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What is Ecology? Ch. 3.1 1 What is Ecology?? • The study of interactions that take place between organisms and their environment. • It explains how living organisms affect each other and the world they live in. 2 Levels of Organization 3 Levels of Organization • Ecologists have organized the interactions an organism takes part in into different levels according to complexity. 4 ORGANISM (species) • An individual living thing that is made of cells, uses energy, reproduces, responds, grows, and develops 5 POPULATION • A group of organisms, all of the same species, which interbreed and live in the same place at the same time. 6 COMMUNITY • All the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time. 7 ECOSYSTEMS • Populations of plants and animals that interact with each other in a given area with the abiotic components of that area. (terrestrial or aquatic) 8 BIOMES • A group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities – Grassland – Rain forest – Desert – Tundra 9 BIOSPHERE • The portion of Earth that supports life. 10 What level of organization? Organism 11 What level of Organization? Community 12 What level of Organization? Population 13 Habitat & Niche • Habitat is the place a plant or animal lives • Niche is an organism’s total way of life 14 The Nonliving Environment • Abiotic factors- the nonliving parts of an organism’s environment. • Examples include air currents, temperature, moisture, light, and soil. • Abiotic factors affect an organism’s life. 15 The Living Environment • Biotic factors- all the living organisms that inhabit an environment. • All organisms depend on others directly or indirectly for food, shelter, reproduction, or protection. 16 Abiotic or Biotic? Abiotic 17 Abiotic or Biotic? Biotic 18 Abiotic or Biotic? Abiotic 19 Abiotic or Biotic? Biotic 20 Biomes Video 21 Energy Flow Ch. 3.2 22 Feeding Relationships • Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction – From sun or inorganic compounds to autotrophs then heterotrophs 23 Food Pyramid • Each step in a food web or chain • Trophic levels – Each step in a food chain or food web – Producers make up 1st trophic level – Consumers make up 2nd, 3rd and higher levels 24 Food Webs • Complex network of food chains • Multiple organisms at each step 25 Energy Pyramid • Only part (10%) of energy stored in one trophic level is passed on to the next • Most used to perform life functions • Rest released as heat 26 Biomass Pyramid • Total amount of living tissues within a trophic level is called biomass • Represents total amount of potential food available for each trophic level in an ecosystem 27 Cycle of Matter? Ch. 3.3 28 Recycling in the Biosphere • Matter is recycled within and between ecosystems • Passed through biogeochemical cycles • Matter is transformed as it is recycled – The air you breath may have been once been inhaled by a dinosaur 29 Nutrient Cycles • Nutrients– All chemical substances that an organism needs to sustain life – Needed to build tissues and carry out essential life functions – Carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle and phosphorus cycle all cycle nutrients 30 Carbon Cycle • Carbon is a key ingredient of living tissue • Carbon is in the atmosphere, underground, on land and in oceans 31 Nitrogen Cycle • Nitrogen is required for all organisms to make amino acids (which are used to build proteins) • Nitrogen makes up 78% of earths atmosphere • Nitrogen cycles through earth and living tissues 32 Phosphorus Cycle • Phosphorus is required for making DNA and RNA • Not very common in the biosphere • Phosphorus does not enter the atmosphere • Found mostly in rock, soil and ocean sediments • Released as rocks and sediments gradually wear down. • Consumers eat producers to obtain phosphorus 33