ECOLOGY The study of how organisms fit into their environment and interact with it and each other.
CYCLING OF MATTER
habitat: the place where a particular population lives Population: A group of one species community: different species that live together in a habitat The community AND all physical aspects of its habitat.
THE WEB OF LIFE all organisms interact with the biosphere and each other they depend on each other for.energy and matter
ENERGY to live, grow, and reproduce.
AND MATTER to make up their bodies
life on earth works because of this flow of energy and matter
WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS, THE MAIN ENERGY SOURCE FOR ECOSYSTEMS IS
Energy flows one way through a community community (metabolism) heat
Energy must continually enter the community or the community will die O 2 O 2 Radient Energy Chemical Energy CO 2 HO 2 HO CO 2 2 Heat
MATTER* IN A COMMUNITY *the stuff things are made of
matter cycles through a community
When a consumer eats a plant/animal for food -- both Energy and matter are passed to the consumer However, unlike Energy, matter is recycled
MATTER CYCLES OF BIOSPHERE
CYCLES OF MATTER No definite beginning or end matter is RECYCLED Energy is not Matter is not used up, it is TRANSFORMED Biogeochemical process Pass same molecule/compound/element through biosphere over and over
CARBON CYCLE Carbon is the main component of all living things Carbon is found in glucose, which is the fuel for LIFE! What other things do we fnd carbon in?
CARBON PUT INTO BIOSPHERE Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) Cellular respiration (plants and animals) Volcanic eruptions Burning of fossil fuels (oils) Methane (CH 4 ) Grasses and animals release Bicarbonate ions (HCO 3 - ) Found in rock and released during erosion CARBON TAKE OUT OF BIOSPHERE Plants PHOTOSYNTHESIS remember requires CO 2 CARBON CYCLE
The Carbon Cycle
WHAT IS THE PATH OF A CARBON ATOM? From apple to fossil fuel? From YOU to banana? From fossil fuel to YOU?
HOW IMPORTANT IS NITROGEN? component in all amino acids is present in the bases that make up nucleic acids such as RNA and DNA used in chlorophyll molecules,
Nitrogen cycle- Atmospheric nitrogen (N 2 ) makes up nearly 78%-80% of air. Organisms can not use it in that form. Lightning and bacteria convert nitrogen into usable forms.
NITROGEN CYCLE N 2 gas - atmosphere Nitrogen-fixation by bacteria on roots of legumes N 2 NH 4 + (ammonium is a usable form of Nitrogen for plants) Rhizobium
Ammonia NH 4 + Nitrification by bacteria in soil NH 4 + NO 3 - and NO 2 - (NO 3 - is a usable form of Nitrogen for plants) Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrobacter, Nitrococcus
Nitrates NO 3 - and Nitrites NO 2 - Denitrification by denitrifying bacteria in soil NO 3 - and NO 4 - N 2 (atmosphere)
NITROGEN CYCLE N 2 NH 4+ NO 3 - and NO 2- N 2 The Nitrogen Cycle THE NITROGEN CYCLE
Nitrogen Fixation Denitrification Nitrification
Practice Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling
abiotic factors physical aspects i.e. soil, water, weather (non-living) biotic factors the organisms (living) The community AND all physical aspects of its habitat.
THE WEB OF LIFE all organisms interact with the biosphere and each other they depend on each other for.energy and matter
life on earth works because of this flow of energy and matter
who eats what food chain who eats who
FOOD CHAIN = ONE PATH FROM A FOOD SOURCE TO THE FINAL CONSUMER FOOD WEB = the food chains in a particular community or ecosystem
TROPHIC LEVELS IN FOOD WEB 4th level -- carnivores (eat carnivores) 3rd level -- secondary consumers (eat herbivores) 2 nd level -- primary consumers - herbivores eat producers 1st level -- producers make their own food
DECOMPOSERS AKA 4 th level -- carnivores (tertiary consumers) 3 rd level -- carnivores (secondary consumers) 2 nd level -- herbivores (primary consumer) 1 st level -- producers obtain Energy from organic wastes & dead bodies of any trophic level
Energy pyramid
THE ENERGY PYRAMID 10% RULE Energy is used for growth, movement or to create body heat
Which tropic level contains the most biomass?
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SLOTHS BECAME EXTINCT?
Build a Food Web DDT
POPULATION ECOLOGY What happens in populations?
Demographic events are important influences of populations natality (birth) immigration emigration mortality (death)
All populations undergo three distinct phases of their life cycle: growth stability decline Population growth occurs when: available resources exceed the number of individuals able to exploit them Reproduction is rapid death rates are low
Human populations are in a growth phase. Beginning in 1650, the slow population increases of our species exponentially increased. New technologies for hunting and farming have enabled this expansion. It took 1800 years to reach a total population of 1 billion, but only 130 years to reach 2 billion, and a mere 45 years to reach 4 billion.
All populations have the potential for exponential growth a.k.a j-curve Maximum rate at which species or population can increase under ideal conditions. No limits on resources, no competition.
Populations don t usually grow unchecked. growth usually has environmental limits (biotic and abiotic)
There are a finite amount of Energy and matter in every ecosystem
As resources become depleted, growth slows The environment* is the ultimate cause of population stabilization. *biotic and abiotic
biotic and abiotic factors help establish carrying capacity (K)* *the maximum population an environment can sustain
LOGISTIC GROWTH CURVE Determined by availability of resources
Relationship between carrying capacity (K) and the population density over time.
The environment is the ultimate cause of population stabilization. There are biotic and abiotic limiting factors that determine carrying capacity
DENSITY-INDEPENDENT FACTORS behaviors weather migration Physical characteristics Cryptic coloration human activity
DENSITY-DEPENDENT FACTORS food supply
The competitive exclusion principle: two species that compete for the exact same resources cannot stably coexist.
COMPETITIVE EXCLUSION: THE CILIATE PARAMECIUM 57
How do density-dependent and independent factors determine relationships between populations? Each species finds its own niche
NICHE: Each species unique living arrangement in a community Niche includes: The habitat Food sources Time of day organism is most active Think about a specific position player on a team i.e. pitcher on a baseball team Its niche is the role it plays in that particular ecosystem (its job)
COMPETITION 2 species use the same resource in a habitat
Competition requires: 1. Similar resource requirements 2. Limited resources
How might a population s niche be affected by competition?
species with similar requirements can coexist but they will end up occupying smaller niches than they would if they lived alone.
PREDATOR/PREY RELATIONSHIP Interaction where an organism captures and feeds on another organism Predator Organism that does the killing and eating Prey Organism that is being killed and eaten (victim)
PREDATOR/PREY RELATIONSHIP
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FOX POPULATION AS THE RABBIT POPULATION INCREASES? VISA VERSA?
Wolves and rabbits
Populations in a community effect each other in specific ways - they interact
SYMBIOSIS Any relationship where two species live closely together Symbiosis literally means living together 3 main types Mutualism Commensalism Parasitism
WHAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP IS THIS? Who is helping who?
MUTUALISM Both species benefit from the relationship A Happy couple Flowers and bees Flowers need bees for pollination, bees need flowers nectar
MUTUALISM partners both benefit
What type of relation ship is going on here? Who is helping who?
COMMENSALISM One member of the relationship benefits while the other is neither harmed nor helped One-sided Rare in nature
COMMENSALISM one partner derives some benefit while the other is unaffected
WHAT TYPE OF INTERACTION IS GOING ON HERE?
PARASITISM one partner benefits at the expense of the host
planaria tapeworm
KEEPING POPULATIONS IN CHECK Density dependent, density independent factors and population interactions (symbiosis) operate in an ecosystem to keep populations within certain boundaries.
POPULATION DENSITY the number of individuals of a population per unit of living space
How would you calculate the population density of the three diagrams? = total population total area
ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION The numbers and types of species found in communities change over time due to factors such as density dependent/independent and symbiosis Two types Primary secondary
PRIMARY SUCCESSION Occurs in an area that has never been colonized by living organisms (i.e. lava or glacier flow) Bare land or rock Pioneer species (bacteria or lichen work to create soil)
SECONDARY SUCCESSION Formerly inhabited area that was disturbed by flood, fire, humans Soil is present Other organism rapidly repopulate due to presence of soil
YOU TRY IT
BIOMES Due to interactions amongst organisms, different Biomes are formed Biomes are the world's major communities, classified according to vegetation and organisms to that reside there
TYPES OF BIOMES EACH HAS ITS OWN CHARACTERISTRIC
BIOMES Biomes have changed and moved many times during the history of life on Earth More recently, human activities have drastically altered these communities. Conservation and preservation of biomes should be a major concern to all. Why is it important to preserve and conserve biomes?
BIOME ACTIVITY webquest