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Ecology
The Biosphere
• Ecology-the scientific study of interactions
among organisms and between organisms and
their environment, or surroundings
The Biosphere
• Biosphere-contains the
combined portions of the planet
in which all of life exists,
including land, water, and air or
atmosphere
The Biosphere
• Biotic Factor-biological/living influence on
organisms within an ecosystem
– Examples: other organisms, diseases, food
The Biosphere
• Abiotic Factor-physical/nonliving influence
that shapes an ecosystem
– Examples: temperature, precipitation, wind, soil
type, sunlight
The Biosphere
• Species-a group of organisms so similar to one
another that they can breed and produce
fertile offspring
The Biosphere
• Population-group of individuals that belong to
the same species and live in the same area
The Biosphere
• Community-grouping of different populations
(i.e. different species) that live together in a
defined area
The Biosphere
• Ecosystem-collection of all the organisms that
live in a particular place, together with their
nonliving (abiotic) environment
The Biosphere
• Biome-groups of ecosystems that have the
same climate and similar dominant
communities
The Biosphere
• Producers/Autotrophs
– Organisms that use energy from the sun to
produce their own food (photosynthesis)
– Examples: plants, trees, algae
The Biosphere
• Consumers/Heterotrophs
– Organisms that cannot produce their own food
– Obtain energy by eating producers or other
organisms
– Examples: animals and fungi
Biotic or Abiotic?
Biotic or Abiotic?
Biotic or Abiotic?
Producer or Consumer?
Producer or Consumer?
The Role of Climate
• Weather-the day-to-day condition of Earth’s
atmosphere
– Changes from day to day
The Role of Climate
• Climate-average conditions over long periods
– Patterns of temperature and precipitation over
many years
Factors that Affect Climate
• The Greenhouse Effect
– Energy/heat from the sun is either reflected back
into space or absorbed in the biosphere
– Greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, and
water vapor) trap heat in the atmosphere, which
increases temperature
Factors that Affect Climate
• Latitude
– Earth’s tilt causes the distribution of sunlight to
change, causing three different climate zones:
tropical, temperate, and polar
Factors that Affect Climate
• Heat Transport
– There is an unequal distribution of heat, globally
– This creates wind and ocean currents, which
transport heat and moisture
Biomes
• 10 different biomes
• Each biome is associated with seasonal
patterns of temperature and precipitation
• Described in terms of biotic and abiotic factors
Biomes
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Tropical Rainforest
Tropical Dry Forest
Tropical Grassland/Savanna/Shrubland
Desert
Temperate Grassland
Temperate Woodland and Shrubland
Temperate Forest
Northwestern Coniferous Forest/Temperate Rainforest
Boreal Forest
Tundra
Feeding Relationships
• There are 5 different types of
consumers/heterotrophs:
– Herbivores
– Carnivores
– Omnivores
– Detritivores
– Decomposers
Feeding Relationships
• Herbivore-consumer that obtains energy by
only eating producers (plants)
– Examples: cow, deer, caterpillars
Feeding Relationships
• Carnivore-consumer that obtains energy be
eating other consumers (animals)
– Examples: snakes, owls, lions
Feeding Relationships
• Omnivore-consumer that obtains energy by
eating producers (plants) and consumers
(animals)
– Examples: bears and most humans
Feeding Relationships
• Detritivore-consumer that obtains energy by
feeding on producer (plant) and consumer
(animal) remains and other dead matter
– Examples: crabs, snails, earthworms
Feeding Relationships
• Decomposer-consumer that obtains energy by
breaking down organic matter and recycling
nutrients
– Example: bacteria and fungi
Feeding Relationships
• Food Chain-a series of steps in which
organisms transfer energy by eating and being
eaten
Feeding Relationships
• Food Web-links all the food chains in an
ecosystem together
Energy Flow
• Trophic Level-a step in a food chain/web
– Producers make up the first trophic level
– Consumers make up the other trophic levels
• There are primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers
Energy Flow
• Energy Pyramid-diagram that shows the
relative amounts of energy or matter
contained within each trophic level
– Only 10% of the energy in a trophic level is passed
on to the next trophic level
Energy Flow
• What can lead to disturbances to a food
chain/web?
• What can happen when a food chain/web is
disturbed?
• How can we prevent disturbances?
Niche
• Niche: all the physical and biological condition
an organism lives with and the way the
organism uses them.
– Example: the temp, food type, environment,
body…everything an organism needs to live
properly
• NO TWO organisms can have same niche in same
community!! WHY???
Niche
Habitat
• Natural home or environment
Organisms Interactions
• Competition: when the same or different
organism attempt to use same resources at
same time
• Predation: one organism captures or feeds on
another
Cont.
Symbiosis: any relationship where 2 species
live closely together. There are 3 types:
3 types of symbiosis
Mutualism: both benefit + +
Commensalism: one benefits while another is
left unharmed and not helped + ( )
Parasitism: one organism lives on or inside
another and harms it + -
Succession
• Ecological Succession- an ecosystem is
constantly changing in response to natural
and human disturbances
– Primary Succession- succession on land where no
soil exists or on newly exposed surfaces
– Example: where these was a volcano and lava flowed
over
–Secondary Succession- when
ecosystem is restored to original
condition
• Climax community- a biological community of
plants, animals, and fungi which, through the
process of ecological succession in the
development of vegetation in an area over time,
had reached a steady state.
• Pioneer species- hardy species that is first to
colonize a destroyed or disturbed area.