Energy flows from the leaf to the mouse

Energy flows

from the snake to the hawk

Name __________________________________ Period ________ Date __________

ECOLOGY NOTES I

PART 1: Food Chains and Levels of Organization in Ecology

Levels of Organization in Ecology • __________ - Group of organisms so similar to

one another that they can breed and produce fertile offspring.

• ______________ - Groups of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area.

• Communities - ________________ of different ________________ that live together in a defined area.

• Ecosystem - Collection of all the organisms that live in a particular place, together with their _____________, or physical, environment.

• Biome - Group of ________________ that have the same _____________ and similar dominant communities.

• ______________ - Contains the combined portions of the planet in which all of life exists, including land, ____________, and air, or _____________.

– It extends from about 8 kilometers above Earth's surface to as far as 11 kilometers below the surface of the ocean.

Levels of Organization in Ecology • Individual → Species → _____________ → Community → Ecosystem → Biome → Biosphere

Food Chain vs. Food Web1. Food Chains follow just ___ path as animals find food. 2. Food Webs show how plants and animals are

connected in ________ ways to help them all survive.

What Do Food Chains and Food Webs Demonstrate?• Both food chains and food webs show the

________________________ in an ecosystem.

LABEL EACH PICTURE AS A FOOD CHAIN OR FOOD WEB.

Trophic Levels • Trophic levels - corresponds to the different ________ or ________ in the food chain.

– The feeding position in a food chain such as primary producers, herbivore, primary carnivore, etc.

• Green plants form the first trophic level, the _______________. • Herbivores form the second ____________ level• Carnivores form the third and even the fourth trophic levels.

Food Chains Always Begin With Plants • Photosynthesis – process used by ___________ that __________ the sun’s energy and use it to

_________ food• Producer – organism that can use the __________ energy to make its own __________.

Eat and Be Eaten• Consumers – organisms that cannot _________ their own food; depend upon _______________.

– Three types of consumers• Herbivores - eat __________• Carnivores – eat _____________• Omnivores – eat both ___________ and _____________• Decomposer – feeds on the waste products or bodies of other _________ organisms

Decomposers• Decomposers – feeds on the ____________ products or ___________ of other dead organisms (both

plants and animals) • Also a _______________

– Includes:• mostly ____________ and ___________• maggots• dung beetles• ________________• sow bugs

Niche• Niche – an organism’s niche describes its _______________ in the ecosystem.• The niche describes the ______________ of the organism in the food chain.• Can be compared to a person’s _________________.

Other Food Chain Terms• Primary Consumer – first _________ (also called first-order consumer) • Secondary Consumer – ___________ consumer (also called second-order consumer) • Tertiary Consumer - _________ consumer (also called third-order consumer)

100% Energy

10% Energy

1% Energy

.1% Energy

Grass → Rabbit → Snake →

Hawk

Other Vocabulary• Autotroph - ___________ its own food• Heterotroph - ________ not make its own food

How Much Energy is Passed On?• Only ______% is passed on to the next trophic

level.• The other ______% is lost/given off as ________.

If a nation is starving, what should they eat? • Let’s think about the starving regions in __________.

– Should they eat producers or consumers? – Grains → Cows

• If they eat cows, _______% of the original energy is ________!– ________ people can be supported with the field of grain.

• They should eat _________!

Food Chains: Matter and Energy• As you go along a food chain, the matter and energy

______________. • This can be represented in a _____________.

Pyramids Pyramids are larger at the bottom…more _________ and

__________ are at the __________ of the pyramid!

Ecological Pyramids • Ecological Pyramid- diagram that shows the relative

amounts of __________ or ___________ contained within each ____________ level in a food chain or food web.

Two Types of Ecological Pyramids 1. Pyramid of Biomass – Represents the _____________

at each ___________ level 2. Pyramid of Numbers – Represents the ____________ of

_______________ at each trophic level

Pyramid of Biomass• Biomass – total ___________ of living ___________ within

a trophic level– Usually expressed in grams per unit area.

• As you go along a food chain, the amount of matter _______________!

Two Different Ways to Draw Pyramid of Numbers

Pyramid of Numbers As you go further down a food chain,

the ____________ of organisms ______________ because there is ________ energy available!

Population Changes in Food Chains • What would happen to this bird if the population of caterpillars decreases?

_____________________________________________________________

• What would happen to the bee population if the flower population exploded? _____________________________________________________________

• If the snake population decreases (refer to picture below), what would happen to the other organisms in the food chain?______________________________________________________________________________

Other Pyramid of Numbers If you have a __________ _______________

(such as a tree), the pyramid of numbers may look ____________ in shape.

A large tree supports a lot of ______________.

Name __________________________________ Period ________ Date __________

ECOLOGY NOTES II

PART 2: Interactions

1. Predation - The _________________ of prey as a means of maintaining ________.

One organism benefits One organism is killed

2. Parasitism - One organism (the _____________) benefits and the other (the ___________) is harmed, but is still _____________.

Can be considered a special case of _______________. Because the parasite needs the host to remain alive, it is

typically advantageous for the parasite NOT to __________ its ____________.

List three examples of parasites: ______________, ______________, ________________

3. Mutualism - Any relationship between two species of organisms that benefits _________ species.

Examples of Mutualism o ________________o _________ Dispersal o Lichens

4. Commensalism - Relationship between two species where one species ______________ from the relationship and the second species is ______________.

Examples of Commensalism: ______________ and _______________

Interactions SummaryType of

InteractionOrganism 1 Organism 2

Predation

Parasitism

Mutualism

Commensalism

PART 3: Carrying Capacity and Predators

Carrying CapacityCarrying Capacity - Number of species that can be _____________by an _______________.

Population Growth is Represented with an S-Curve

Factors that Limit a Population 1. Loss of ___________2. Climate Change 3. _______________4. Not Enough _________

PredatorsA predator is an animal or other organism that _________ and __________ other organisms.

Can be ______________ or ______________

The Importance of Predators 1. We need them to ____________ the ________________ power of most animals. Predators are

nature’s _________________. Without predators to control the populations, certain species like mice would ___________

out other species and would also destroy their _____________.2. They also get __________ of weak, crippled, stupid, stunted, and ______________ organisms.

For Example: In the Adirondacks of New York state, a healthy ___________population is expected to take approximately ____________ white-tailed _________ per year (Hosack 1996). But nearly ___________ deer die each year of _____________ during the harsh winters.

Predator/Prey Relationship

Large PredatorsThe number of large predators are _________________.PART 4: Cycles

Summarize what this graph is demonstrating: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Water Cycle Water

• The total ____________ of water on earth_____________ change.

• Water in Earth’s oceans does _______ remain there indefinitely. Water is constantly ______________ through the water cycle.

Energy for the Water Cycle• The ________ provides energy for the water cycle.

Evaporation• Water is _________ from the soil and from all surface water (lakes,

streams, ponds, oceans) through evaporation or transpiration.1. Evaporation – occurs when the sun’s energy __________

the water, changing it from its _____________ state into its _______________ state (known as water ___________)

2. Transpiration – loss of water vapor from the__________ of plants through the ______________ (openings in leaves)

Condensation• Condensation – process of water vapor changing from ___________________

into its ____________ form 1. As warm humid air __________, it loses energy and ___________.2. As the air ___________, the water vapor collects on small particles

(such as dust or volcanic ash) in the atmosphere and forms ___________.

Precipitation• When the droplets become too _____________ to remain in the atmosphere

they begin to __________l. 1. Precipitation – all moisture _____________ from the atmosphere

• The ________________ of the air determines the form of precipitation:1. ________2. Sleet3. ________4. Hail

Where Does The Precipitation Fall? 1. Ocean or Other Bodies of Water

– Most precipitation falls here since most of the earth’s surface is covered by _________.2. Land

– May flow over the surface as runoff, which flows into __________ or ____________.– May enter the __________

Infiltration• Infiltration – process of precipitation entering the ___________

– The water can _________ or percolate through the soil and rocks until it reaches a layer of impermeable ___________ or clay.

– This layer of __________ is called groundwater.– This layer of permeable (___________) rock where the water is stored is called an aquifer.

Carbon-Oxygen CyclePhotosynthesis

Using ___________ energy, plants combine

N=N → 2NH3

_________________ (CO2) from the atmosphere and __________ (H20) to form ___________ and ___________ in the process of photosynthesis.

Carbon Dioxide + Water → Sugar and Oxygen The product of photosynthesis is a sugar called ___________.

What is Sugar (Glucose) Used For?1. Source of __________2. Building ___________ for other compounds such as proteins, oils, and starches.

Respiration In respiration, the compounds containing carbon (the organic compounds)

are __________ ________, and ______________________ is released. Plants, animals, and microorganisms all carry out _____________!

Is the Carbon-Oxygen Cycle Balanced?• The Carbon-Oxygen cycle is ________ of balance.• There is ________ carbon dioxide being ___________

into the atmosphere than is being ___________.• Most of the carbon dioxide is produced during the process

of _____________ called combustion.• When compounds containing carbon (wood, coal, or oil)

are burned, the carbon is chemically combined with oxygen, and __________________ is _____________.

• The use of carbon dioxide by _________ during photosynthesis is a much _____________ process.

• As a result of the imbalance between these two processes, the level of ___________________ in the atmosphere is _________________.

Decomposers

• When organisms die, decomposers ____________ down the carbon compounds in their bodies, and carbon dioxide is ___________ to the atmosphere.

• During decomposition (decay), other chemicals are also ____________ to the ________ or released into the ________. One of these chemicals is ___________.

Nitrogen CycleNitrogen

• Plants and animals need ____________ to make _____________.• The air is about _______% nitrogen, but plants and animals cannot use nitrogen ___________ from

the _________.

How Do Plants Get Nitrogen?• Special _____________, in the soil and water, must change

or “______” nitrogen gas (N2) into nitrogen fertilizers (NO3-)

or ammonium ions (NH4+) that plants can use.

• These bacteria are called ______________________.

Nitrogen Fixers• Most nitrogen-fixing bacteria live in little _____________, or nodules,

on the roots of plants called _________. o Legumes - Members of a large family of ___________ that include

peas, __________, alfafa, and clover.• Mutualistic Relationship

– The ____________ provide _________ and cover for the bacteria, and the bacteria convert nitrogen gas into __________ for the plant.

How Do Animals Get Nitrogen?• Animals get nitrogen from __________ or from other plant-eating ____________, in the form of

_____________. • Animals must ________ protein to get our nitrogen requirements! We can’t ___________ in nitrogen.

• Nitrogen is recycled by special ____________ • that _________ down the nitrogen compounds

(proteins) in dead plants and animals, and in animal wastes.

• If plants do not use the nitrogen compounds as fertilizer, special forms of bacteria may ____________ it. These bacteria convert the unused fertilizer into nitrogen ________ and ____________ it into the atmosphere.

(REFER TO PICTURE ON THE RIGHT)

ALL NATURAL ECOSYSTEMS DEPEND UPON _____________ TO KEEP THE NITROGEN CYCLE GOING!

Lightning and the Nitrogen Cycle• _____________ plays a small role in the nitrogen cycle.• Lightning ___________ nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere.

– The “________” nitrogen, (which is dissolved in the rain) enters the _______.

Human Activities Affect the Nitrogen Cycle• To grow crops that require large amounts of nitrogen, farmers add ____________.• Farmers also plant ____________ crops to take advantage of their natural abilities to ______ nitrogen.

Combustion: Another source of Nitrogen• The ______________ of fossil fuels is another source of _____________.

– Combustion causes nitrogen and oxygen to combine creating nitrogen __________ (NOx).

PART 5: Global Warming and Energy Sources

Greenhouse Effect Greenhouses work by trapping heat from the ________.

The glass panels of the greenhouse let in ___________ but keep _________ from _______________. This causes the greenhouse to _________ up, much like the inside of a _______ parked in sunlight, and keeps the plants __________ enough to live in the winter.

Greenhouse Effect – the ___________ of air caused by the sun’s _______________ (light) passing into the atmosphere and being changed to _________ energy which is trapped by gases in the atmosphere

o Without this blanket of gases, the earth would be _______°F cooler than it is today.o The ice-coated planet would be ____________ to support _________ as we know it today.

Greenhouse Gases: Carbon Dioxide Carbon Dioxide – Produced during ______________ in plants and animals and the decomposition of

organic mattero The quantity of carbon dioxide _____________ by respiration and decomposition is nearly

________________ by the quantity of carbon dioxide absorbed by ____________during photosynthesis.

o Analysis of carbon dioxide trapped in ________ _______ indicates that the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere changed very __________ during the ten thousand years prior to the ______________ revolution.

Carbon Dioxide Levels Are Rising Human activities have released carbon dioxide into the atmosphere:

o Mainly from the _____________ of fossil fuels o __________________

Global Warming By altering the ______________ composition of the atmosphere, we are _______________ the

“greenhouse effect” and therefore contributing to global warming.o Global Warming – an _____________ in the earth’s average __________________.

According to the World Resources Institute, “Greenhouse warming is the most serious and threatening problem of the century.”

Living in a Warmer World We know that the level of greenhouse gases, especially ___________________, is increasing and, as

the level increases, global _________________ will ___________!!!

Consequences of Global Warming:1. Expansion of seawater and the ____________ of polar ice and snow

The greatest ______________ is along the ________ coast A _________________ rise is predicted along the gulf and Atlantic coasts by ________.

2. In the US, both ______________ and _________________ are expected to increase Precipitation will be concentrated in large ____________ (will reduce infiltration and increase

____________)3. Habitats and Wildlife

Climate zones could _________ and some plants might not be able to _______ to the changes 4. Agriculture

Crops yields will ___________ 5. Weather Predictions

Warmer weather may make the weather ______________ more ____________6. Humans

_________ waves could become more ____________ in some areas Increased temperatures could increase the level of ground-level _________and cause

increased health __________ (asthma and other lung diseases).

What Can You Do? To decrease the threat of global warming, we must ____________ the ______________ of greenhouse

gases.o Increased _______________ (use more energy efficient light bulbs, recycle, car pool, use mass

transit, drive a fuel efficient car) o _______________ energy sources

_________ and __________ energy are the best choices because they produce no carbon dioxide.

Switching to oil or natural gas will produce less carbon dioxide than burning coal. o Plant/Keep more _________!

Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Resources Renewable Resources – Resource that can _________________ quickly and that is _______________.

o Examples: tree, water, windo Not necessarily ______________

Nonrenewable Resources – Resource that ___________ be ______________ by natural processes. o Examples: fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas

Energy Sources 1. Windmill2. ________________Power3. __________ Power (Photovoltaic)4. Nuclear Fission 5. ___________ Fuels

Wind Energy Creating energy from _________. Wind is simple air in motion. It is caused by the uneven ___________ of

the earth’s surface by the ___________. ________________ energy source because the wind will blow as long as

the sun shines. How Do Windmills Work?

o Wind turbines use wind to make electricity. The _________ turns the blades, which spin a _______________, which connects to a ________________ and makes electricity.

Hydroelectric Power Hydroelectric Power – Produce electricity

from _____________.

o How it works : Water is used to turn a ___________(propeller-like piece), which then turns a metal shaft in an electric generator (motor that produces electricity).

o _____________ Energy Source

Solar Power (Photovoltaic) Solar Power - Use __________ energy to make electricity.

o Also called called ____________________. o Examples : solar-powered watch or calculatoro ________________ energy sourceo The ____________ cost a lot and a lot of open

land is needed. o Sun must be _________ to produce ___________!

Nuclear Fission Nuclear Fission – Producing energy by _____________ atoms, or fissioning them.

o To make large-scale use of the energy released in fission, one fission event must trigger another, so that the process spreads thoughout the nuclear fuel as in a set of ___________.

o Can be very dangerous...could be used as a nuclear ____________!o _______________ Energy Source

Fossil Fuels Fossil Fuels – Coal, _______, or natural gas used to produce energy.

o ______________ Energy Sourceo Formed from plants and animals that lived up to _______ million years ago.o Found in ______________ beneath the earth. o The fuels are burned to release the __________ energy that is

___________ within this resource. Combustion – Burning of ______________ to produce energy.

Over _______% of our energy demands are met by the combustion (burning) of fossil fuels.

Increases the amount of ____________________ in our atmosphere.