Transcript Ecology

Ecology
• In your mind, picture organisms that you think may live
in a forest. Then, write about one of the organisms. Tell
what part of the forest the organisms may live in and how
it survives.
Biodiversity - is the variety of species, their genetic make-up, and the natural
communities in which they occur.
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.
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 (job)
Habitat- the place in which an
organism lives out its life
(address)
Habitat vs. Niche
A niche is determined by the
tolerance limitations of an
organism, or a limiting factor.
Limiting factor- any biotic or
abiotic factor that restricts the
existence of organisms in a
specific environment.
Habitat vs. Niche
Examples of limiting factors-
•Amount of water
•Amount of food
•Temperature
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),
they trap energy
from the sun
• Bottom of the food
chain
Feeding Relationships
Consumer- all heterotrophs: they
ingest food containing the sun’s
energy
• Herbivores
• Carnivores
• Omnivores
• Decomposers
Feeding Relationships
ConsumerHerbivores
– Eat plants
• Primary
consumers
• Prey animals
Feeding Relationships
Consumer-Carnivores-eat meat
• Predators
– Hunt prey
animals for food.
Feeding Relationships
Consumer- Carnivores- eat meat
• Scavengers
– Feed on carrion,
dead animals
Feeding Relationships
Consumer- Omnivores -eat both plants
and animals
Feeding Relationships
ConsumerDecomposers
• Breakdown the
complex compounds
of dead and
decaying plants and
animals into simpler
molecules that can
be absorbed
Type of Symbiosis Effect on One
Organism
Neutralism
Amensalism
Mutualism
Predation
Competition
Commensalism
Parasitism
Effect on the other
Organism
1.
The barnacles live on the whale’s skin and feed on
the resources near the whale while remains
unaffected directly or indirectly.
2. A stampede of African mammals destroys the
savannah grass as they run over it to get to a
watering hole. The grass is crushed and dies, but
this does not benefit or harm the animals in any
way.
3. Males of the stream goby Rhinogobius sp. Dark
type court females in deep pools and care for the eggs
under stones in shallow riffles. In field observations,
larger males win in fighting with other males.
4.Mistletoe is plant that lives and grows in trees. Its
roots grow into the tree’s tissue in order to obtain
food and water. The tree may become weak from
loss of these nutrients.
4. In lichens the fungus benefits from the algae because fungi, having
no chlorophyll, cannot photosynthesize their own food. A lichen’s
fungal part is thus “ fed” by its photosynthesizing algal part. The algae
benefit from the association because the fungus is better able to find,
soak up, and retain water and nutrients than the algae. Also, the fungus
gives the resulting lichen shape, and provides the reproductive
structures.
5. House flies and mosquitoes are both present in one place. These
organisms do not affect each other, directly or indirectly, since they
have different resources of food.
Symbiotic Relationships
Symbiosis- two species living together
3 Types of symbiosis:
1. Commensalism
2. Parasitism
3. Mutualism
Symbiotic Relationships
Commensalismone species benefits
and the other is
neither harmed nor
helped
Ex. orchids on a tree
Epiphytes: A plant, such as a
tropical orchid or a bromeliad,
that grows on another plant
upon which it depends for
mechanical support but not for
nutrients. Also called
aerophyte, air plant.
Symbiotic Relationships
Commensalismone species benefits
and the other is
neither harmed nor
helped
Ex. polar bears and
cyanobacteria
Symbiotic Relationships
Parasitismone species benefits (parasite) and
the other is harmed (host)
• Parasite-Host relationship
Symbiotic Relationships
Parasitism- parasite-host
Ex. lampreys,
leeches, fleas,
ticks,tapeworm
Symbiotic Relationships
Mutualismbeneficial to
both species
Ex. cleaning birds
and cleaner
shrimp
Symbiotic Relationships
Mutualismbeneficial to both species
Ex. lichen
Ammensalism
• Association between two species in which one is
inhibited or destroyed and the other is unaffected.
A black walnut secrete
chemicals from its roots
that harms neighboring
plants
• algal blooms can lead to the death of many
species of fish, however the algae do not
benefit from the deaths of these individuals.
• when penicillum (bread mold), secretes
penicillin and kills bacteria. The penicillum
does not benefit from killing the bacteria
Neutralism
• relationship between two species which
interact but do not affect each other.
• None of the organisms are harmed or
benefitted
Neutralism
• Example: the tarantulas living in a desert
and the cacti living in a desert
Type of
Species
relationship
harmed
Commensalism
Parasitism
Mutualism
= 1 species
Species
benefits
Species
neutral
Trophic Levels
• Each link in a food chain is known
as a trophic level.
• Trophic levels represent a feeding
step in the transfer of energy
and matter in an ecosystem.
Trophic Levels
Biomass- the amount of organic matter
comprising a group of organisms in a
habitat.
• As you move up a food chain, both
available energy and biomass
decrease.
• Energy is transferred upwards but is
diminished with each transfer.
E
N
E
R
G
Y
Trophic Levels
Tertiary
consumers- top
carnivores
Secondary consumerssmall carnivores
Primary consumers- Herbivores
Producers- Autotrophs
Direction: Refer to the pyramid of energy diagram –provide the correct
concept of the statement by completing the sentence.
• When an ecosystem is healthy _________________________________________________________
_______
• Answer : the ecosystem can sustain itself, there is more energy at
lower trophic level than there is at higher trophic level.
• When energy is transferred to the next trophic level
_________________________________________________________
______
• Only 10% of it is used to build body mass, it is becomes a stored
energy and is used in respiration
• At each level of the food chain _________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
• energy is lost because it is used by the organism itself for respiration.
This limits the number of steps there can be on a food chain.
Fill in the number of organisms needed at each level of the
pyramid to support the organisms at the next level of
organisms in the pyramid.
3rd order
Consumers
2nd order
1st order
175 producers
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
(just 1 path of energy)
Food web
(all possible energy paths)
1. Predicting: How might a large omnivore change the flow of energy in Figure 3-5, Diagram II?
2. Interpreting Graphics How many Kilocalories (Kcal) can the top carnivore in Figure 3-5, Diagram I
store? Explain.
3. According to figure 3-5, what are the secondary consumers in diagram I?
4. How many grams per square meter of biomass are in trophic level 2 of diagram II?
5. What are the tertiary consumers in diagram II ?
6. Which pyramid is a pyramid of energy, I or II ?
The Biogeochemical Cycles
Nutrient Cycles
Cycling maintains homeostasis
(balance) in the environment.
•3 cycles to investigate:
1. Water cycle
2. Carbon cycle
3. Nitrogen cycle
Water cycle•Evaporation, transpiration,
condensation, precipitation
Water cycle-
Carbon cycle•Photosynthesis and respiration
cycle carbon and oxygen through
the environment.
Carbon cycle-
Nitrogen cycleAtmospheric nitrogen (N2) makes up nearly
78%-80% of air.
Organisms can not use it in that form.
Lightning and bacteria convert nitrogen into
usable forms.
Nitrogen cycleOnly in certain bacteria and industrial
technologies can fix nitrogen.
Nitrogen fixation-convert atmospheric
nitrogen (N2) into ammonium (NH4+)
which can be used to make organic
compounds like amino acids.
N2
NH4+
Nitrogen cycleNitrogen-fixing
bacteria:
Some live in a
symbiotic
relationship with
plants of the legume
family (e.g.,
soybeans, clover,
peanuts).
Nitrogen cycle•Some nitrogen-fixing bacteria live
free in the soil.
•Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria are
essential to maintaining the fertility
of semi-aquatic environments like rice
paddies.
Lightning
Atmospheric
nitrogen
Nitrogen Cycle
Denitrification
by bacteria
Animals
Nitrogen
fixing bacteria
Decomposers
Ammonium
Nitrification
by bacteria
Plants
Nitrites
Nitrates
Toxins in food chainsWhile energy decreases as it moves up
the food chain, toxins increase in
potency.
•This is called biological magnification
Ex: DDT & Bald Eagles
2. Why is so little of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to
the next trophic level?
• Essay:
b.Why is a small amount of
energy from one trophic level is
transferred up
to the next trophic
level? ( 2 pts.)
Objectives:
1. The learner will characterize biomes according to their climate and the plant
and animal life found in the biome.
2. The learner will state that the climate of an area determines plant life and
that the plant life of an area determines animal life.
3. The learner will compare and contrast the plant and animal life of various
biomes.
4. The learner will explain ways that animals are adapted to live in a particular
biome.
Materials:
• Large wall map of the world
• Biome map of the world (see website links)
• Post-it notes - large and small (2 different colors
for small)
Informational Brochure
Procedure
• Page 1
– Left Hand Column • Describe ecological issues &
concerns of the biome
– Catastrophic events
– Human impact
• A graphic is optional
– Middle Column • Insert a Text Box for your WORKS CITED
– Include ALL sources of information, including graphics
• Include your names
• Include your class period
• A graphic is optional
– Right Hand Column • Include a descriptive title
(Ex. - The Rainforest - The Diverse Biome )
• Describe your biome
– Location
– General characteristics
• A graphic is required
– Left Hand Column • Describe the Physical / Abiotic features
of the biome
–
–
–
–
Temperature
Precipitation
Landforms
Bodies of water
• A graphic is optional in this column,
but there must be at least one graphic
in one of the columns on page 2
– Middle Column • Describe the Living / Biotic factors of the
biome
– Plants
» minimum of 3
– Animals
» minimum of 3
• Describe one example of competition
• Describe one example of a predator-prey relationship
• A graphic is optional in this column,
but there must be at least one graphic
in one of the columns on page 2
– Right Hand Column • Describe the adaptations of plants and
animals that are needed to survive in
the biome
– Give at least two examples of animal adaptations
– Give at least one example of a plant adaptation
• A graphic is optional in this column,
but there must be at least one graphic
in one of the columns on page 2
Cover
Biome Name, Landforms, Picture
2. Location
Map Graphic, Text Description
3. Climate
Temperature, Seasons,
Precipitation, Text and Graphics
4. Animals
Types of animals found,
Examples, Text and Graphics
5. Vegetation
Types of vegetation found,
Examples, Text and Graphics
6. Facts
Interesting facts about the
biome (At least 6)
Biome Travel Brochure
1. Pick one of the biomes you have read studied. This should be informative and
visually please. The guidelines for the brochure are below.
2. Must be on a sheet of 8.5 x 11” unlined paper.
3. Must be folded as a trifold brochure, with information on 5 sides. The front
cover should have a title and include the name of the biome.
4. Any color of ink or marker may be used as long as it is clearly visible on the
paper you are using. Make sure your markers do not bleed through the paper.
You may also cut out picture from magazine or do it on the computer and
download pictures.
4. Written information or drawings must cover 75% of each side used. You must
have all the major information about your biome contained in the brochure (e.g.
precipitation, average temperatures, types of plants and animals found there, etc)
be descriptive and creative.
5. Your name, block and the class appear on the last page of the brochure.
6. Remember, this is a travel brochure-if you don’t make it informative and
attractive, I won’t want to visit, and if I don’t want o visit you won’t get a good
grade!
Sources:
•
www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome
•Evergreen Project Adventure
mbgnet.mobot.org
•Tundra Biomes
ths.sps.lane.edu/biomes/tundra4/tundra4.html
•Blue Planet - Taiga
www.blueplanetbiomes.org/taiga.htm
•Cyber Zoo Biomes
lsb.syr.edu/projects/cyberzoo/biome.html
•Climate Biomes - Alien Explorer
www.alienexplorer.com/ecology/e1.html
•Student Checklist
pblchecklist.4teachers.org/view.php3?id=55290
•Biome Map
oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/as/education/projects/webunits/biomes/biomes.html