Download Ecology

Sept. 28 & Nov. 9-10
2013
Free National
parks Day!
Aztec Ruins National Monument
Bandelier National Monument
Capulin Volcano National Monument
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Chaco Culture National Historical Park
El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail
El Malpais National Monument
El Morro National Monument
Fort Union National Monument
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area
Old Spanish National Historic Trail
Pecos National Historical Park
Petroglyph National Monument
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
Santa Fe National Historic Trail
White Sands National Monument
Ecology
ECOLOGY – the study of how organisms
interact with one another and with their
environment (Eco=“house”)
HABITAT – the place where a particular
population of species lives
NICHE- the role or “job position” that an
organism has in its
environment
COMMUNITY-the many
different species that
live together in
a habitat
Ecosystem – a community and all
the physical aspects of its habitat
• ABIOTIC – nonliving component
or physical
factors
( minerals, rainfall,
sunlight, humidity,
wind temperature)
• BIOTIC – living
components (all
organisms)
ECOLOGICAL
ORGANIZATION
(from smallest to largest)
• INDIVIDUAL – individual organisms
• POPULATION – organisms of same
species in same area (biotic factors)
• COMMUNITY – several populations in
same area (biotic factors)
• ECOSYSTEM – community plus abiotic
factors
• BIOSPHERE – all ecosystems on Earth
Food Chain-pathway of energy transfer
through the feeding patterns of organisms
spinach  caterpillar  robin  garden snake  owl
• Producer (Photosynthetic)
• Primary Consumer
(Herbivore)
• Secondary Consumer
( Carnivore)
• Tertiary Consumer
(Carnivore)
• Top Order Consumer
(Carnivore)
• Decomposers – consume
dead and decaying remains
of organisms
Food Web-a diagram that shows the
feeding relationships between organisms in
an ecosystem
Types of Species Interactions
•
Predation – one benefits, other
killed (cat eats mouse)
• Symbiosis - two or more
species live together in a close
relationship
Types:
1. Mutualism – both benefit (ants
and aphids)
2. Commensalism – one benefits,
other neither harmed or
helped (clown fish & sea
anemone)
3. Parasitism – one benefits,
one harmed but not killed
(Mistel Toe on juniper)
Predator - Prey Relationship
Nutrient Cycling in Ecosystems
Nutrients (C, N) and
water cycle
through
ecosystems
Ex: Nitrogen Cycle
Ex: carbon cycle
Energy Flow In Ecosystems
•Energy
Flows
Through
Ecosystems
Ex: Energy
Pyramids
Trophic
Levels-
one of the
steps in a
food chain
or food
pyramid
Ten Percent Rule: 10% of the energy is used
or transformed, 90% is lost as heat
Growth Curves
Human Population
Succession-the regular progression of
species replacement in the environment
Succession after the
1988 Yellowstone
National Park Fire
Natural
Succession
of a Pond
pond
bog
woodland