Transcript Ecology

Ecology Continued
Introducing
…
Energy Flow!
Let’s take a step back.
What is Ecology?
• Any guesses?
• Definition: The study of interactions
among organisms and between organisms
and their environment.
Levels of Organization
Organism
• _____________
= one individual that is made of at least
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one cell, requires energy, grows and develops,
reproduces, and responds to it’s environment
Species
_____________
= a group of organisms that are similar
enough that they can breed.
Population
_____________
= groups of individuals that belong to
the same species and live in the same area.
Community = assemblages of the different
_____________
populations that live together in a defined area.
Ecosystem
_____________
= a collection of all the organisms that
live together in a particular place as well as their
nonliving or physical environment.
Biome
_____________
= a group of ecosystems that have the
same climate and similar dominant communities.
Another way to organize organisms
is in an Ecological Pyramid
• Definition: diagram that shows the
amounts of energy or matter contained
within each trophic level in a food web or
food chain.
• Energy Pyramid: only 10% of the energy
from one trophic level is transferred to
organisms at the next trophic level.
– How is energy transferred?
Energy Flow
Energy Pyramid
Ecological Pyramids Continued
• Biomass Pyramid: shows the total amount
of living tissue (biotic matter) available at
each trophic level.
– REMEMBER: Each trophic level harvests only
about one tenth of the energy from the level
below, it can also only support about one
tenth the amount of living tissue.
Biomass Pyramid
Ecological Pyramids Continued
• Numbers pyramid: shows the number of
species at each trophic level.
Energy Flow
• Energy flow through an ecosystem in one direction,
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from the sun or inorganic compounds to autotrophs
(producers) and then to various heterotrophs
(consumers).
Sunlight is the main source of energy for life
___________
on Earth
This energy is harnessed by ___________,
which
Plants
are examples of autotrophs
Autotrophs
(Producers)
Grass, Sunflowers,
Wildflowers, Sage
All energy comes from the sun
Prairie Ecosystem
Energy Flow Step 1 = Autotrophs
• What does autotroph mean?
– Make food for self
• Also known as producers
• Plants are the most familiar
autotrophs
• Lesser known autotrophs use
chemical energy to make
carbohydrates
– Ex. bacteria
Energy Flow Step 2 = Heterotrophs
• Also known as consumers
• What does heterotroph mean?
– Rely on other organisms for their energy
and food
Heterotrophs
(Consumers)
Autotrophs
(Producers)
Grass, Sunflowers,
Wildflowers, Sage
All energy comes from the sun
Prairie Ecosystem
Different Categories of
Heterotrophs
Herbivores obtain energy by eating plants
• _________
Carnivores eat animals for energy
• _________
Omnivores get energy from both plants
• _________
and animals
• _________
Detritovores feed on the remains of plants,
animals and other dead matter for energy
Another Way to Categorize
Heterotrophs
• Primary Consumers = eat autotrophs
• Secondary Consumers = eat primary
consumers
• Tertiary Consumers = secondary consumers
• Scavengers = eat dead things
• Decomposers = break down dead organic
matter and release minerals back to soil
• Let’s add these to our Energy Pyramid…
Decomposers
Bacteria, Fungus,
Insects
Scavengers
Eagle, Coyote
Secondary
Consumers
Primary
Consumers
Hawk, Badger, Eagle,
Rattlesnake
Prairie Dog,
Bison, Mice
Autotrophs
(Producers)
Grass, Sunflowers,
Wildflowers, Sage
All energy comes from the sun
Prairie Ecosystem
Trophic Relationships
• What does tropic mean?
– Eating/feeding
• Food Chains are a series of steps in which
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organisms transfer energy by eating or being
eaten.
Food webs show the complex interactions within
an ecosystem.
Each step in a food chain or web is called a
trophic level. Producers make up the first step,
consumers make up the higher levels.
Food Chains vs. Food Webs
Cycles of Matter
• Unlike the one-way flow of energy, matter
is recycled within and between
ecosystems.
• These cycles are the Water cycle, Nutrient
Cycle, Carbon Cycle, Nitrogen cycle and
Phosphorus cycle.
NON-RENEWABLE resources (cannot be
– These are ___________
created or destroyed)
Biomagnification – What is it?