ecology - mr. shimko's science page -...
TRANSCRIPT
What is Ecology? The scientific study of interactions among
organisms and between organisms in their
environment, or surroundings
Organization of the Biosphere Levels of organization
Biosphere- all of the life on Earth
Biome- a large community of flora and fauna, major habitat
Ecosystem- a biological system of organisms interacting with each other and the environment
Biotic factors – living
Abiotic factors – non living
Community- various species that interact with each other (not including abiotic factors)
Population- group of organisms from one species in one area
Organism- an individual living thing
Factors involved in ecology
Abiotic (non-living) such as sunlight,
minerals, availability of water
Biotic (living) such as predation, symbiosis,
and competition between organisms
Practice: Put a B next to all of the things you think are Biotic (living) and an A next to the things you think are Abiotic (nonliving):
___ Plant ___ Human ___ Water
___ Sunlight ___ Flower ___ Minerals
___ Wind ___ Yeast ___ Rock
___ Frog ___ Bird ___ Rain
Niche vs. Habitat NICHE
An organism’s role or job in a community
What does it eat?
How does it effect its environment?
How does its environment effect it?
HABITAT
The place where an organism lives
Examples are:
Tree
Rock
Water
Cave
What is a habitat?
Where an organism lives
● A rotting log is the habitat to many living things such as earthworms, centipedes, ants, and millipedes
What is a niche?
What an organism does, it feeds on or its job. ●Two organisms can share a habitat, but not a niche ●On our rotting log ● Centipede – predator eat beetles and
other animals ● Worm – nourishment from organic
material it eats as it burrows ● Ants – eat dead insects
● Millipede – eats dead and decaying leaves near the log
Practice Circle the correct answer on your paper:
A niche includes the organism’s:
a) role in the flow of energy through the
ecosystem
b) role in the recycling of nutrients in the
ecosystem.
c) role in interacting with other organisms.
d) all of the above
Types of Organisms AUTOTROPH (“self-feeder”)
Also called Producers
They are making or becoming the food for the other organisms
Organism who use energy from the sun to make their own food
HETEROTROPH (“other-feeder”)
Get energy from the autotrophs (or by feeding on heterotrophs who ate autotrophs)
Also called Consumers (They are consuming other organisms as food)
Must go and get their food
Scavengers (Feed on dead animals)
Carnivores (Feed on animals)
Herbivores (Feed on plants)
Omnivore (Feed on both plants and animals)
Decomposers (Feed by breaking down complex compounds and extracting the nutrients)
Practice: Autotroph or
Heterotroph? Grass uses the chlorophyll in its leaves to
turn sunlight in glucose. What kind of
organism is it? ______________
Cows eat grass to obtain the glucose and
other nutrients in the grass. What kind of
organism is it? ______________
Community Interactions Competition
Occur when organisms attempt to utilize
the same resource or place at the same time
Predation
One organism captures and feeds on
another organism
Predator-Prey Relationship
Symbiosis
Two species live and work closely together
in a way that benefits both
“Living Together” Symbiosis
Means “Living together”
Many organisms have symbiotic relationships with other organisms
Three types of symbiotic relationships
COMMENSALISM One organism benefits, while the other is neither helped nor harmed
MUTUALISM Both organisms benefit
PARASITISM One organism benefits at the other’s expense
Practice: 1. Microorganisms living in the intestines of humans break down the food particles to aid in digestion for the humans. In addition, the microorganisms feed off tiny food particles that the humans ingest. What is this relationship called?
2. Remora sharks have an adhesive disk on the top of their heads. They use this disk to “hitch a ride” on larger animals, usually whales, which tend to be sloppy eaters. They cause no harm to these animals, and can detach to collect scraps of food floating away from the whale’s mouth. This is an example of what?
Change in Ecosystems or
Communities over time Ecological Succession:
Communities change over
time in a predictable,
orderly way over many
decades
Changes in plant
communities lead to
changes in animal
communities
Ecological Succession
The series of predictable changes that occurs in a community over time. It eventually leads to the formation of a stable community called a climax community.
Primary Succession: occurs on surfaces where no soil exists, such as after a volcanic eruption. The first species to populate the area are called pioneer species (such as lichen).
Secondary Succession: occurs when a disturbance of some kind changes an existing community without removing the soil (like forest fires), leads to a climax community
Climax community: a community in which the populations remain the same because they are in balance; a climax community will remain until a drastic environmental change occurs
Practice: 1. How are community and an ecosystem different from each other?
A. Communities have animals and ecosystems have plants B. Communities have biotic factors and ecosystems have biotic & abiotic factors
C. Communities have abiotic factors and ecosystems have biotic factors
D. Communities are large and ecosystems are small
2. Primary succession would most likely occur after what?
A. forest fire. B. farm land is abandoned.
C. a lava flow. D. a severe storm.
Practice: Put a B next to all of the things you think are Biotic (living) and an A next to the things you think are Abiotic (nonliving):
___ Plant ___ Human ___ Water
___ Sunlight ___ Flower ___ Minerals
___ Wind ___ Yeast ___ Rock
___ Frog ___ Bird ___ Rain
B B
B
B B
B
A
A
A
A
A
A
Practice Circle the correct answer on your paper:
A niche includes the organism’s:
a) role in the flow of energy through the
ecosystem
b) role in the recycling of nutrients in the
ecosystem.
c) role in interacting with other organisms.
d) all of the above
Practice: Autotroph or
Heterotroph? Grass uses the chlorophyll in its leaves to
turn sunlight in glucose. What kind of
organism is it? Autotroph/ Producer
Cows eat grass to obtain the glucose and
other nutrients in the grass. What kind of
organism is it? Heterotroph, Primary
Consumer
Practice: 1. Microorganisms living in the intestines of humans break down the food particles to aid in digestion for the humans. In addition, the microorganisms feed off tiny food particles that the humans ingest. What is this relationship called?
Symbiosis- Mutualism
2. Remora sharks have an adhesive disk on the top of their heads. They use this disk to “hitch a ride” on larger animals, usually whales, which tend to be sloppy eaters. They cause no harm to these animals, and can detach to collect scraps of food floating away from the whale’s mouth. This is an example of what?
Symbiosis- Commensalism
Practice: 1. How are community and an ecosystem different from each other?
A. Communities have animals and ecosystems have plants B. Communities have biotic factors and ecosystems have biotic & abiotic factors
C. Communities have abiotic factors and ecosystems have biotic factors
D. Communities are large and ecosystems are small
2. Primary succession would most likely occur after what?
A. forest fire. B. farm land is abandoned.
C. a lava flow. D. a severe storm.