Ecology: study of interactions between organisms (biotic) &
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Transcript of Ecology: study of interactions between organisms (biotic) &
Ecology: study of interactions between organisms (biotic) &
their environment/surroundings (abiotic)
Can you list biotic & abiotic factors in a pond ecosystem?
Biosphere: portions of planet where life exists
(land, water, air, atm)
8km above to 11km below Earth’s surface
Interactions w/in biosphere produce web of independence between organisms & environment
species
Biome
Levels of
Organization
Autotrophs: producers capture sun’s energy & use inorganic compounds (H2O & CO2) chemical energy stored in food/sugars & produce O2 in Photosynthesis
* Photosynthesis removes CO2 & adds O2 to atm
Chemosynthesis: uses chemical energy in bonds carbs
Ex. sulfur bacteria
(volcanic vents, hot springs)
H2S + O2 sulfur cmpds w/ chemical energy that converts CO2 in sea H2O carbs
Sunlight main energy source for all life on Earth
Photo autotrophs capture sunlight energy food energy
In photosynthesis
< 1% of sun’s energy that reaches Earth
is used by living things
Heterotrophs: Can’t harness sun’s energy
Consumers Rely on other organisms for energy/food
Herbivores: Plant Eaters
Carnivores: Meat Eaters
Omnivores
Eat plants and animals!
Hamburger (from cow)
Lettuce (plant)
Roll (wheat- from plant)
Pickle (cucumber/plant)
Detritovores: Feed on plant/animal remains
(mites, earthworms, crabs, snails)
Decomposers: break ↓ organic matter Fx at any level
Ex. Bacteria & Fungi, Mushrooms, Molds, Yeasts
Scavengers:
Carnivores that feed on dead bodies
Feeding Relationships
Energy flows in 1 direction through ecosystem
Suninorganic cmpdsautotrophsconsumers/heterotrophsFood chain: energy stored by producers passes through ecosystem along food chain.
Arrows = flow of energy
Food Web: Network of complex interactions that link food chains
Food Web
Identify the:
1. Producers
2. Primary Consumers
3. Secondary Consumers
4. Herbivores
5. Carnivores
6. Omnivores
7. What elements are missing from this food web?
Activity
Construct a Food web using the following animals. This ecosystem represents a farm area. The corn is the main source of food for many of the herbivores in the area. You do not have to draw pictures, you can just use the animal names and draw arrows between them.
SNAKE, CORN , CATERPILLAR, DEER, CROW, MOUSE, COUGAR, SQUIRREL, MICROORGANISMS (decomposers)
Trophic Levels: Only 10% of available energy transferred
Some lost as heat energy
~1/2 of light energy captured stored in plants as food.
Rest used for growth & metabolic processes.
Why can’t there be LOTS of trophic levels?
5th trophic level
4th trophic level
3rd trophic level
2nd trophic level
1st trophic level
Ecological Pyramids: Diagrams that show relative amount of
energy/matter w/in each trophic level
Energy Pyramid: Limits # of Trophic Levels
Only 10% of energy availbale w/in trophic
level transferred to next level b/c organisms
use much of energy consumed for life
processes (CR, mvmt, growth, development)
Biomass Pyramid: Amount of living tissue w/in trophic level
Pyramid of Numbers: Based on # of organisms w/in each trophic level
Pyramid of NumbersShows the relativenumber of individualorganisms at eachtrophic level.
Biomass PyramidRepresents the amount ofliving organic matter at each trophic level. Typically, thegreatest biomass is at the base of the pyramid.
Energy PyramidShows the relative amount of energy available at each trophic level. Organisms use about 10 percent of this energy for life processes. The rest is lost as heat.
Section 3-2
Ecological PyramidsEcological Pyramids