Transcript PowerPoint

Understanding Ecology and
Ecosystems
Next Generation Science/Common Core Standards Addressed!
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HS‐ESS2‐2 .Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth’s
surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems. [Clarification
Statement: Examples should include climate feedbacks, such as how an increase in
greenhouse gases causes a rise in global temperatures that melts glacial ice, which
reduces the amount of sunlight reflected from Earth’s surface, increasing surface
temperatures and further reducing the amount of ice. Examples could also be taken
from other system interactions, such as how the loss of ground vegetation causes an
increase in water runoff and soil erosion; how dammed rivers increase groundwater
recharge, decrease sediment transport, and increase coastal erosion; or how the loss
of wetlands causes a decrease in local humidity that further reduces the wetland extent.
HS‐ESS2‐2. Construct an argument based on evidence about the simultaneous
coevolution of Earth’s systems and life on Earth. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is
on the dynamic causes, effects, and feedbacks between the biosphere and Earth’s
other systems, whereby geoscience factors control the evolution of life, which in turn
continuously alters Earth’s surface. Examples of include how photosynthetic life altered
the atmosphere through the production of oxygen, which in turn increased weathering
rates and allowed for the evolution of animal life; how microbial life on land increased
the formation of soil, which in turn allowed for the evolution of land plants; or how the
evolution of corals created reefs that altered patterns of erosion and deposition along
coastlines and provided habitats for the evolution of new life forms.] [Assessment
Boundary: Assessment does not include a comprehensive understanding of the
mechanisms of how the biosphere interacts with all of Earth’s other systems.
Agriculture, Food, and Natural
Resource Standards Addressed
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NRS.01.01. Apply methods of classification to examine
natural resource availability and ecosystem function in a
particular region.
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NRS.01.01.02.a. Summarize the components that comprise all
ecosystems.
NRS.01.01.03.b. Analyze how biodiversity develops through
evolution, natural selection and adaptation; explain the
importance of biodiversity to ecosystem function and availability
of natural resources.
Learning Objectives
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Define ecology and ecosystems.
Explain natural selection and
succession.
Define homeostasis.
Identify communities found in nature.
Explain population ecology.
Describe food relationships found in
nature.
Identify biomes and explain ecosystem
diversity.
Terms
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Abiotic factors
Adaptation
Aquatic
communities
Biome
Biotic factors
Carnivore
Communities
Competition
Distribution
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Dominant species
Ecology
Ecosystem
Ectothermic
Emigration
Endotherm
Food chain
Food web
Habitat
Terms
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Herbivore
Homeostasis
Homeotherm
Immigration
Mortality
Natality
Niche
Omnivore
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Poikilotherm
Population density
Population ecology
Predation
Selection
Species diversity
Succession
Terrestrial
communities
What is an ecosystem?
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Write down all of
the differences you
observe in this
picture.
Are there a number
of ecosystems and
different organisms
thriving in this
ecosystem?
Ecology
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The study of how organisms exist
in their environment.
How nature is organized and the
roles that each organism plays
within its environment can be
explained through the science of
ecology.
Ecosystem
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Where an organism lives within the
environment.
An ecosystem can be as large as
a rain forest or as small as a pond.
There are two types of factors
found within an ecosystem, biotic
and abiotic factors.
Biotic Factors
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Living things found in an
ecosystem. Bio- means life.
Biotic factors include plants and
animals.
The biotic factors need the abiotic
factors to live.
Abiotic Factors
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The non-living things found in an
ecosystem.
Abiotic factors include water and
temperature.
Natural Selection and Succession
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Selection and succession are
examples of change that occur
within an ecosystem.
Without change, ecosystems could
not survive.
Natural Selection and Succession
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Adaptation is an organism’s ability
to tolerate change in its
environment.
Adaptation is necessary for
survival.
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The theory of evolution and
adaptation of organisms is credited
to Charles Darwin.
Selection
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The survival of organisms that are
best adapted to their environment.
Adaptation occurs because the
species goes through change over
time.
Many of these changes occur
through genetics.
Succession
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The replacement of one
community by another.
Succession occurs naturally over
time.
Succession
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The rate of
succession can be
altered by humans,
however.
For example,
humans may reduce
the amount of a
specific fish species
in an area by overfishing.
External Environment
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All organisms must deal with changes
in their external environment.
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Failure to deal with these changes can
cause elimination of the species.
External environmental factors such as
moisture, temperature, and climate
can affect homeostasis.
Homeostasis
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The process in which organisms
maintain a constant internal
environment when the external
environment changes.
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An example of homeostasis in
animals is sweating in warm
temperatures and shivering in cool
temperatures.
Homeostasis
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Some animals can tolerate a
variety of temperatures.
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Examples of these types of animals
include homeotherms and
poikilotherms.
Homeotherm
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An organism that maintains near
constant internal temperature despite
the temperature of the environment.
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Humans, horses, deer, and dogs are
examples of homeotherms.
Homeotherms are warm-blooded or
endotherms.
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An endotherm is an organism that can
maintain a constant body temperature.
Poikilotherms
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An organism that has a body
temperature that equilibrates with the
environment.
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Snakes, fish and turtles are known as
poikilotherms.
Poikilotherms are considered
ectothermic.
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An ectothermic organism does not have
a constant body temperature.
Communities
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Collections of organisms that live
together.
Each organism or species of
organisms is its own individual.
However, they all react and
interact with each other.
Habitat
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The physical environmental
characteristics of a community.
A habitat includes biotic and
abiotic factors.
A niche is the function of an
organism within its community.
Communities
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Communities can be found in the
water and on the land.
Interaction does occur between
these two types of communities.
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This interaction can be good, for
example some aquatic animals
such as alligators can live on both
the land and in the water.
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Communities
Sometimes though, the interaction
can be bad.
For example, water runoff can
erode soil from the terrestrial
community into the aquatic
community.
This excess soil is considered
pollution.
Aquatic Communities
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Communities that occur in the
water.
Aquatic plants include water
chestnuts and water hyacinths.
Aquatic animals include fish,
shrimp, and eels.
Terrestrial Communities
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Communities found on the land.
Trees, soybeans, and grass are
examples of plants found in a
terrestrial community.
Sheep, cattle, and hogs are
examples of terrestrial animals.
Dominant Species
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Within a community one species
may begin to take over.
A species that is stronger or has
an advantage over another
species and is capable of altering
the community for other species.
Species Diversity
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Refers to a variety of different
types of organisms living in a
community.
The greater the variety, the greater
the species diversity.
Population Ecology
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The study of how plant and animal
populations within a community
affect each other.
Can be affected by the attributes
of density, age, distribution and is
also affected by population growth,
competition, and predation.
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Population Density
The measure of how crowded
organisms are in their
environment.
Because organisms compete for
resources, keeping a balance is
important.
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If the population is too high, some
organisms will die.
Population Age
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Three groups of ages are pre-reproductive,
reproductive, and post-reproductive.
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Pre-reproductive organisms are young and
have not reproduced
Reproductive organisms are in the process of
reproducing,
Post-reproductive organisms are past the
stage of reproducing.
To be productive, a community should
contain each of these three age groups.
Distribution
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A description of how organisms
are distributed within their
community.
Population Growth
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Determined by immigration,
emigration, natality, and mortality.
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Immigration is the act of an organism
moving into a habitat.
Emigration is the act of an organism
moving out of a habitat.
Natality is the production of new
individuals in a habitat.
Mortality is the death rate in a
population.
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Competition
The use of the same resources by
different organisms to live.
Population ecology can also be
affected by competition.
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All resources are limited in supply.
Because of this, some organisms
will die or will be forced to move to
other communities to survive.
Predation
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One living organism serving as food
for another organism.
The organism that consumes another
is called a predator, the organism
being consumed is called the prey.
Cannibalism, or the eating of your own
kind, is also considered predation.
Food Relationships in Nature
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All living organisms need some
type of nourishment to live.
This nourishment usually comes
from food.
A food chain is the order in which
organisms obtain their food.
Food Chain
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Each species has its own food
chain.
Food chains intertwine to form
food webs.
A food web is the interconnection
of food chains within a community.
Food Web
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Within a food web,
animals are
grouped according
to the types of food
they consume.
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These groups
include herbivores,
carnivores, and
omnivores.
Herbivore
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An animal that eats only plants for
food.
Examples of herbivores include
bison and grass carp.
Carnivore
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An animal that eats only animals
for food.
Examples of carnivores include
hawk’s, coyotes,
wolves.
Omnivores
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Animals that eat both plants and
animals.
Examples of omnivores include
bears and catfish.
Biome
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An area made up of a distinct
combination of plants and animals.
Biomes are made up of the groups
of ecosystems found on earth.
Biomes are terrestrial or aquatic in
nature.
Types of Terrestrial Biomes
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Tropical forests are found near the
equator.
Temperate forests can be found in
warm, semiarid, cold, and wet areas.
Grasslands and savannas are areas
where grasses grow.
Tundra and taiga are cold areas found
near the Arctic.
Deserts are areas with little or no rain
fall.
Aquatic Biomes
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Include lakes and ponds, streams,
oceans, and wetlands and estuaries.
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Lakes and ponds are inland areas of
freshwater.
Streams are ecosystems made up of
flowing water.
Oceans are large bodies of saltwater.
Wetlands and estuaries are areas found
near bodies of water.
Review / Summary
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Define ecology and ecosystems.
Explain natural selection and succession.
Define homeostasis.
Identify communities found in nature.
Explain population ecology.
Describe food relationships found in nature.
Identify biomes and explain ecosystem
diversity.
The End!