Ecology Unit
What is ecology?

Ecology- the scientific study of
 interactions between organisms
 and their environments,
 focusing on energy transfer

• It is a science of relationships
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 (i.e. temperature,
 soil, light, moisture, air currents)
Biosphere

Ecosystem

 Community

  Population

  Organism
Organism- any unicellular or
multicellular form exhibiting all of the
characteristics of life, an individual.
•The lowest level of organization
Population-a group of organisms of
one species living in the same place
at the same time that interbreed
and compete with each other for
resources (ex. food, mates, shelter)
Community- several interacting
populations that inhabit a common
environment and are interdependent
on one another
Ecosystem- populations in a
community and the abiotic factors
with which they interact (ex.
marine, terrestrial)
Biosphere- life supporting portions
of Earth composed of
air, land, fresh water, and salt
water
•The highest level of organization
“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.”

                  Odum - Fundamentals of Ecology
Habitat vs. Niche
Niche - the role a species plays in
a community, i.e.
decomposer, predator, prey, scave
nger, parasite

Habitat- the place in which an
organism lives out its life
Niche
An organism‟s niche is
determined by it‟s ability to get
resources from the environment,
avoid limiting factors, and avoid
competition with similar and
neighboring species

Limiting factor- any biotic or
abiotic factor that restricts the
existence of organisms in a
specific environment
Limiting Factors
Examples of limiting factors-

    •Availability of water
    •Availability of food
    •Temperature
    •Amount of living space
    •Competition
    •Predation
Feeding Relationships

• There are 3 main types of
  feeding relationships
       1. Producer- Consumer
       2. Predator- Prey
       3. Parasite- Host
Feeding Relationships
Producer- all
  autotrophs (plants)
  that trap energy
  from the sun through
  the process of
  photosynthesis
• Base of most food
  chains
Feeding Relationships
Consumer- all heterotrophs that
 “eat” other organisms as food for
 energy
             Herbivores
             Carnivores
              Omnivores
            Decomposers
Feeding Relationships
             CONSUMER

Herbivores
  – Eat plants
• Primary
  consumers
• Tend to be
  prey animals
Feeding Relationships
             CONSUMER
Carnivores - eat
 meat
• Secondary, Tertiar
  y and Quaternary
  consumers
• Predators – hunt
  prey animals for
  food
Feeding Relationships
                CONSUMER

Scavengers -feed
 on carrion and
 other dead
 animals
• Feed from many
  different levels of the
  ecosystem depending on
  what animal has died
Feeding Relationships

Consumer- Omnivores -eat both plants
  and animals
Feeding Relationships
            CONSUMER
Decomposers
   • Breakdown the
     complex compounds
     of dead and
     decaying plants and
     animals into simpler
     molecules that can
     be recycled into the
     soil and reabsorbed
     by the roots of
     plants
Trophic Levels

• Each link in a food chain is known as a
  trophic level
• When an organism eats food, it is
  consuming both energy and matter
  (biomass)
• Trophic levels represent a feeding
  step in the transfer of energy and
  matter in an ecosystem
Total Biomass

Biomass- the amount of organic (living)
  matter comprising a group of
  organisms in a habitat, i.e. literally,
  the total weight of all individuals of a
  particular type of organism

• As you move up a food chain, both
  available energy and biomass decrease
• Energy is transferred through a food
  chain but is diminished with each
  transfer
Trophic Levels
E             Tertiary
N          consumers- top
E            carnivores
R
G       Secondary consumers-
Y
           small carnivores
T
R
A
    Primary consumers- Herbivores
N
S
F
E    Producers- Autotrophs
R
Trophic Levels
Food chain- simple model that
 shows how matter and energy
 move through an ecosystem
Trophic Levels

Food web- shows all possible
 feeding relationships in a
 community at each trophic level

• Represents a network of
  interconnected food chains
Food chain             Food web
(1 path of energy)   (all possible energy paths)
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  • 1.
  • 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
  • 3.
    What do youmean 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 (i.e. temperature, soil, light, moisture, air currents)
  • 4.
    Biosphere Ecosystem Community Population Organism
  • 5.
    Organism- any unicellularor multicellular form exhibiting all of the characteristics of life, an individual. •The lowest level of organization
  • 6.
    Population-a group oforganisms of one species living in the same place at the same time that interbreed and compete with each other for resources (ex. food, mates, shelter)
  • 7.
    Community- several interacting populationsthat inhabit a common environment and are interdependent on one another
  • 8.
    Ecosystem- populations ina community and the abiotic factors with which they interact (ex. marine, terrestrial)
  • 9.
    Biosphere- life supportingportions of Earth composed of air, land, fresh water, and salt water •The highest level of organization
  • 10.
    “The ecological nicheof 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.” Odum - Fundamentals of Ecology
  • 11.
    Habitat vs. Niche Niche- the role a species plays in a community, i.e. decomposer, predator, prey, scave nger, parasite Habitat- the place in which an organism lives out its life
  • 12.
    Niche An organism‟s nicheis determined by it‟s ability to get resources from the environment, avoid limiting factors, and avoid competition with similar and neighboring species Limiting factor- any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence of organisms in a specific environment
  • 13.
    Limiting Factors Examples oflimiting factors- •Availability of water •Availability of food •Temperature •Amount of living space •Competition •Predation
  • 14.
    Feeding Relationships • Thereare 3 main types of feeding relationships 1. Producer- Consumer 2. Predator- Prey 3. Parasite- Host
  • 15.
    Feeding Relationships Producer- all autotrophs (plants) that trap energy from the sun through the process of photosynthesis • Base of most food chains
  • 16.
    Feeding Relationships Consumer- allheterotrophs that “eat” other organisms as food for energy  Herbivores  Carnivores  Omnivores  Decomposers
  • 17.
    Feeding Relationships CONSUMER Herbivores – Eat plants • Primary consumers • Tend to be prey animals
  • 18.
    Feeding Relationships CONSUMER Carnivores - eat meat • Secondary, Tertiar y and Quaternary consumers • Predators – hunt prey animals for food
  • 19.
    Feeding Relationships CONSUMER Scavengers -feed on carrion and other dead animals • Feed from many different levels of the ecosystem depending on what animal has died
  • 20.
    Feeding Relationships Consumer- Omnivores-eat both plants and animals
  • 21.
    Feeding Relationships CONSUMER Decomposers • Breakdown the complex compounds of dead and decaying plants and animals into simpler molecules that can be recycled into the soil and reabsorbed by the roots of plants
  • 22.
    Trophic Levels • Eachlink in a food chain is known as a trophic level • When an organism eats food, it is consuming both energy and matter (biomass) • Trophic levels represent a feeding step in the transfer of energy and matter in an ecosystem
  • 23.
    Total Biomass Biomass- theamount of organic (living) matter comprising a group of organisms in a habitat, i.e. literally, the total weight of all individuals of a particular type of organism • As you move up a food chain, both available energy and biomass decrease • Energy is transferred through a food chain but is diminished with each transfer
  • 24.
    Trophic Levels E Tertiary N consumers- top E carnivores R G Secondary consumers- Y small carnivores T R A Primary consumers- Herbivores N S F E Producers- Autotrophs R
  • 27.
    Trophic Levels Food chain-simple model that shows how matter and energy move through an ecosystem
  • 29.
    Trophic Levels Food web-shows all possible feeding relationships in a community at each trophic level • Represents a network of interconnected food chains
  • 30.
    Food chain Food web (1 path of energy) (all possible energy paths)