Principles of Ecology

What is Ecology? Ecology is the study of organisms and their

environment. People have always shown an interest in nature

and the environment around them…even you! Do you have a pet? Have you ever played outside? Did you ever have a weather station? Have you ever collected shells or leaves? Have you ever watched shark week?

Ecology combines the study of biology with geology, chemistry, physics, math, and anthropology.

The Biosphere

The Biosphere is the part of the earth that supports and contains living things.

This includes the atmosphere, land, and water of earth. Although this may seem like a large space in comparison to the whole of earth it is but a small part.

Living and Nonliving Things

Anything alive is considered to be biotic.A biotic factor is any organism that affects a

particular environment.

Anything not alive is considered to be abiotic.An abiotic factor is a nonliving thing that is

part of the environment.Air, temperature, rocks, dirt, water, heat,

etc.

They are both essential parts of the environment.

Levels of Organization in the BiosphereOrganismSpeciesPopulationCommunityEcosystemBiomeBiosphere

Organism

An individual living thing. It isMade up of cells.Uses EnergyReproducesRespondsGrowsDevelops

Species

A group of individuals that can interbreed and reproduce.

PopulationA group of organisms of the same

species who live in the same geographical area together and interbreed.

Community

Several populations of different species that live in the same geographical area together.

EcosystemA community of plants and animals that interact with each other in a given geographic area and the abiotic parts of that area.

Biome

A large group of ecosystems that share the same type of climax community.

A climax community is what you typically see in an area.In a rainforest:In a coral reef:On the South Pole:

Biosphere

The Biosphere is the portion of the earth that supports life.

Ecosystems

An ecosystem is made up of interacting populations in a community and that community’s abiotic factors.

There are some ideas and terms that we must know to understand an ecosystem:

1. Habitat-where an organism lives its’ life

2. Niche-a particular role that is filled by an organism

Only a certain number of organisms can occupy one niche at a time.

An organism must use certain adaptations and strategies to stay in its’ niche.

Think of our school…

Relationships Between Organisms

PredationSymbiotic Relationships

MutualismCommensalismParasitism

Predation

When one organism hunts and consumes another for food.

MutualismBoth organisms benefit from helping each other.A bird eating food out of a crocodile’s mouth.

A clownfish and a sea anemone

CommensalismOne organism benefits and the other is not affected.Think of a remora hanging out by a shark.

Think of a dung beetle.

ParasitismOne organisms benefits and the other is harmed.Think of a tick or a leech.Think of a tapeworm.

Obtaining Energy

Organisms can be either autotrophs or heterotrophs.

Autotrophs collect their energy from the sun or heat.

Heterotrophs collect their energy from other organisms (by eating them). Carnivores eat only meat Herbivores eat only plants Omnivores eat both

Decomposers get their energy from breaking down dead organisms which also releases their nutrients back into the environment.

Food Chains and Food Webs

A food chain describes the flow of energy in a series of organisms

A food web contains many interconnected food chains.

A trophic level represents a feeding step in a food chain or food web. Only 10% of the energy is passed from one

trophic level to the next.Fewer organisms make up each successive

level.

Trophic Levels

Trophic levels consist of:ProducersPrimary ConsumersSecondary ConsumersTertiary Consumers(Sometimes) Quaternary Consumers

Some organisms can fall into more than one category.

Food Chain Activity

Energy Pyramid

A model that represents all of the energy in an ecosystem.

Biomass is the total weight of all matter at each level or in the whole pyramid.

Cycles in Nature

The Water CycleThe Carbon CycleThe Nitrogen CycleThe Phosphorus Cycle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al-do-HGuIk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0-Vj4CQrJ8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShP5SUuTtJ0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP24BceOwt8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKkC2JpjaGc

The Hunters and the Hunted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WbjCbdw9kc