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ECOLOGY The study of the interactions: between organisms between organisms and their physical environment -water -sun -temperature -soil All organisms are dependent on others and their physical environment. ECOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION Population- all members of a species inhabiting a given area. Examples: All water lilies in a pond. All gray squirrels in town. All dogs in town. All people of earth. All grasses in town. Community- all interacting populations in an area. - all plants, animals, and microorganisms in an area Land (terrestrial) and Aquatic Communities exist. Ecosystem- All members of a community and the physical environment. - Biotic (living) and Abiotic (nonliving) parts functioning together. - Stable and self-sufficient. Biosphere- The parts of the earth in which living things exist. - Includes many ecosystems. - A thin zone 20 km thick. - From the ocean floor to the highest point in the atmosphere where life is found. Population Simple Community Ecosystem More Complex Biosphere ECOSYSTEMS Interactions between: Biotic Parts- living things. And Abiotic Parts- nonliving things. Both small and large ecosystems exist. From a small pond in size to a large Pine Forest. The sun is a constant source of needed energy for - stability - being self-sustaining Cycles oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, water, and minerals Biotic Factors All living things that affect the environment. Interact in many ways: - Nutritional relationships- organisms eating other organisms. - Symbiotic relationships- organisms living in close association. Abiotic Factors Intensity of light. Temperature range. Amount of water. Type of soil. Availability of minerals. Supply of gases. Oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen. Low pH-acid (orange juice, vinegar ) High pH- alkaline ( soapy, drain cleaner ) Limiting Factor- any of the abiotic factors that determine the type of organism in the area. Examples: Light Intensity- some plants do well on the forest floor but not in an open field. Strawberries and mosses grow well in low pH (acid) soils but most other plants do not. Fish needing high oxygen levels do not hang out in very warm water. Oxygen evaporates at higher temperatures. NUTRITIONAL RELATIONSHIPS Transfer of nutrients from one organism to another. Autotrophs- synthesize (make) their own food from inorganic (non-carbon) compounds. - Most do photosynthesis to make their own food. - Make their own protein, sugar, and fats. - Plants and Algae! Example: Photosynthesis CO2 + H2O + Sunlight = Carbohydrates + Oxygen + H2O Heterotrophs-cannot synthesize their own food. - need nutrients from others. - Animals, Protists (paramecium), Monerans (bacteria), Fungi (mushrooms). FOOD RELATIONSHIPS Heterotrophs are classified as: 1. Saprophytes- live on dead matter. - recycle the breakdown of dead plant and animals. - mushrooms, bread mold, bacteria of decay. 2. Scavengers- feed on dead animals. - do not recycle materials - vultures and hyenas 3. Herbivores- feed only on plants. - deer, rabbits, sheep, horses 4. Carnivores- animals that feed on other animals. Predators- kill and eat their prey. - lions, hawks, wolves. Scavengers- feed on dead animals. 5. Omnivore- eat both plants and animals. - humans, bears, red-tail fox. Symbiotic Relationships Organisms living in close association. Sometimes beneficial, sometimes not. 1. Commensalism- one organism benefits, while the other is not affected. Examples: Barnacles on whales. Orchids living on tropical trees. Pilot fish living with sharks. 2. Mutualism- both organisms benefit. Examples: Termites and bacteria- termites provide food and a place for bacteria. The bacteria digest wood for the termites. Lichens- made up of algae and fungus. - algae provide food for fungus, while the fungus provide moisture, minerals, and anchorage for the algae. 3. Parasitism- one benefits and the other is harmed Example: Athlete’s foot fungus. Tapeworms and heartworms in dogs. Mistletoe. Parasite- organism that benefits. Host- organism that is harmed. COMPETITION IN ECOSYSTEMS Habitat- where an organism lives. - It’s address! Niche- the role of an organism in food getting reproductive behavior. - It’s job! Examples: Slime Mold Habitat- damp floor of forest. Niche- digesting dead plant matter Deer Habitat- wooded pine lots Niche- grasses and plants Competition- niches of two organisms overlap. - resources become more scarce. - competiton is more intense. - one species is eliminated. - humans and wildlife often compete. ENERGY FLOW RELATIONSHIPS “Flow of Food” Eating and being eaten. Flow of energy needed to maintain an ecosystem. Food Chains Pathway for energy (food) flow Example: grass grasshopper frog Producers- grass- Autotrophs- green plants, algae. - sun’s energy is trapped here. - Level of most energy. Consumers- grasshopper- Heterotrophs- animals, Fungi (mushrooms), bacteria, protists (ameba, paramecium). Primary consumers- herbivores Secondary consumers- carnivores, omnivores Decomposers- breakdown the remains of dead organisms. - saprophytes-bacteria and fungi. Food Chain Example: Grass Mouse Grass Grasshopper Algae Diatoms Owl Frog Minnows Snake Hawk Bass FOOD PYRAMID Secondary HAW K SNAKE Less Energy More Competition consumers FROG GRASSHOPPER Producers GRASSES Primary consumers More Energy Top- Larger animals - Less in numbers - Less biomass- all plants and animals Bottom- Smaller animals - More in numbers - More in Biomass FOOD WEBS Two or more food chains in a community that are interconnected. Eating more than one species. More complex, more stable than a food chain. Greater Biodiversity Cycles of Materials Materials are recycled between organisms and the abiotic environment to self-sustain an ecosystem. Carbon-Hydrogen-Oxygen Cycle All recycled by: Photosynthesis- using carbon to store energy (sugar, Glucose). Oxygen is released. Respiration- burning of carbon to release energy. - oxygen is absorbed, Carbon dioxide is released Allows Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen to be used over and over. WATER CYCLE Water moves between the earth's surface and the atmosphere by: - Evaporation and Transpiration, water enters the atmosphere - Condensation and Precipitation, water returns to land - Respiration, water is exhaled - Excretion, water is urinate - Photosynthesis, water is a byproduct NITROGEN CYCLE Nitrogen is found in amino acids which are subunits of protein. Protein is used for: - Repair of living tissue - Muscle in animals - Plant tissue Plants- absorb nitrogen from the soil and turn it into protein. Animals- absorb nitrogen from eating plant protein and animal protein. PLANTS NITRATES NO3 ANIMALS NITROGEN GAS N2 ANIMAL WASTE DECOMPOSERS AMMONIA NH3 NITROGEN- FIXING BACTERIA - live on roots of legume plants - convert free N2 to Nitrates NO3 - nitrates absorbed by plants for making protein ANIMALS CONVERT PLANT PROTEIN TO ANIMAL PROTEIN DEAD ANIMALS AND PLANTS, ANIMAL WASTES CONVERTED TO AMMONIA BY DECOMPOSERS AMMONIA CONVERTED TO NITRATES BY NITRIFYING BACTERIA IN SOIL - nitrates used by plants NITRATES CONVERTED TO FREE NITROGEN BY DINITRIFYING BACTERIA ECOSYSYTEM AND CHANGE Change over a long period of time until a stable one is formed. Succession- replacement of one community by Another. - bare field to forest - unstable to stable Pioneer Organisms - starts a community - first plants to populate a given area - lichen and algae on bare rock - weeds and mosses in a bare field STAGES OF SUCCESSION 1. Bare Rock to Lichens - small amount of soil produced, making it favorable for next stage - mosses and ferns 2. Grasses and Shrubs - shrubs eventually shade-out grasses, making it favorable for next stage - more humus is formed - humus- dark decayed remains of animals and plants 3. Conifers- Pines and Furs ( softwoods ) - shade out their own seedlings that require a lot of light - making it favorable for next stage 4. Climax Stage - hardwoods - oak beech maple - stable community A catastrophe may change a climax community. - Forest Fires - Abandoned Farmlands - Volcanic Eruptions - Land Development Large Climax Communities - Grasslands, Midwest - Pine Forest, Northern Canada - Desert, Southwest Marine ( pond, lake, ocean ) Successions do occur. BIOMES Large ecosystems covering large areas of land ( terrestrial ) and large body of water ( aquatic ). Terrestrial biomes are determined by: - Temperature - Solar radiation - Precipitation Climate Tundra Permanently frozen subsoil ( 30 meters down ) Lichens, mosses, grasses Caribou, snowy owl Parts of Alaska and Canada and Europe, Siberia South of ice caps of Artic Taiga Long, severe winters, summer thawing subsoil Pines, furs, spruce trees Moose, black bear, wolf Canada, Europe, Asia Temperate- Deciduous Forest Moderate rain Cold winters Warm summers Maple, oak, beech Gray squirrel, fox, deer Tropical Forest Heavy rainfall Constant warmth Many species of broad leaf plants Snake, monkey, leopard, parrots, wide variety Equator Grasslands ( prairies ) Large range in rainfall and temperature Strong winds Grasses Antelope, prairie dog, bison, coyotes, rattle snakes Interiors of North and South America, Africa Desert Little rainfall Extreme daily temperatures Drought resistant shrubs, succulent plants like cacti, yucca, mesquite, sage brush Lizards, kangaroo rat, snakes, desert fox (fennec), spiders, insects Mexico, Southwest US, South America, Africa, Asia Increasing altitude on a mountain has same effect as increasing latitude on Biomes. Aquatic Biomes Largest ecosystem on earth Oceans and Lakes More stable than terrestrial ones temp is more constant, less variable Humans and the Biosphere Humans have changed their environment more than any other species. 1. Both positive and negative effects. Negative Effects Upset the natural balance of other ecosystems. - humans and other organisms are - harmed. A. Human Population Growth - rapid rise has caused hunger and starvation - growth exceeds food producing capacity - medical advances have increased life spans 1650 1840 1930 1980 2000 B. Human Activities 1.over-hunting, trapping, fishing -extinction, dodo bird, passenger pigeon -endanger, blue whale 2. importation of organisms - bringing in species with no natural enemies - Japanese beetle, gypsy moth, dutch elm disease 3. Exploitation - over use of plant and animal life - trees of the tropical rain forest for plywood - African elephant and the Pacific Walrus over-hunted for ivory tusks - Colombian parrots, only 50 at last count 4. Poor Land Use - urbanization of cities - suburbanization ( suburbs ) reduced farm land and natural habitats - overgrazing, overcropping failure to use cover crops causes loss of soil and nutrients 6.Technological Oversights caused pollution of -water -land -air Chemical wastes on land Phosphates - detergents Nitrates - fertilizers Heavy metals - smelting of iron and copper PCB's - industrial solvents Radioactive materials leaking Increase temperature of river water Air Exhaust gases from factories and autos - carbon monoxide - hydrocarbons - particulate matter - Nitrogen Oxides - Sulfur Dioxide Acid Rain Acid Rain - lowers Ph of lakes, ponds, and soil More Acid Biocides Insecticides and herbicides contaminate - soil - water enter by way - wild life of food chains - humans DDT -Killed many Bald Eagles, Falcons, Robins Positive Effects In understanding ecology, many changes have been made: 1. Population Control Methods of controlling human reproduction. 2. Conservation of resources Conserve water, fossil fuels, trees More trees now than in 1900 Recycling iron, copper, aluminum 3. Pollution Control Laws for water, air, and hazardous materials 4. Species Preservation Endangered species protection. Increases size of existing populations. By setting-up: Wildlife habitats or refuges National Parks Fisheries Hunting Laws and seasons Population increases have occurred in: Whooping Crane Bald Eagles Egrets Bison Buffalo Falcon Deer Turkey 5. Biological Control Use of sex hormones, sterile males, natural parasites. Mainly for control of insect pests rather than chemicals. 6. Laws 1985 Farm Act- natural wetlands Clean Air Act EPA has Clean Water Act power to Safe Drinking Water Act enforce All passed in the 1970’s and renewed in the 1980’s.