Food Chains Energy Movement Pathway which shows how matter and energy is moved through an ecosystem Always starts with the SUN and ends with a DECOMPOSER Arrows indicate direction in which energy is transferred An example food chain Trophic Levels Levels Represents the feeding steps in the passage of energy & materials 90% of energy is lost from one level to the next due to usage and heat loss Only 10% of energy is transferred to next level Each level needs to eat more than the previous level to survive Decomposer s Quaternary (4º) Tertiary (3º) Top Carnivores Medium Carnivores Secondary (2º) Small Carnivores Omnivores Primary (1º) Producers Herbivores Omnivores Photosynthetic Autotrophs Initial Energy Source (Unit: )
The study of interactions between organisms & their environment Levels of Interaction (Simplest to Most Complex) 3. Community: a collection of interacting populations 4. Ecosystem: interaction between populations in a community and the communities abiotic factors Biotic: living factors Abiotic: non-living factors Autotrophs: Autotrophs make own food (ex. plants & bacteria) Heterotrophs: Heterotrophs get energy by consuming food Herbivore: Herbivore plant eaters Carnivore: Carnivore meat eaters Omnivore: Omnivore plant & meat eaters Scavenger: Scavenger eat organisms that are already dead Decomposer: Decomposer break down and absorb energy from dead organisms or waste Predator: Predator organism that hunts to kill another Prey: Prey organism that is hunted Population Density Dependent Factors: Factors which have an increasing affect as the population increases Ex: Territory or Food Density Independent Factors: Factors that can affect all populations regardless of their size Ex: Weather 2. Population: a group of the same species in the same time and place Competitors for: food, shelter, mates, etc Factors: Individual Roles 1. Individual: single organism 5. Biosphere: the Earth; support of life Population Habitat: place where an organism lives Niche: role and effects a species has in a community Can occupy ONE niche at a time Population Carrying capacity: maximum number of organisms an area can sustain Population Changes: Changes Growth: birth > death Stability: birth = death Decline: birth < death Emigration: Emigration: individuals out of a population Immigration: Immigration: individuals into a population
Interacts Community Symbiosis: Close and permanent relationship between organisms of different species 1. Commensalism: One species benefits and other species is neither harmed or helped 2. Mutualism: Both species benefit 3. Parasitism: One organism benefits and other organism is harmed Unit A climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms of Cycle Movement matter and s energy Examples: Examples: Water Cycle** Carbon Cycle** Nitrogen Cycle Phosphorous Cycle Cycles Unit Human ecology Unit
Human Population: Human ~6.7 billion people World Wide 7.5 12 billion by 2050! > 303 million people in the US Earth Resources: Resources: 2. Renewable: Renewable: natural resources that are replaceable or recyclable Ex: Ex: Wind, Water, Lumber Factors which affect human population: Affluence Education Access to healthcare Cultural influences Deforestation: Deforestation: 1. Natural: Natural: any resource that comes from the earth 3. Nonrenewable: Nonrenewable: natural resources that are only available in limited amounts Ex: Coal, Oil, Fossil Fuels Air Cutting down of earth s forests for non-forest uses Pollution effects: effects: Lumber Farming Impacts: Impacts: Pollution Biodiversity Water Cycle & Climate Brown Smog Over Phoenix, AZ Water Covers 2/3 of our Earth surface 3% is freshwater, most of which is frozen Only 0.1% of all freshwater is in rivers, lakes, & streams Acid Rain: Rain: carbon dioxide gas plus air pollutants dissolved into water droplets (close to acidity of battery acid) - Ozone: Ozone: sunscreen sunscreen for our Earth (CFC (CFC s) - Fossil Fuels: Fuels: Greatest source of air pollution - Greenhouse Effect: Effect: process of heat retention by atmospheric gases - Global Warming: Increase of Earth average temperatures Land Average American produces 4.6 lbs. of trash every day Biodegradable: Biodegradable: wastes that can be broken down NonNon-biodegradable: biodegradable: wastes that can can t be broken down
What are we doing? Preservation: : the act of keeping an area or organism from harm or destruction National Park Systems WWF or endangered species list Conservation: : maintaining environmental quality Carpooling Water regulations THE END!