Honors Biology
Module 10 Ecology
January 23, 2014
Class Challenge
CREATIVE HAT DAY
Quiz
The Geological Column
Ecology
Is the study of the interactions between
living and nonliving things.
We are going to study how organisms are
specifically designed to interact with other
organisms as well as their physical
surroundings.
Ecology
Is divided into subgroups:
•
Population: A group of interbreeding
organisms coexisting together.
•
Community: A group of populations living and
interacting in the same area.
• Ecosystem:
An association of living
organisms and their physical environment.
• Biome:
A group of ecosystems classified by
climate and plant life.
These groups go from narrowest to
broadest
1. Population is the narrowest, as it
includes only one species (is a set of
organisms that can interbreed).
2. Community is made up of one or more
populations.
3. Ecosystem includes not only several
populations, but also their physical
surrounds.
4. Biome is a very broad classification,
encompassing several ecosystems.
Life is a balance
In order to assure that life can continue on
any part of the earth, there must be a
critical balance between the organisms
living in an ecosystem and the nonliving
chemical and physical processes that play
critical roses in the support of life.
Rabbits in Australia
From your reading in Module 10 (pages 299300) please explain what happened to the
grasslands of Australia.
Energy and Ecosystems
All organisms need energy in order to
survive. Almost all of the energy ultimately
comes from the sun.
Autotrophs convert energy from the sun for
food. (some autotrophs use chemicals)
Autotrophs are called producers.
Producers produce food for themselves and
other creatures.
Herbivores: Eat only plants and get their
food directly from producers, they are
called primary consumers.
Trophic Levels (Fig. 10.1)
Primary producers are eaten by ----
Secondary producers
Carnivores (eat other carnivores) are called
Tertiary consumers.
This is commonly referred to as a food chain.
Trophic Levels
Hawk – Tertiary Consumer
Snake- Secondary Consumer
Mouse – Primary Consumer
The plant - it is the lowest
on the food chain.
Food Web
Trophic levels of some animals can change.
A more complex diagram called a food
web better illustrates feeding relationships
among organisms in an ecosystem.
See figure 10.2
Why are trophic levels so important
in an ecosystem?
1. Every living organism must have some
type of preditor or the organism will
overrun its ecosystem.
2. Trophic levels track energy as it moves
through the ecosystem.
1. When energy comes into the ecosystem, it is
usually through the sun. (first and highest level
of energy). The energy of sunlight is used by
producers to make food for themselves.
2. When producers are eaten by primary
consumers, energy moves to the next trophic
level.
3. Secondary producers eat primary consumers,
energy moves up to the next trophic level.
How is energy lost?
Each time energy moves up a trophic level, a lot of
that energy is lost.
1. When cellular respiration occurs, some energy
is lost in the form of heat. When a fox eats a
rabbit, it does not eat the whole thing; it eats
only the meat and fat. The fur, skeleton, etc. of
the rabbit are not used by the fox. All that energy
is lost because it does not end up being used by
the consumer.
Ecological pyramid
Figure 10.3
In previous modules we have discussed
decomposers. Decomposers feed at all trophic
levels. Dead plants, dead primary consumers,
dead secondary producers and dead tertiary
consumers.
They have their own unique trophic level and it is
hard to fit them into a food chain or food web.
Nevertheless, they are vitally important to an
ecosystem. As decomposers eat, it is creation’s
way of making sure that the energy “lost” from
trophic level to trophic level is not lost in
creation.
Mutualism
Is the relationship between two or more
organisms of different species where all
benefit from the association.
Pages 305-309.
Mutualism
In Module 3 remember we learned about the
termite that eats the wood but cannot
digest the cellulose and the protozoa lives
in the gut of the termite that eats the
cellulose that the termite cannot digest.
This keeps the termite alive while
providing ample food for the protozoa.
Mutualism
In Module 4 we read about the mutualistic
relationships between algae and fungi,
which are called lichens.
Also the mutualistic relationships between
plants and fungi, which are called
mycorrhizae.
Mutualism
Clownfish and the
Stinging tentacles
Of sea anemones
Biologists believe
That the chemical
Makeup of a layer of mucus that covers the clownfish is
very similar to the sea anemone mucus. This allows
the fish to swim without harm.
The clownfish benefits by the anemone as it
is swimming/hiding in the anemone as it is
protected from predators who would be
stung.
The anemone benefits because the motion
of the clownfish swimming near or in the
anemone tantalizes predator fish creating
food for the anemone.
Ecosystems
http://youtu.be/Ot_KmOTYfRA
Food Webs
Homework
Read Module 10 pages 309 – 324
Answer OYO questions 10.1 – 10.4
Answer Study Guide questions a-I and 2-6
Complete lab book “Food Web”
Class Challenge
Quiz: Explain the “Taxonomy” of Ecology
Explain Food Webs.