Ecology

Ecology

Biological Organization in an Ecosystem!

Niche - a job or role
of a species in a
habitat. Ex.
predator,prey,decom
poser, seed eater,
insect eater, fruit
eater

Population - a
group of the same
species in an area
at the same time.

Community - a group
or association of
populations of two or
more different species
occupying the same
space (geographical
area)

Ecosystem - all the
living (biotic) and
non-living (abiotic)
that share a
space/environment.

CARRYING CAPACITY AND LIMITING FACTORS

Carrying Capacity is directly related to the limiting factors of an ecosystem.

Carrying Capacity: the maximum
number of individuals that an
ecosystem can support.

Factors that affect the number of organisms that can live in a defined area are called
limiting factors. Limiting factors, both abiotic and biotic, determine the carrying capcity
of an ecosystem.

Limiting Factors

Abiotic (non-living)
-space
-availability of nutrients
-soil amount
-Ph
-temperature
-amount of sunlight

Biotic(living)
-interactions between
organisms
(predator/prey)

-plants, animals, fungi,
protists, lichens(pioneer
species)

CARRYING CAPACITY AND LIMITING FACTORS

Density Dependent Limiting Factors - limiting factors that can affect the population size but DEPENDS on population density.

-Competition

-Parasitism

-Predation

-Disease

Density Independent Limiting Factors - limiting factors that affects all population sizes in similar ways, regardless of populations
density.

-Environmental change

- Drought

-Hurricanes

-Wildfires

-Floods

POPULATION DENSITY - measurement of population per area or unit volume.
Population Density = # of individuals

Total Area

Interdependence

Vocabulary Page

AUTOTROPH- organisms that make or produce their own food through the process of photosynthesis.
(also known as Producers)

HETEROTROPH- organisms that are dependent upon the consumption of other organisms in order to obtain
their energy. (also known as consumers)

HERBIVORE- consumer that only eats producers. (plants, plankton, algae)

CARNIVORE- organism that consumes only other consumers. (only other animals)

OMNIVORE- will eat or consume both types of organisms. (plants and other animals)

DECOMPOSER- organisms that feed on wastes and dead organic material(organisms). They breakdown
organic compounds into nutrients and they release those nutrients into the soild and the atmosphere. These
nutrients are then RECYCLED back into the ecosystems.

SCAVENGERS- opportunistic consumers that wait for other organisms to die or be killed by other organisms
in order to save their energy.

DETRITIVORE - is an organism that eats dead or decaying plants or animals as food. Detritivores include
microorganisms such as bacteria and larger organisms such as fungi, insects, worms, and some crustaceans.

Producers/Autotrophs -


Plants
Algae
Phytoplankton
Photo plankton
Cyanobacteria

**some Protists

Consumers/Heterotrophs

Carnivores
Herbivores
Omnivores
Animals
Fungi
* some Protists
* some bacteria

INTERDEPENDENCE

Flow of Energy in
the living World

Law of Conservation of

Energy

Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it can only

be changed (transformed).

Energy flows

through ecosystems

-Energy entersthe ecosystem
from the sun

-Energy is lost to the
environment as heat

FOOD CHAIN

THE ARROWS SHOW THE FLOW OF ENERGY

Food
Web

ALWAYS START WITH THE

PRODUCERS!

Energy Pyramid

MOST
ENERGY

lEAST
ENERGY

2nd TROPHIC
LEVEL

3RD TROPHIC
LEVEL

4TH TROPHIC
LEVEL

5TH TROPHIC
LEVEL

1ST TROPHIC
LEVEL

Only 10% of Energy
moves from level to
level

Pyramid of
numbers
compares the
number of
organisms at
each trophic
level

Pyramid of
biomass
compares the
mass of
biological
organisms at
each trophic
level

Pyramid of
energy
compares
the amount
of energy
passing
through
each trophic
level

Ecological Pyramids

The End