Levels oF Organization

EcologyStudy  of  interac/ons  between  organisms  and  their  environment  (habitat).

Levels  of  Ecology

We  will  study  Ecosystems  in  Ecology  Unit,  Popula7ons  in  Evolu7on  Unit,  andOrganisms  in  Gene7cs  Unit.

Levels  of  Ecology:

BIOSPHERE  -­‐  everywhere  organisms  live

BIOME  -­‐  regions  with  similar  climates

ECOSYSTEM  -­‐  community  plus  its  habitat;  the  interac/on  between  the  living  (bio0c)  and  nonliving  (abio0c)  factors

COMMUNITY  -­‐  group  of  various  interac/ng  species;  the  bio/c  factors

POPULATION  -­‐  group  of  organisms  of  the  same  species

ORGANISMS  -­‐  individual  living  thing  

Levels oF Organization

We  can  go  further

Biosphere...Organism,  then

Organ  systems

Organs

Tissues

Cells

Molecules

Levels oF Organization

Ecosystems are filled with...

Abio0c  Factors    -­‐  nonliving  things  (ex.  rocks,  lakes,  ocean,  clouds,  soil,  rain,  temperature,  etc.)

Bio0c  Factors    -­‐  living  things  (ex.  bacteria,  fungi,  plants,  animals,  etc.)

Ecosystems are filled with...

Abio0c  Factors    

affect  the  living  factors

can  help  the  living  factors

can  harm  the  living  factors

Ecosystems are filled with...Bio0c  Factors

Autotrophs  (Producers)    

“Self-feeders” – can make their own food by using the energy in sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose (sugar)

ALL the energy in an ecosystem begins with the autotrophs/producers.

So, without autotrophs, there would be no life on this planet

Ex. plants and algae

Ecosystems are filled with...

Bio0c  Factors

Heterotrophs  (Consumers)    

eat others

cannot make their own food, so must eat something

Ex. Rabbits, deer, insects

Ecosystems are filled with...Bio0c  Factors

Heterotrophs  (Consumers)    

Types of Heterotrophs (Consumers):

Scavengers (Detrivores) - feed on tissue of dead organisms (both plants and animals); ex. vultures, crow, & shrimg

Herbivores - eat ONLY plants; ex. cows, giraffes, elephants

Carnivores - eat ONLY meat; ex. lions, tigers, sharks

Omnivores - eat BOTH plants and animals; ex. bears & humans

Decomposers - absorb dead material and break it down into simply nutrients and fertilizers; ex. bacteria & fungi

Food ChainsFood  Chain

the  energy  flow  from  one  trophic  level  to  the  other

simple  and  direct

involves  one  organism  at  each  trophic  level

NOTE: Producers are ALWAYS in the first

trophic level!!

Food WEBS

Food  Web

depicts  when  organisms  are  involved  in  more  than  one  food  chain

most  organisms  can  eat  (or  be  eaten)  by  more  than  JUST  one  organism

more  complex  and  involve  lots  of  organisms  in  several,  related  food  chains

Food CHAINS/WEBS

Food  Chains/Webs

NOTE:  direc/on  of  the  arrows  shows  the  direc/on  of  the  energy  flow  and  transfer  of  maNer,  NOT  “what  ate  what”

Food CHAINS/WEBS

Food  Chains/Webs

NOTE:  organisms  can  be  at  more  than  one  trophic  level,  depending  upon  which  food  chain  they  are  in

Where does all the E Go?

as  you  move  up  through  a  food  chain  or  web,  a  lot  of  the  energy  is  used  by  the  organisms  to  “live  &  breathe”,  not  just  grow  to  feed  the  next  level;  therefore,  a  lot  of  the  energy  is  “lost”  to  heat  at  you  move  up  the  food  chain  or  web.