Download - Intro to Ecology
Intro to Ecology
Biology
By completing this lesson, you will learn about…
• The scope of Ecology
• Ecological Organization
• Energy Flow• Feeding
Relationships • Chemical Cycles
Studies in Ecology Concept Map
Biology
Ecology
Population EcologyCommunity Ecology
Conservation Ecology
Ecosystem Ecology
Energy Flow Concept Map
Carbon
Cycle
NitrogenCycle
WaterCycle
ChemicalCyclesFeeding
Relationships
Energy Flow
TrophicLevels
PhosphorousCycle
The Scope of Ecology
• Introduction
• Ecological Organization
• The Branches of Ecology
What is Ecology?
• ECOLOGY – The study of interactions between organisms and environments.
Ecological Organization
• Ecological relationships range from an individual organism to the entire biosphere.
Population
Community
Biome
Biosphere
Ecosystem
Organism A single living thing
A group of organisms of the same species that live together.
A group of Populations that live together
Communities and their physical environments
A group of ecosystems that have the same climate.
All the biomes on Earth. Thus, all the living areas of the planet.
Population
Community
Biome
Biosphere
Ecosystem
Organism
Branches of Ecology
Population EcologyStudy of how populations grow
Conservation EcologyStudy of how to preserve
And create a healthy,Lasting biosphere
Community EcologyStudy of how populations interact
with each other
Ecosystem EcologyStudy of how populations
interact with their physical environment
Question: Levels of Organization
Match the terms on the left with the definitions on the right
Population Ecology
Areas of same climate
Study of group growth
Example of a biome
Biome
Tundra
Question: Levels of Organization
Match the terms on the left with the definitions on the right
Population Ecology
Areas of same climate
Study of group growth
Example of a biome
Biome
Tundra
Energy Flow 1: Feeding Relationships
• Overview
• Trophic levels
• Food Webs
Overview: Energy FlowEcosystem
Level of ecological study that includes allorganisms in a given area along with the factors with which they interact. A community and its physical environment.
Most ecosystemsare drivenby energy
fromsunlight
Energy flow and chemical cycling are two interrelated processes that occurby transfer of substances through the feeding levels of ecosystems.
Key Concept:
One of the ways in which energy flows through an Ecosystem is by feeding. Different living organisms eat each other, and the food is energy moving from one organism to the next.
One of the ways in which energy flows through an Ecosystem is by feeding. Different living organisms eat each other, and the food is energy moving from one organism to the next.
What is a Food Web?
• The feeding relationships in an ecosystem. Also called a food chain.
Example of a food web
grass(seeds)
grasshopper
mouse
snake
rabbit
decomposers
Bacteria & Fungus
What are Trophic levels?
• Trophic level – each feeding level in a food web or chain.
Trophic level organisms: Producers
Producers are the backbone trophic level
Producers are autotrophs which gets energy from the sun using photosynthesis. Plants, algae & phytoplankton
Trophic level: ConsumersConsumers is a trophic level of heterotrophs
Consumers are heterotrophs which eat other organisms for energy, such as snails and pigs. There are many trophic levels of consumers.
Herbivores eat plants only. (cows)
Carnivores eat animals only. (sharks)
Omnivores eat plants and animals.(humans, mice)
Decomposers break down dead, rotting remains. ( bacteria, mushrooms)
Trophic levels of food webs
PRODUCERSAutotrophs
CONSUMERS(Heterotrophs)
HerbivoresCarnivores
Omnivores
decomposers
waste andremains
detritivores
Trophic level Pyramid
ProducersAutotrophs
Primary Consumer Heterotrophs Herbivores
SecondaryConsumer
TertiaryConsumer
Uses the sun’s energy to make its own food- photosynthesis
Trophic level Pyramid
ProducersAutotrophs
Primary Consumer Heterotrophs Herbivores
SecondaryConsumer
TertiaryConsumer
Uses the sun’s energy to make its own food- photosynthesis
About 10% of available NRGis passed up
1000
100
10
Trophic level Pyramid
ProducersAutotrophs
Primary Consumer Heterotrophs Herbivores
SecondaryConsumer
TertiaryConsumer
Uses the sun’s energy to make its own food- photosynthesis
About 10% of available NRGis passed up
1000
100
10The rest is lost asHeat and Waste
Primary Productivity
The rate at which light energy is converted to the chemical energyof organic compounds by autotrophs in an ecosystem.
primary productivity is limited by a variety of factors that depend on the specific ecosystem as well as change in season.
Usually only about 10% of the chemical energy available at one trophic level appears at the next.
Question: Trophic Levels
• What type of organisms consume wastes?1.______________2.______________
The food web is organized by__________ levels.
Question: Trophic Levels• What type of organisms consume wastes?1. Detritivores2. Decomposers
The food web is organized byTrophic levels.
Energy Flow II: Chemical Cycles
• Overview
• Carbon Cycle
• Nitrogen Cycle
• Water Cycle
• Phosphorous Cycle
Another way in which energy flows throughan ecosystem is by the cycling of chemicalmaterials.Chemical materials are energy, which moveas they cycle from one location to another.
Overview: Chemical CyclesBiogeochemical cycles_________________Biogeochemical cycles_________________
The various material circuits, which involve both the nutrient and physical components of an ecosystem.
Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Water are needed by every organism on Earth. C is needed to build organicmolecules. N is needed for nucleic acids. P is needed for energy molecules. Water is needed to maintain life. Howdoes every organism on Earth have access to these limitedresources?
Chemical Cycling
Carbon cycle Nitrogen cycle Phosphorous cycle Water cycle
Carbon CycleThe Carbon cycle reflects the connected processesof photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
1. Producers convert inorganic carbon dioxide into organic molecules.2. Consumers eat the producers.3. Consumers breathe out CO2 which is
reused by the autotrophs.
1. Producers convert inorganic carbon dioxide into organic molecules.2. Consumers eat the producers.3. Consumers breathe out CO2 which is
reused by the autotrophs.
Since photosynthesis generates oxygen, the oxygen cycleis coupled with the carbon cycle.
Nitrogen cycleCertain prokaryotesfix Nitrogen in the atmosphere into ammonia which otherbacteria convert intonitrites and nitrates.
Plants absorb ammonia andnitrates and convert theminto proteins that can be passed onto the food chain.
Nitrogen in the soil is returnedto the atmosphere in the form of free nitrogen by denitrifyingbacteria for prokaryotes to fixagain.
Detritivores reduce dead plants, animals and their products into ammonia which can be reused by plants or depositedin the soil.
Phosphorous cycle
Phosphorous from rocks leaks into the soil by sediment runoff.
Phosphorous is added to thesoil as phosphate.
Plants absorb the phosphate.
Animals eat the plants.
The oceans deposit thephosphorous onto rocks.
Consumers excrete fecesor decomposers break downthe wastes, which drains by run-off to the oceans.
Water cycleRain precipitates wateronto the Earth.
Water lands into theoceans. It also landson soil, and runs-offinto the oceans after use by living things.
Water from the oceanevaporates into the air.
Water in the aircondenses into clouds
Water moving through a plant is called Transpiration
Questions: Chemical cyclesWhich cycle has a chemicalwhich become depositedon rocks?
Which cycle provides the basis of organic molecules?
Which cycle requires the helpof bacteria?
Questions: Chemical cyclesWhich cycle has a chemicalwhich become depositedon rocks?
Which cycle provides the basis of organic molecules?
Which cycle requires the helpof bacteria?
Phosphorous cycle
Carbon cycle
Nitrogen cycle
What you have learned..Feeding relationshipscirculate energy from the sun to producersto consumers.
Ecology can be studiedat the organism, population,community, ecosystem,biome and biosphere level.
Ecology is the study ofinteractions betweenorganisms andenvironments.
Chemical cyclescirculate raw materialsfor organisms to use.Four major cyclesCarbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Water
Energy flow is how theearth circulates energyto support life. Two typesof energy flow includefeeding relationships andchemical cycles.