Chapter 3: The BiosphereECOLOGY

Section 3-1Section 3-2Section 3-3

3-1: What is Ecology?

• Key Conceptso What different levels of

organization do ecologists study?

Ecologyo Study of interactions among

organisms and between organisms and their surroundings

o Ecologist- scientist that studies the environment

Biosphere

• All portions where life exists, including land, water, and air.

Levels of Organization

Levels of Organization

Species (individual)• A group of organisms that

can breed and produce offspring

• Example: Ladybugs

Populations• Groups of individuals of the

same species and live in the same area

• Example: Population of Ladybugs

Levels of Organization

Communities

• Groups of populations that live in the same area

• What organisms do you see in this pond community?

Levels of OrganizationEcosystemGroup of organisms that live in one environment,

together with their nonliving (abiotic) environmentAbiotic Factors: Biotic Factors:

List the abiotic and biotic factors in the picture..

Levels of OrganizationEcosystemAbiotic Factors

AirWindWaterLight TemperatureSunGases

Biotic FactorsSharkTunaBaleen whaleZooplanktonPhytoplanktonSmall fishesFlounderAlgaeScallopsSea starslobster

Levels of Organization - Biomes

Biome• A group of ecosystems that

have the same climate and communities

• Examples:– Desert– Grasslands– Rain Forest– Ocean

Levels of OrganizationBiosphere

• Highest level of organization that includes all of the other levels of organization

Checkpoint 1:

• A collection of all the organisms that live in a particular place along with their physical environment make up a (an):(A) Species(B) Biome(C) Ecosystem

Correct Answer? C: Ecosystem

Checkpoint 2:List the six different levels of organization that

ecologists study, in order, from smallest to largest.

1.Species2.Populations3.Communities4.Ecosystem5.Biome6.Biosphere

Now create a sentence to

remember the order!

Checkpoint 3:

• The branch of biology dealing with interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment is called _______________.

• A person who studies these populations is called an ecologist.

ECOLOGY

Checkpoint 4:

• All of the members of a particular species that live in one area are called a (an) ___________________.

• Draw your own population of species that you may have seen in the past week.

POPULATION

Complete this worksheet with your table partner:

3-2 Energy Flow

• Key Concepts– Where does the energy for life processes come

from?– How does energy flow though living systems?– How efficient is the transfer of energy among

organisms in an ecosystem?

SunlightMain energy source for life on Earth.

Less than 1% is used by living things.

However, some types of organisms rely on the energy stored in inorganic chemical compounds. These organisms obtain energy from a source other than sunlight.

1%

Who Uses the Sun for energy?

• Only plants, some algae, and certain bacteria can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use that energy to produce food.

Autotrophs

• Use energy (sun, chemical) from the environment to make complex organic molecules.

• Autotrophs make their own food.

Autotrophs

AutotrophsPRODUCERS

•A form of an autotroph (makes own food)

•Can capture sunlight or chemical energy

•Example: KELP•Kelp is found in the ocean

Autotroph HALL OF FAME

On Land: PLANTS• Use photosynthesis• Use sunlight to make

energy rich sugars and oxygen

In Water: ALGAE• Found in freshwater and

top layers of the ocean

In Water: Photosynthetic Bacteria

Autotroph

HALL OF FAME (with a twist)

Chemosynthesis•Can produce food without light!•Use chemical energy to produce

carbohydrates•These bacteria are found in remote places like:

• Volcanic vents on ocean floor• Hot springs in Yellowstone• Tidal marshes

Heterotrophs

• Animals, fungi, and many bacteria cannot harness their own energy.

• Heterotrophs rely on other organisms for their energy and food supply

Heterotrophs

CONSUMERS

•A form of an Heterotroph(cannot make own food)

•Acquire energy from other organisms

•Different types of heterotrophs: herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, detritivores, and decomposers

Detritivores

• Feed on plant and animal remains or dead matter, called detritus– Examples:

• Mites• Earthworms• Snails• Crabs

Feeding Relationships

Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction,1) Sun or inorganic compounds

2) autotrophs (producers)

3) heterotrophs (consumers)

The relationships between PRODUCERS and CONSUMERS connect organisms into feeding networks based on who eats whom.

Food Chain

Definition:Shows energy flow from producers to consumers

Label the producers and

consumers

Producer Consumer(Herbivor

e)

Consumer(Herbivor

e)

Consumer(Carnivor

e)

Consumer(Carnivor

e)

GAME TIME!!!

Food Webs

Definition:A food web links all the food chains in an ecosystem together.

A food web in a salt-marsh community.

* Let’s take a look at the Heron….

Trophic Levels

• Each step in a food chain/web= Trophic level.

• Producers make up the first/primary layer

• Consumers make up the successive layers.

Tertiary Consumer

Secondary Consumer

Primary Consumer

Producers

Ecological Pyramid

• Ecological Pyramids- shows amounts of energy or matter at each trophic level

• 3 types: Energy, Biomass & Numbers pyramid.

Energy Pyramid

Energy Pyramid:• Shows how energy

reduces by 90% each trophic level.

• Organisms use this 10 % of energy for life processes.

• The rest is lost as heat.

Biomass Pyramid

Biomass Pyramid:• Shows the amount of living

tissue in a trophic level expressed in grams per unit area.

Inverted Biomass Pyramid in an Aquatic Ecosystem

Pyramid of Numbers

Pyramid of Numbers:• Shows the # of organisms in

a trophic level.

Checkpoint 1:

• When organisms use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates, the process is called:(A)Chemosynthesis(B) Autosynthesis(C) Photosynthesis

Correct Answer? (A) Chemosynthesis

Checkpoint 2:

• Which of the following organisms DO NOT NEED sunlight to live?(A)Trees(B) Photosynthetic Bacteria(C) Chemosynthetic Bacteria(D)Algae

Correct Answer? (C) Chemosynthetic Bacteria!But WHY??????

Checkpoint 3:

• TRUE or FALSE?Algae are both producers and autotrophs.

TRUE!!!!

Checkpoint 4:

• All the food chains in an ecosystem are linked together by a (an)A. Food WebB. Trophic LevelC. Ecosystem

Correct Answer? (A) Food Web!!!

Checkpoint 5:

• Only about 10 percent of the energy available within one trophic level is transferred to organisms at the next trophic level.

• Of the remaining energy, some of it is used for life’s processes and the rest is lost as what?????

HEAT!!!!

Checkpoint 6:

• In words, briefly describe the flow of energy among organisms in an ecosystem.

• HINT: Think feeding relationships!

Energy is transferred from one organism to the next through trophic levels. Only 10% of the energy is transferred from level to level. The rest is lost as heat!

Checkpoint 7:

• Explain the relationships in this food chain: omnivore, herbivore, and autotroph.

Autotroph is an organism that creates its own energy using chemicals or sunlight. An organism that eats an autotroph is called an herbivore. An omnivore could eat either the herbivore OR the autotroph.

Checkpoint 8:

• Refer to the “Salt-Marsh Food Web”, which shows a food web in the salt marsh. Choose one of the food chains within this web. Then, write a paragraph describing the feeding relationships among the organisms in the food chain.

• Hint: Use the terms producers, consumers, and decomposers ALONG with who eats whom in your description.

• (You may also draw them out as well)