What is Ecology? Ecology Crash Course! Ecology is the study of the interactions between living things and the environment.

Transcription

1 Ecology Crash Course! What is Ecology? Ecology is the study of the interactions between living things and the environment. An ecosystem contains living (biotic) organisms and nonliving (abiotic) components. Biotic components: Abiotic components:

2 Biotic components: Abiotic components: Biotic components: Abiotic components: Biotic Organisms - plants - animals - fungi - bacteria Abiotic - water - rocks - sunlight - minerals - air - temperature - weather - soil Limiting Factor: environmental resources that limit the growth, abundance or distribution of a population of organisms. example: available space

3 Other limiting factors? - food - disease - sunlight - minerals - space - prey - water - predators - temperature - habitat - humidity Other limiting factors? - amount of food - amount of water - shelter - predators - prey Limiting factors Limiting factors Density-dependent Density-independent Density-dependent - food - predation Density-independent - natural disasters (earthquakes, volcanic eruption) - disease - migration - unusual weather (drought, hurricane) - fire

4 Carrying capacity: the maximum population size that the environment can sustain given the resources available. Nutrients cycle through both the biotic and abiotic parts of the ecosystem. Energy flows through the ecosystem.

5 Producers: organisms that make their own food Examples? What are the living parts and nonliving parts of photosynthesis? Biotic Abiotic

6 There are 3 types of consumers! 1. Herbivores 2. Carnivores 3. Omnivores

7 Scavengers and Decomposers Scavengers are organisms that eat dead animals or wastes from other organisms. Hyenas eat dead zebras and buffalo

8 Decomposers: break down dead organisms, feces, leaves and other wastes made by organisms. Decomposers recycle nutrients from dead organisms and put them back into the soil. Why are scavengers and decomposers important to the ecosystem? Why are scavengers and decomposers important to the ecosystem? 1. They recycle nutrients in the ecosystem so plants can use them to grow! 2. Without them, dead matter and waste would pile up!

9 Mushroom Clip Dung beetle clip the sun! ecosystem.

10 Energy flows from...

11 1. Ecology Crash Course.notebook May 01, 2016 overlapping food

12 Keystone species: a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - Plays critical role in maintaining structure and stability of an ecological community. Trophic Pyramids

13 Trophic Pyramid decreases.

14

15 Because energy is lost as Trophic Levels

16 Producers organisms use sunlight to Secondary consumers

17 Nutrient cycles through both the biotic and abiotic parts of the ecosystem. Energy flows through the ecosystem. Carbon Cycle

18 animals living in a certain

19 - limited plant and animal

20 wet seasons

21 Temperate Deciduous twigs, logs, and dead organisms

22 together/same living 1. Mutualism: relationship in which both organisms benefit 2. Commensalism: One partner benefits while the other is unaffected

23 3. Amensalism: one parter suffers a disadvantage while the other is unaffected 4. Parasitism: One partner benefits while the other is harmed 5. Predation: One partner benefits while the other is harmed

24 6. Competition: both organisms suffer in this relationship Mutualism Partner A Partner B Commensalism Amensalism Parasitism Predation Competition