterotrophs(consumers)

10. Food Chain—series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten • Arrows go in the direction of how energy is transferred • Start with producer and end with top consumer • or carnivore Ex: grasscricketfrograccoon

11. Hawks Weasels Raccoons Mice Grass C. Food Web—network of food chains within an ecosystem Grass Which of the organisms above is the producer? Which of the organisms above is the top consumer? Hawks

12. Trophic Levels—each step in a food chain or food web 1. Level 1—Producers (autotrophs) 2. Level 2—Primary Consumers (herbivores) 3. Level 3—Secondary Consumers (carnivores or omnivores) 4. Level 4—Tertiary Consumers (carnivore—usually top carnivore)

13. Hawks Raccoons Weasels Mice Grass Food Webs

14. Ecological Pyramids A. Diagram that shows the relative amount of energy or organismscontained within each trophiclevelof a food chain or web

15. Energy Pyramid shows relative amount of energy available ateach trophic level • 1. Organisms in a trophic level use the available energy for life processes (such as growth, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, metabolism, etc.)and release some energy as heat • Remember: Every chemical process that happens in your body releases heat as a byproduct (ex: burning calories). 2. Rule of 10—only about 10%of the availableenergy within a trophic level is transferred to the next higher trophic level C. BiomassPyramid—represents the amount of living organicmatter at each trophic level

16. 0.1% 1% 10% 100% Energy Pyramid Biomass Pyramid

17. Energy and Biomass Pyramid (together) Represents amount of energy available at each level as well as amount of living tissue—both decrease with each increasingtrophic level

18. V. Ecological Interactions between organisms • Competition—when two organisms of the same or different species attempt to use an ecological resource in the same place at the same time. • Ex: food, water, shelter

19. Monkeys compete with each other and other animals for food. Rams compete with each other for mates.

20. Until Americans introduced gray squirrels into parts of England in the early 20th century, red squirrels had been the only species of squirrel in the country. The gray squirrels were larger and bred faster and successfully competed for resources. Within a couple years of overlap in an area, the red squirrels disappeared.

21. B. Niche—the ecological niche involves both the place where an organism lives and the roles that an organism has in its habitat. Example: The ecological niche of a sunflower growing in the backyard includes absorbing light, water and nutrients (for photosynthesis), providing shelter and food for other organisms (e.g. bees, ants, etc.), and giving off oxygen into the atmosphere.

22. The ecological niche of an organism depends not only on where it lives but also on what it does. By analogy, it may be said that the habitat is the organism’s “address”, and the niche is its “profession”, biologically speaking. “Address”—Soil, Ground, etc. Worm’s Niche “Profession”– Mix-up soil

23. C. Predation—one organism captures and feeds on another organism • 1. Predator—one that does the killing • 2. Prey—one that is the food

25. D. Symbiosis—any relationship in which two species live closely together 1. Mutualism—both species benefit (WIN-WIN) a. Ex: insects and flowers Can you think of any other examples that we’ve talked about in class?

26. 2. Commensalism—one member of the association benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed. (WIN-0) Example: barnacles on a whale

27. The Remora fish attaches to the shark and gets a free ride. Commensalism Birds build nests in trees.

28. 3. Parasitism—one organisms lives on or inside another organism (host) and harms it. The parasite obtains all or part of its nutritional needs from the host. (WIN-LOSE) Example: fleas on a dog

29. Wasp eggs on back of caterpillar. Parasitism Sea lampreys feed on fluids of other fish. Mosquito biting a human.

30. Mutualism, Commensalism or Parasitism?? Parasitism Mutualism

32. Ecological Succession • Gradual process of change and replacement of the types of species in a community. • May take hundreds or thousands of years.

33. Examples of Changing Ecosystems • A forest could have been a shallow lake a thousand years ago. • Mosses, shrubs, and small trees cover the concrete of a demolished building.

34. Newer communities make it harder for the older ones to survive. • Example: Younger birch trees will have a harder time competing with taller, older birch trees for sun, but a shade loving tree may replace the smaller birch trees.

35. Primary Succession • Type of succession that occurs where there was no ecosystem before. • Occurs on rocks, cliffs, and sand dunes.

36. Primary succession is very slow. • Begins where there is no soil. • Takes shundred years to produce fertile soil naturally. • First species to colonize bare rock would be bacteria and lichens.

37. Lichens • Do not require soil. • Colorful, flaky patches. • Composed of two species, a fungi and an algae. • The algae photosynthesize and the fungi absorbs nutrients from rocks and holds water. • Over time, they break down the rock.

38. Soil Formation • As the rocks breaks apart, water freezes and thaws on the cracks, which breaks up the rocks further. • When the lichens die, they accumulate in the cracks. • Then mosses begin to grow and die, leading to the creation of fertile soil. • Fertile soil is made up of the broken rocks, decayed organisms, water, and air.

39. Secondary Succession • More common • Occurs on a surface where an ecosystem has previously existed. • Occurs on ecosystems that have been disturbed or disrupted by humans, animals, or by natural processes such as storms, floods, earthquakes, and volcanoes.

40. Secondary Succession: Mt. St. Helens • Erupted in 1980. • 44,460 acres were burned and flattened. • After the eruption, plants began to colonize the volcanic debris. • Pioneer species: the first organism to colonize any newly available area and begin the process of ecological succession.

41. Over time, the pioneer species makes the area habitable by other species. • Today, Mt. St. Helens in the process of secondary succession. • Plants, flowers, new trees and shrubs have started to grow. • If this continues, over time they will form a climax community.