Principles of Ecology

What is Ecology?

What is a key theme in Ecology???

Using your given cards, form a pair:

One even & one odd number

Share what you learned from the reading and homework assignment.

What is Ecology?

• The study of the interactions that take place between organisms and their environment.

• INTERDEPENDENCE- All organisms interact with other organisms in their surroundings and with the nonliving portions of their environment.

Survival depends upon these interactions.

Levels of Organization

Biosphere

• Area on Earth where organisms are able to live.

Includes: – Living components– Nonliving components

EcosystemIncludes all of the organisms and the non-

living environment found in a particular place. (e.g. A pond)

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Biological Community:Biological Community: all the interacting all the interacting organisms living in an area (e.g. all the organisms living in an area (e.g. all the fish, turtles, plants, algae, & bacteria in the fish, turtles, plants, algae, & bacteria in the pond)pond)

Population:Population: includes all the members of a includes all the members of a species that live in one place at one time.species that live in one place at one time.

OrganismOrganism: : An individual An individual that is made of cells, that is made of cells, uses energy, uses energy, reproduces, reproduces, and responds and responds to its environment. to its environment.

Habitat

• Where an organism lives.

Journal:

• Compare an ecosystem to a habitat

Abiotic Factors• The nonliving components of the environment.

Journal: List 2 abiotic factors.

Biotic Factors

• The living components of the environment.

Journal: List 2 biotic factors in an environment

Niche• An organisms way of life, or role it plays

in its environment.

Fundamental Niche - the range of conditions that a species can potentially tolerate and the range of resources it can potentially use.

Realized Niche - the range of resources a species actually uses. Usually much narrower than the fundamental niche.

Niche Differences

Generalists vs. Specialists

How would you compare the niches that these two organisms occupy??

The Changing Environment

Responses to a Changing Environment

1. Acclimation

2. Control of Internal Condition– Conformers– Regulators

3. Escape from Unsuitable Conditions– Dormancy– Migration

Time to Stand Up!!!Using our Cards

Form a group of 4, all different numbers1. Lowest number identifies a community

2. Second number gives an example of a population within that community.

3. Third number considers two biotic factors that affect the population

4. Fourth number gives two examples of abiotic factors that affect the population.

Symbiosis

• A close and permanent association between organisms of different species.

3 Types:– Mutualism– Commensalism– Parasitism

Mutualism

• Both species benefit from the interaction.

Commensalism

• One species benefits while the other is neither harmed nor benefited.

Parasitism

• One species benefits, while the other is harmed.

Food Chain• A single pathway of feeding relationships

among organisms in an ecosystem that results in energy transfer

Energy Flow

• Producers: Autotrophs– Organisms that are able to use light energy

to produce their own food

• Consumers: Heterotroph– Organisms that can not make their own

food. – Feed on other organisms

Types of Heterotrophs

• Herbivores

• Carnivores

• Scavengers

• Decomposers

Energy Transfer

• All organisms need energy to carry out essential functions such as growth, movement, maintenance and repair, and reproduction.

• Trophic Level: indicates an organism’s position in a sequence of energy transfers.

Food Web

• All the interrelated food chains in an All the interrelated food chains in an ecosystem ecosystem – Feeding relationships in an ecosystem are Feeding relationships in an ecosystem are

usually too complex to be represented by a usually too complex to be represented by a single food chain. single food chain.

– Many consumers eat more than one type Many consumers eat more than one type of food and more than one species of of food and more than one species of consumer may feed on the same consumer may feed on the same organism. organism.

Energy Transfer

Most food chains only consist of few trophic levels because only about 10% of the energy available at one level is transferred to the next level.

Organisms at the bottom of the food chain are usually much more abundant than organisms at the highest level.

Energy TransferEnergy transfer can be seen in the

diagram below. The pyramid shape of the diagram indicates the low percentage of energy transfer from one level to the next.

Start Problem Solving Lab 2.1

• Page 37

• Due next time in class