Ecology Ch2 Sec 3 Page 39-42 Ecology links Life Science & Earth Science Ecology is the study of the...
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Transcript of Ecology Ch2 Sec 3 Page 39-42 Ecology links Life Science & Earth Science Ecology is the study of the...
Ecology
Ch2 Sec 3
Page 39-42
Ecology links Life Science & Earth Science
Ecology is the study of the complex relationships between living things and their nonliving, or abiotic, environment
Ecosystems A community of organisms and the
environment that the organisms inhabit is an ecosystem
From the Greek oikos—eco– Means house
Distribution of Ecoystems
Ecosystems haveABIOTIC COMPONENTS BIOTIC COMPONENTS
Sunlight Primary producers
Temperature Herbivores
Precipitation Carnivores
Water or moisture Omnivores
Soil or water chemistry (e.g., P, NH4+) Detritivores
etc. etc.
Elements Producers—produce their own
food– Plants
Consumers—get their energy from eating other organisms
Some consumers get their energy breaking down dead organisms—decomposers
Healthy systems have a balance of producers, consumers, and decomposers
Balancing Forces in Ecosystems
Organisms use matter and energy Because those amounts are limited so
is the number of organisms
The largest population that an environment can support at any given time is called the carrying capacity
Ecological Responses to Change Events such as forest fires can disrupt
ecosystems Often organisms move elsewhere if
other land is available and return when the area has recovered
Succession Primary—entrance of life to a formerly
lifeless area—after a lava flow, after a glacier
Secondary—reentry of life after a disaster
Climax community—when the ecosystem reaches a point of equilibrium
Primary Succession
Secondary Succession
Climax Community Occurs after many years when the
ecosystem reaches maturity and populations remain relatively constant.
Energy transfer The ultimate source of energy is the
sun Plants capture energy by a chemical
process known as photosynthesis This energy then flows through the
ecosystem through the plants
Energy pyramidEnergy is changed in
a series of chemical reactions
The amount of energy decreases in each transfer as some is lost
Food web A diagram that
shows the feeding relationship among organisms in an environment
Human Stewardship Changes in
ecosystems can affect the ability of an area to sustain a human population
Ecological balances can be affected by human activity
Check out these sites Food web info
http://www.vtaide.com/png/foodchains.htm
Extension Extensions are information as to
where to find extra material about an interesting subject.
If you find a topic you are very interested in, consider doing extra credit research over the topic.