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:
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
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
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.
Producers: organisms that make their own food Examples? What are the living parts and nonliving parts of photosynthesis? Biotic Abiotic
There are 3 types of consumers! 1. Herbivores 2. Carnivores 3. Omnivores
Scavengers and Decomposers Scavengers are organisms that eat dead animals or wastes from other organisms. Hyenas eat dead zebras and buffalo
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!
Mushroom Clip Dung beetle clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1rhmsm36ae http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeosxtbcy30 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6v0a_7n1mw the sun! ecosystem.
Energy flows from...
1. Ecology Crash Course.notebook May 01, 2016 overlapping food
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
Trophic Pyramid decreases.
Because energy is lost as Trophic Levels
Producers organisms use sunlight to Secondary consumers
Nutrient cycles through both the biotic and abiotic parts of the ecosystem. Energy flows through the ecosystem. Carbon Cycle
animals living in a certain
- limited plant and animal
wet seasons
Temperate Deciduous twigs, logs, and dead organisms
together/same living 1. Mutualism: relationship in which both organisms benefit 2. Commensalism: One partner benefits while the other is unaffected
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
6. Competition: both organisms suffer in this relationship Mutualism Partner A Partner B Commensalism Amensalism Parasitism Predation Competition