Goal 5: Ecology

Why Study Ecology

• Ecology is the study of interactions between organisms and their environments

• Ecologist ask questions such as:• “What does a coyote eat”• “How does temperature affect the growth of

plants”• “How does day length affect bird migration”

• Bio= life• The sphere of life consists of living and nonliving

factors. It supports all life.• Biotic= living• Abiotic=non-living

Make a Column of Biotic and Abiotic Factors

• BIOTIC

• -bacteria• -grass• -fungus• -fish• -mushrooms

• ABIOTIC

• -air• -water• -nitrogen• -dirt• -sun

Name the Abiotic and Biotic Factors

Levels of Organization

Organizing Living Things in Ecology

• First level (most specific)- Organism– Individual living thing

• 2nd Level - Population– Group of organisms all of one

species

Organization continued

• 3rd Level - Biological Community– All the living (biotic)

populations of species that live in the same place at the same time

Organization cont.

• 4th level - Ecosystem– Both biotic and abiotic

things that interact with each other in given area at the same time

Finally…… The last level

• Fifth and biggest level - Biosphere

• Portion of Earth that supports living things

Organisms in EcosystemsHabitat vs. Niche

• Habitat = the place where an organism lives out it’s life– Where you live– One habitat can have many niches

• Niche = strategies and adaptations a species uses in its environment– Organism’s role in the habitat– More than one species can not occupy the same

niche in a location.

Bellringer• Relate each one of the

characteristics of life to the human body.

• Example: Genetic Code: My genetic information is contained in DNA and RNA

5.01a Identify and describe symbiotic relationships

• Symbiosis = "intimate living together" between different species.

• Refers to the different relationships that can exist between organisms1. Mutualism (+,+)2. Commensalism (+, 0)3. Parasitism (+, -)4. Predator-Prey cycle

Mutualism

Mutualism – clownfish and anemoneThe clownfish gets protection from the anemone

and in return protects the anemone from fish that would eat it (angelfish); the clownfish also keeps the anemone free of dirt and debris

http://www.bigfishhooked.com/clown_fish_and_anenome.jpg

Mutualism – Lichens and AlgaeLichens consist of afungus with an algaeor photosyntheticbacterium living inside the fungus.The alga provides food for both of themand the fungus provides a habitat forthe alga.

tbnid=7aE_8wrZkK9LJM:&tbnh=111&tbnw=148&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlichen%26start%3D20%26ndsp%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

Mutualism – Ant and Aphid• Aphids provides

honeydew sugar for ants. Ants protect the aphids from predators and parasites.

http://www.richsoil.com/antsandaphids/ants_aphids_sugar.jpg

Mutualism – sea slug with algae

The algae lives in the sea slug and makes food for both of them – in return it gets a place to live.

http://www.calacademy.org/science_now/new_species/melibe_digitata.html

Nitrogen fixing nodulesBacteria in the nodules can take nitrogen gas from the atmosphere and turn it into a form that can be used by the plant; in return, the plant protects the bacteria from harmful oxygen and the bacteria get food from the plant.

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/images/pests/179.jpg

Mutualism - pollinationMany plants depend on pollinators for their reproduction. They provide nectar to attract these pollinators. So the pollinator gets fed and the plant gets reproduced!

http://www.life.uiuc.edu/help/digitalflowers/picts/Asteraceae/15-Liatris%20pollination.jpg

Protozoans in cow’s stomachThese protozoans along withbacteria help the cow by digesting cellulose; cows don’t have the enzymes todo this.

http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/dlc-me/zoo/zac0278.jpg

The protozoans and bacteria get a place to live and a continual food source. This is a valuable mutualistic relationship.

Ants and Acacia Trees

http://www.agrotours.com/bio/cr13.jpg

• Acacia provides ants with a protein rich secretion. Ants protect tree from herbivores.

Commensalism

Cattle Egret - CommensalismThe cattle stir up grasshoppers and other insects that theegret likes to eat. There is no apparent benefit to the cow.

Commensalism – shark and remoraThe remorabenefits by getting food from the shark’s meal. But there is no apparent benefit to the shark.

http://www.scubaduba.com/gallery/shark2.jpg

Commensalism – whale and barnacle

Barnacle larvae attach to the whale. The barnacle has a habitat. Whale is not harmed.

• http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/wildlife/whales/humptail.jpg

Parasitism

Parasitism

Tick feeds on the blood of the host. The host loses blood or is subject to infection/death.

Mistletoe – a plant parasite

http://www.wcosf.org/other_photos/Mistletoe_1_600.JPG

Mistletoe lives off the branches and stems of Other trees. The tree can be very harmed.

Predator-Prey

In a predator-prey relationship one organism benefits and the other is killed.

Predator-Prey Cycle

Prey Population = Predator Population

More predators = more prey eaten

Prey Population Goes = Predator Population Goes

Less predators = less prey they eat

Predator: hunts: wolfPrey: hunted: rabbit

Bubble Map

• Symbiotic Relationships• Benefit• Harmed• No effect• Mutualistic• Commensalism• Parasitism• ** Examples of Each

• We will be planting Great Northern Beans to grow plants. In your group, you must decide on an experiment that you want to perform.

• Brainstorm Ideas. Choose one. • What do you want to find out? Can you develop

an experiment to answer your question? Does your question make sense? Is it confusing?

• Step 2: Hypothesis• What do you think will happen? BE SPECIFIC! Use

complete sentences.

• Step 3: Start developing a procedure