Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural
Resources
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Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural
Resources
Ecology
Unit 4 – Lesson 4.3 Living in Harmony
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What is Ecology?
• The study of the interactions of
organisms with one another and their
environment
– Interconnectedness
– Plants and animals need each other
– Organisms need oxygen, water,
nutrients, shelter, et. cetera
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Biomes
• Large region with similar plants, animals,
and other organisms adapted to the
climate and other conditions.
• Consist of many similar ecosystems
• Examples:
– Taiga
– Aquatic
– Desert
– Grassland
– Temperate Forest
– Tropical Rainforest
– Tundra
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Ecosystems
• The interactions between the living things
and the nonliving things in a place.
• Plants, animals, and other organisms rely
on each other and on the physical
environment.
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Components of Ecosystems
• Abiotic – nonliving factors
Physical and chemical characteristics
– Air
– Water
– Land
– Soil nutrients
– Temperature
– Sunlight
– Precipitation
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Components of Ecosystems
• Biotic – living organisms
– Flora (plants)
– Fauna (animals)
– Microorganisms
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Interactions of Organisms
Food chain – single Food web – series
path of feeding
relationships
of interrelated food
chains
Grass
Mouse
Snake
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Producers and Consumers
• Producer – manufacture their own food,
such as plants
• Consumer – obtain energy by eating other
organisms
– Herbivores – eat plants
– Carnivores – eat animals
– Omnivores – eat plants and animals
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What is Energy?
• Defined
– The ability to do work or cause changes to
occur.
• Organisms need energy for life-sustaining
processes.
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Trophic Levels
• An organism’s position in the sequence of
energy transfers
– Producers – first level
– Herbivores – second level
– Carnivores – third level or
higher
Image source: http://www.tutorvista.com/content/science/scienceii/environment/trophic-levels.php
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Energy Flow
• As energy moves through the trophic
levels, energy is lost
– Energy to maintain body heat
– Movement
– Energy for body processes – digestion, etc.
• Roughly 10% of transferred energy is
stored in the next level
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References
Feldkamp, S. (Ed.). (2002). Modern biology.
Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
Gardiner, L. (2008). Biomes and
ecosystems. Retrieved from
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/ea
rth/ecosystems.html&portal=voca
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