Ecology

Ecology

What is Ecology?

• Ecology is the study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with their physical environment

• Population-a group of organisms all of the same species that live in a certain area

• Community-a collection of all of the creatures living in an area

• Ecosystem- sum of the community and the habitat

Factors in the Environment

• Biotic- all the living things

• Abiotic-all the non-living things

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of a population?

• a cow

• a herd of sheep

• a bird's nest

Multiple Select

Choose the abiotic factors?

• rain

• grass

• air

• rocks

• algae

What is Symbiosis?

• Mutalism- both partners benefit

• Commensalism- one benefits, the other is unaffected

• Parasitism- one partner is harmed, the other benefits

Multiple Choice

A tick was found on a furry dog. This is an example of:

• mutualism

• commensalism

• parasitism

• payneism

How does Energy Move Through the Ecosystem?

• Producers- make food in a community using the energy of the sun.

• The lowest trophic level

• They are also called autotrophs

• Consumers-organisms that eat other organisms

• Primary Consumers-Herbivores- eat only plants

• Secondary Consumers-Carnivores- eat meat

• Tertiary Consumers-Omnivores- eat meat and plants; They are heterotrophs that can’t make their own food

• Decomposers-bacteria and fungi obtain their energy from the dead or from waste

  products

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• Food Chain- shows who eats what in a community

• The arrows indicates who gets the energy

• Usually begins with a producer

• Food Web- food chains that

  are connected together to show

  how energy moves through a

  community

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• Energy Pyramid- have more animals at the bottom, energy is lost as you go up the pyramid

How do Ecosystems Change Over Time?

• Succesion-the series of changes that take place in a community as it gets older

What are Some Important Cycles in the Ecosystem?

• The Water Cycle

• The Nitrogen Cycle

• The Carbon Cycle

• The Phosphorous Cycle

The Phosphorous Cycle

• Weathering carries P to the soil

• Plants can aborb the P and pass it to animals

• Animals pass it to decomposers

• Fertilizers add P to water

The Carbon Cycle

• Carbon Dioxide produced through respiration

• Combustion- burning of wood and fossil fuels

• Erosion-shells die to form limestone that will eventually erode

The Nitrogen Cycle

• Nitrogen Fixation-bacteria break down nitrogen in the soil into a useable form

• Ammonia produced as a waste product of animal waste

• Death-returns nitrogen to the soil

The Water Cycle

• Evaporation-water is heated by the Sun

• Transpiration-evaporation from leaf surfaces

• Respiration

• Precipitation

• Ground Water and Runoff

Land Community

• Vacant field

• Weeds grow and get eaten by the primary consumers

• Secondary consumers come to eat the primary consumers

• Death returns nutrients to the soil and causes larger plants to grows

• Tertiary consumers appear and trees begin to grow

• Climax Community-last stage of succession

Water Community

• Pond-deep and wide

• Plants/animals die and fill in the sides of the pond and plants grow

• Trees get taller and cause more debris

• The pond fills with more plants and animals

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