Transcript CH 2 Ecology 08v2

Part 1
Ecology:the study of the interactions of living
organisms with each other and their environment.
BIOSPHERE: the portion of
Earth that supports life . . .
Air
Land
Water
Inorganic /Abiotic factors . . .
(the non-living environment)
Wind
Temperature
Moisture
Light
Soil
Minerals
Fire
Organic / Biotic Factors . . .
(the living environment)
Plants
Animals
Protists
Bacteria
Fungi
 (All living things
containing carbon)
Ecological (Energy) Pyramid
Omnivores eat anything
Carnivores eat meat
Insectivores eat insects
Herbivores eat plants
Producers make own food
Trophic level =
feeding step
Niche: the role and position a
species has in its environment
What it eats
Where it eats
When it eats
Food chain - shows how
energy flows
producer
herbivore
omnivore
omnivore
producer
1st order
consumer
2nd order
consumer
3rd order
consumer
Food web: interconnected
food chains
Organisms
almost always
eat, and are
eaten by,
many different
organisms.
human
grass
deer
seeds
rabbit
caterpillar
snake
turkey
hawk
beetle
coyote
chicken
frog
Part 2
Population:
a group of organisms
of one species
that interbreed
and live in the
same place at the
same time.
Community:
A group of organisms of different species
living together in a particular place.
Habitat:
The physical location in which a
given species lives.
How energy flows . . .
 Sun - main source of energy
 Autotrophs / producers…
can make own food
 Heterotrophs / consumers…
must eat
 Decomposers / saprophytes…
fungi & bacteria break down
dead materials
Symbiosis: close association between two
or more organisms of different species.
 Commensalism - one
benefits, one isn’t affected
(eg. Whale & Barnacles)
 Mutualism - both benefit (eg.
Insects & Plants)
 Parasitism - one benefits, one
is harmed (eg. Ticks & Dogs)
Adaptation: the process by which a species
becomes better suited to its environment.
 Coloration
 Speed
 Migration
 Thick fur
 Chemical defenses
 Hibernation/
Estivation
 Size
 Thorns and stickers
Cycles Within Ecosystems:
 Water cycle – precipitation and evaporation
 Carbon cycle – increasing carbon dioxide
traps more heat and causes the “greenhouse
effect.”
 Nitrogen cycle – (next slide)
Nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen fixation is the conversion of…
– “N” into usable organic compounds by
bacteria
– “N” from decaying organisms into
ammonia
The release of “N” from organisms that
are being decomposed.
THE END!