INTRODUCTION TO
ECOLOGY
BELLRINGER

Is this picture an
example of a
community?
Why or Why not?
WHAT IS ECOLOGY?
Ecology is the study of interactions among
organisms.
 Determines relationships among living and
nonliving parts of the world within the biosphere,
or portion of Earth that supports life.

ORGANISMS AND THEIR
ENVIRONMENT
I. ECOSYSTEMS: EVERYTHING IN AN
ECOSYSTEM IS CONNECTED.
AN ECOSYSTEM INCLUDES:
 A. BIOTIC- ALL LIVING THINGS IN AN
ECOSYSTEM.
 B - ABIOTIC- ALL NON-LIVING THINGS IN
AN ECOSYSTEM, SUCH AS SOIL, AIR AND
WATER.

BIOTIC FACTORS
 All
the living
things that
affect the
organism in its
habitat.
 All living
organisms affect
each other …
interdependance
ABIOTIC
FACTORS
 All
of the nonliving things that
effect the organism
in its habitat
 Acclimation
– some
organisms are able to
adjust to abiotic
factors in their
surroundings.
Abiotic or Biotic?
II. ORGANIZATION OF LIVING
THINGS:

BIOSPHERE
ECOSYSTEM
COMMUNITY
POPULATION
ORGANISM
ORGANISM
A. ORGANISM- _A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL
B. SPECIES- A GROUP OF ORGANISMS THAT CAN REPRODUCE
AND PRODUCE FERTILE OFFSPRING.
C. POPULATIONS
GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS OF THE SAME
SPECIES_ LIVING IN THE _SAME AREA.
 Will compete with one another for food, mates,
resources.

D. COMMUNITIES
D. COMMUNITIESSEVERAL DIFFERENT
POPULATIONS_ THAT
INTERACT IN A SPECIFIC
AREA.
 Communities will exhibit
interdependence.

E.
ECOSYSTEM

All ORGANISMS
AND ABIOTIC
FACTORS
Pond Ecosystem
 School Campus

F. BIOSPHERE

ALL COMMUNITIES OF THE EARTH.
ARE THE PICTURES BELOW
COMMUNITIES OR POPULATIONS??
III. NICHE VS. HABITAT


A. NICHE IS HOW AN ORGANISM LIVES
(WHAT IT DOES) INCLUDING
REPRODUCTION, TIME OF DAY IT IS MOST
ACTIVE, TYPE OF SPECIES INTERACTIONS,
ETC.
B. HABITAT IS WHERE IT LIVES.
Occupying different niches reduces
competition among organisms
Example:
Butterfly & Caterpillar
IV. FIVE TYPES OF SPECIES
INTERACTIONS:
A. PREDATION
ONE ORGANISM
(PREDATOR) kills
and eats another
(PREY).
EXAMPLE: LION
EATING ZEBRA.
 Organisms fight for
survival (Natural
Selection at work)

B. COMPETITION

two species THAT DEPEND ON THE same
LIMITED RESOURCE. EXAMPLES: TWO
FLOWERS NEEDING POLLINATION, LIONS
AND HYENAS NEEDING FOOD.
C. PARASITISM

ONE SPECIES
(PARASITE) THAT
lives in or on
another (HOST)
WITHOUT
IMMEDIATELY
KILLING IT
EXAMPLE: TICKS
AND A DOG.
D. MUTUALISM

A cooperative
partnership
BETWEEN TWO
SPECIES THAT
BENEFITS BOTH.
EXAMPLE:
HUMANS AND
INTESTINAL
BACTERIA.
Bees and birds visit
flowers in search of
pollen and nectar. In
the process flowers are
pollinated.
E. COMMENSALISM

COMMENSALISM- A
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN TWO
SPECIES where one
benefits but the
other is not
harmed. EXAMPLE:
SHARK AND
REMORA.
The Patella gets it food from the
plant, the Euklonia, which is not
harmed or damaged in the
process.
NUTRITION AND ENERGY
FLOW
I. ENERGY FLOW IN ECOSYSTEMS
 A. ALMOST all ORGANISMS REQUIRE
ENERGY FROM THE sun:
 1. DIRECTLY- producers ( MAKES THEIR
OWN FOOD-autotrophs)
 2. INDIRECTLY- consumers (DO NOT MAKE
THEIR OWN FOOD - heterotrophs)

SOURCE OF
ALL
ENERGY
II. WHO EATS WHAT IN AN ECOSYSTEM?
 A. PRODUCER- MAKES ITS OWN FOOD,
EXAMPLES - plants, algae, some bacteria
 B. CONSUMER- Gets energy by eating other
organisms

1. Herbivore_ -EATS PRODUCERS, EXAMPLES COWS, SHEEP, GRASSHOPPERS
 2. Carnivore - EATS OTHER CONSUMERS,
EXAMPLES - LION, WOLVES
 3. Omnivore - EATS BOTH PRODUCERS AND
CONSUMERS, EXAMPLES - HUMANS, BEARS,
PIGS
 4. Decomposer - BREAKS DOWN DEAD
ORGANISMS, EXAMPLES - FUNGI AND
BACTERIA
 5. DETRITIOVORE – FEEDS ON THE GARBAGE
OF AN ECOSYSTEM


TWO TYPES:
SCAVENGERS
 DECOMPOSERS

SCAVENGERS
 Scavengers
are animals that do not kill
for food.

Instead they eat animals that have already
died.
DECOMPOSERS
Organisms that cause
decay by breaking
down the larger
molecules of dead
organisms into
smaller molecules
 Examples



Bacteria (Methanogens)
Fungi (Mushroom)
III. HOW ENERGY IS RELEASED?
 A. Photosynthesis (chloroplast)- CONVERTS
ENERGY FROM THE SUN TO SUGAR
6 CO2 + 6 H2O + SUNLIGHT 
C6H12 O6 + 6 O2
 B. Respiration (mitochondria)- CONVERTS
SUGAR INTO ENERGY
 C6H12 O6 + 6 O2  6 CO2 + 6 H2O
+ ENERGY

IV. ENERGY IS TRANSFERRED THROUGH FOOD
CHAINS, FOOD WEBS, AND TROPHIC LEVELS
A. Food Chain


IS A SERIES OF ENERGY
TRANSFERS AS ONE
ORGANISM IS CONSUMED
BY ANOTHER.
EXAMPLE - ALGAE KRILL COD
LEOPARD SEAL KILLER WHALE
B. Food Web

MORE THAN ONE FOOD
CHAIN LINKED
TOGETHER
C. TROPHIC LEVEL


Remember: Energy is
NEVER
created…only cycled

Trophic Level_ CHANGE IN USEABLE
ENERGY IN A FOOD
CHAIN/WEB,
MOST ENERGY IS AT
THE BOTTOM OF A
TROPHIC LEVEL
V. WATER CYCLE:
A. SUNLIGHT CAUSES evaporation &
transpiration
 B. WATER VAPOR COOLS AND forms clouds
 C. CLOUDS BECOME saturated and
precipitate
 D. CYCLE repeats_

Condensation
The movement through plants
The Clouds form
Transpiration
Precipitation
The rain falls
Evaporation
The vapor rises
EVAPORATION
TRANSPIRATION
PRECIPITATION
VI. CARBON CYCLE:

A. CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE
ATMOSPHERE IS USED IN photosynthesis_
 B. Oxygen_ IS RELEASED AS A BY
PRODUCT OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
 C. ORGANISMS TAKE IN OXYGEN breath
out_ CARBON DIOXIDE.
 D. DECOMPOSING OF PLANTS AND
ANIMALS PRODUCES carbon dioxide CO2__
 E. BURNING OF _fossil fuels_ PRODUCES
CARBON DIOXIDE

VI. THE CARBON CYCLE
VII. NITROGEN CYCLE:
 A. NITROGEN GAS FROM THE ATMOSPHERE IS
ABSORBED INTO THE ROOTS OF PLANTS BY
_nitrogen fixing bacteria_
 B. ORGANISMS EAT plants
 C. ANIMALS RELEASE AMMONIA NH4 IN THEIR
wastes
 AMMONIA IS BROKEN DOWN INTO NITROGEN BY
decomposers
 OTHER CYCLES:
 SULFUR ,CALCIUM, PHOSPOROUS

NITROGEN CYCLE

Pictures and examples were taken from a variety
of websites.