Ecology & Energy
ECOLOGYStudy of
living
organisms
and their
interactions
w/ non- living
environment
History• Ernst Haeckel,
1800’s
• Eco = “house”
• ology = “study
of”
Made up of Biotic
Things: Living
And Abiotic Things:
Not Living
heirarchy of Ecology• Organisms
• Populations
• Communities
• Ecosystems
• Biosphere
Organism
PO
PU
LA
TIO
N
PO
PU
LA
TIO
NP
OP
UL
AT
ION
Community
Ecosystem
• Orgs adapted to a specific set env. Conditions evolution via nat.
selection)
TPS: Story Time!
Evolution: Change of species over
time…genetic makeup changes
Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem
• Where Potomac
River meets Atlantic
Ocean.
• 1 Ecosystem, 3
Communities
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Chesapeake Communities
1) Potomac River = orgs adapted to
fresh water, very low salinity
Bull Shark in
Potomac River
2) Estuary (place where salt and fresh
water meet)
• Brackish (salt marsh): orgs adapted to
low salinity (salt concentration)
Chesapeake Communities
Chesapeake
Estuary
3) Atlantic Ocean: Salt Water, high
salinity
Chesapeake Communities
Side Note: Chesapeake Bay is eutrophied
(excessive algae growth) preventing many
species from living here.
All Ecosystems Need Energy!
• Comes from Sun!
• Energy: ability to do work!
Potential vs. Kinetic Energy• Stored energy
• Ex: Water
behind a dam
• Energy due to
motion
• Ex: Wind Turbine
Thermodynamics: the Study of Energy
Transformations
1st Law of Thermodynamics• Energy
cannot be created nor destroyed
• May changefrom one form to another Ex: Solar Energy
Chemical Energy
2nd Law of Thermodynamics
• No rxn is 100% efficient lose energy
• Systems spontaneously increase entropy (disorder)
Gaia Hypothesis
• James Lovelock!!
• All orgs and non-living factors on Earth
are connected.
• Self-regulating system which strives to
maintain homeostasis
Mr. Anderson Earth Science
Video Clip and Guide