Ecology & Energy

ECOLOGYStudy of

living

organisms

and their

interactions

w/ non- living

environment

History• Ernst Haeckel,

1800’s

• Eco = “house”

• ology = “study

of”

Made up of Biotic

Things: Living

And Abiotic Things:

Not Living

heirarchy of Ecology• Organisms

• Populations

• Communities

• Ecosystems

• Biosphere

Organism

PO

PU

LA

TIO

N

PO

PU

LA

TIO

NP

OP

UL

AT

ION

Community

Ecosystem

• Orgs adapted to a specific set env. Conditions evolution via nat.

selection)

TPS: Story Time!

Evolution: Change of species over

time…genetic makeup changes

Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem

• Where Potomac

River meets Atlantic

Ocean.

• 1 Ecosystem, 3

Communities

Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Chesapeake Communities

1) Potomac River = orgs adapted to

fresh water, very low salinity

Bull Shark in

Potomac River

2) Estuary (place where salt and fresh

water meet)

• Brackish (salt marsh): orgs adapted to

low salinity (salt concentration)

Chesapeake Communities

Chesapeake

Estuary

3) Atlantic Ocean: Salt Water, high

salinity

Chesapeake Communities

Side Note: Chesapeake Bay is eutrophied

(excessive algae growth) preventing many

species from living here.

All Ecosystems Need Energy!

• Comes from Sun!

• Energy: ability to do work!

Potential vs. Kinetic Energy• Stored energy

• Ex: Water

behind a dam

• Energy due to

motion

• Ex: Wind Turbine

Thermodynamics: the Study of Energy

Transformations

1st Law of Thermodynamics• Energy

cannot be created nor destroyed

• May changefrom one form to another Ex: Solar Energy

Chemical Energy

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

• No rxn is 100% efficient lose energy

• Systems spontaneously increase entropy (disorder)

Gaia Hypothesis

• James Lovelock!!

• All orgs and non-living factors on Earth

are connected.

• Self-regulating system which strives to

maintain homeostasis

Mr. Anderson Earth Science

Video Clip and Guide