Why are the cycles important?
How do organisms interact with each other?
How can we show trends in populations over time?
ECOLOGY
What does it mean when we
talk about the ecosystem?
What is Ecology?
Ecology
 The study of interactions between organisms
 Recall the levels of organization:
 Organism
 Species
 Population
 Community
 Ecosystem
 Biome
 Biosphere
Energy Flow
 Starts at sun
 Some make food from chemicals, not sun =
chemosynthesis
Producers- produce their own
sugar, gain energy from sun
Consumers- consume other
things to get their energy
What about mushrooms on a
fallen tree?
How are dead deer on the
side of the road broken down
naturally?
Detritivores = feed on dead
matter
Decomposers = break down
organic matter
http://media.ebaumsworld.com/picture/kiltedrufus/FoodChain.png
Food Chain
 One organism passing energy to the next,
and so on
 Straight line
 Arrow = the way energy is moving
http://www.dist102.k12.il.us/resources/Science%20Kids/food-chain.jpg
Food Webs
 Many organisms giving and receiving energy
 Arrows = energy movement
http://www.abe.ufl.edu/~owens/age2062/lect/lect_28/40_07.GIF
Trophic Level
 each step in a food
chain or food web
http://www.vtaide.com/png/foodchains.htm
Ecological Pyramids
 Shows the amount of energy or matter in
each trophic level of chain or web
 3 types
 Energy- only 10% of energy is transferred to next
level
 Biomass-mass of all the organisms in that level
 Numbers- how many organisms in that level
http://www.freewebs.com/the_grey_pilgrim/energy%20pyramid.bmp
Biomass Pyramid
http://resources.edb.gov.hk/biology/english/images/environment/pyramid.gif
Numbers Pyramid
http://www.econguru.com/fundamentals_of_ecology/image/ecological_pyramid.gif
Water Cycle
 Water moving through environments
 Transpiration- from trees to clouds
 Evaporation- from body of water to clouds
 Precipitation- from clouds to ground
 Condensation- making clouds
 Run-off- doesn’t soak into soil
 Ground water- rivers underground
Carbon Cycle
 Carbon moving through environments
 Decomposition- decaying organisms
 Oil, coal, and fuels come from compressed
decayed organisms
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/earth/climate/images/carboncycle.jpg
Nitrogen Cycle
 Nitrogen moving through environment
 Plants need nitrogen to make food
http://www.kidsgeo.com/images/nitrogen-cycle.gif
Phosphorous Cycle
 Moving phosphorous through the
environment
 Needed to make DNA and RNA
 Mostly in rock, minerals, and land
http://arnica.csustan.edu/carosella/Biol4050W03/figures/phosph1.jpg
Niche
 Place an organism holds in an ecosystem,
includes what it eats, when it eats, how it
mates, how it gets food, and interaction with
other organisms
 Species has evolved to fit that niche
PERFECTLY
http://io.uwinnipeg.ca/~simmons/ysesp/images/niche.jpg
http://www.fieldstonealliance.org/client/client_images/cartoon-find_niche.jpg
Habitat
 Where a species lives, where it can be found
Competitive Exclusion
Principle
 No two species can occupy the same niche in
the same habitat at the same time
Competition
 Organisms or species fighting over resources
Resource
 Anything necessary to life: water, sunlight,
food, shelter, etc.
Predation
 Predator feeds on prey
http://www.stanford.edu/~siegelr/tz/tz2006/predatorandprey.jpg
Symbiosis
 Relationship in which two species live closely
together
http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/JAG/03-PS101-6~Symbiosis-Posters.jpg
Mutualism
 Both benefit
http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=65599&rendTypeId=4
Commensalism
 One benefits, other is not helped harmed
http://www.nearctica.com/ecology/anemonefish.jpg
Parasitism
 One benefits, other is harmed
http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/ExamplesOfParasitism_files/image008.jpg
Primary Succession
 No soil exists, first organism to come along
 Happens with volcanoes and rock exposed
from glaciers melting
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2254/1937932386_03c78fa3e0.jpg?v=1194662963
Secondary Succession
 Soil exists, something was once there,
cleared by natural disaster
http://www.prairiefriends.org/image/fire/prescribedBurn1_04..jpg
Major Biomes
1. Estuaries
2. Shrublands
3. Grassland
4. Coral Reef
5. Tropical Savanna
6. Ocean
7. Taiga
8. Chaparral
9. Tropical Dry Forest
10. Tundra
11. Deciduous Forest
12. Desert
13. Tropical Rain Forest
Tropical Rain Forest
http://msstrickland.com/eport/Rainforest.jpg
Tropical Dry Forest
http://www.stanford.edu/group/seasonally_dry/Dryforest_images/watering_hole.jpg
Tropical Savanna
http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=94366&rendTypeId=4
Desert
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/china/environment/pictures/desert2.jpg
Grasslands
http://grasslands.org.za.dedi539.your-server.de/assets/content_images/Image/Grasslands__SANBI_.JPG
Shrublands
http://www.cpluhna.nau.edu/images/grassland17_jdg.jpg
Deciduous Forest
http://fig.cox.miami.edu/Faculty/Dana/50-16f-TempForest.jpg
Taiga
http://www.worldexposure.com/taiga/images/taiga2b.jpg
Tundra
http://teachers.sduhsd.k12.ca.us/hherms/herms/METEOROLOGY/climates/P-tundra_alpine_nt.jpg
Limiting Nutrient
 Nutrient in short supply, will run out first
 Greatly affects all organisms in the
ecosystem