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Lesson 1 Abiotic and Biotic Factors in Ecosystems Organization of Species Ecosystems An ecosystem is made up of all the organisms in an area and their relationships with each other and with the non-living parts of their environment. Biotic Factors The living components of an ecosystem are called biotic factors. Examples of Biotic Factors: Animals Plants Fungi Bacteria Protists Abiotic Factors The non-living components of an ecosystem are called abiotic factors. Examples of Abiotic Factors: Temperature Soil and rocks Water Carbon Nitrogen A living thing is called an organism. Example: a deer All of the organisms of the same species that live in an area at the same time is called a population. Species is the largest group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. Example: a herd of deer All the populations of all species that live in an area is called a community. Example: deer + rabbits + bears The place where an organism or a biological population normally lives - habitat. Niche – the role an animal or plant species plays in the environment, the status of an organism within its environment which affects its survival. All the organisms living in an area, as well as the non-living parts of their environment, is called an ecosystem. Example: deer + rabbits + bears + water + temperature + sunlight + soil + air Large geographic areas that have similar climates and ecosystems are called biomes. Example: tundra, taiga, desert, etc. The biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships, including their interaction with the elements of the lithosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. Lesson 2 Energy Flow Food Webs Food Chains Food Pyramids Energy • All living things need energy to grow and to carry out their activities. • They get this energy from their food or directly from the Sun. • This energy is passed from one organism to another in an ecosystem. Producers Producers are living things that can make their own food by using energy in sunlight. Plants are one kind of producer and they make their food through photosynthesis. Consumers A consumer is an organism that gets its energy by feeding on other organisms. Animals, fungi, some protists, and some bacteria are consumers. Herbivores • Herbivores are consumers that only eat plants. • They are called primary, or first level consumers. Herbivores Primary consumers eat producers. Carnivores Carnivores are consumers that eat meat. Most are predators, but some are scavengers that eat the meat of dead animals. Carnivores They can be secondary (second-level) consumers, which means they eat the primary consumers, or… Carnivores …tertiary (third-level) consumers, which means they eat the secondary consumers. Omnivores • Omnivores eat both plants and animals. • Humans are omnivores. Decomposers Decomposers are consumers that get energy by breaking down dead plants and animals. They return materials stored in dead plants and animals to the soil, water, and air. Then green plants use the materials to make food. Food Chains & Food Webs • As organisms eat other organisms, they get energy. Food chains and food webs show us how that energy moves from one organism to another in an ecosystem. Food Chain A food chain is a model that shows how energy flows from one organism to another. Food Chain The arrows show how energy flows from the plant to the mouse,from the mouse to the snake, and so on. Food Chain But, mice are not the only organisms that get their energy from plants, and snakes are not the only organisms that get their energy from eating mice. Food Web • So, we have food webs to show us more of these relationships. • Food webs show overlapping food chains in an ecosystem. A Food Web Review Questions • What do the arrows in a food chain or food web represent? • What is the difference between a food chain and a food web? • Where does the energy for all living things ultimately originate? • What is always the last step in a food chain or food web? Bell Work What tertiary level should the grouse (bird in the middle) be labeled as? Why? NOTES Set-Up Energy • Energy is needed for all life processes, such as breathing, moving, growing, etc. • The ultimate source of energy for almost every living thing is the sun. The Movement of Energy • Living things do not create energy. • Energy is just passed from one organism to another. • It is released from food through the process of cellular respiration. From the Sun to Producers • Plants (producers) use the sun’s energy to make food (photosynthesis). • They use most (~90%) of the energy stored in their food to grow, reproduce, etc. • The food that is not used by the plant (~10%) is stored in the plant to be used later. From Producers to Primary Consumers • When primary consumers eat plants, they receive the energy that was stored in the plant. • They use this energy (~90%) to move, grow and for all of the other processes necessary to stay alive. • The energy that is not used up (~10%) is stored in their bodies. From Primary Consumers to Secondary Consumers • When secondary consumers eat primary consumers, they receive the energy that was stored in those organisms. • They use this energy (~90%) to move and grow and for all of the other processes necessary to stay alive. • The energy that is not used (~10%) up is stored in their bodies. …and so on. • This energy is eventually passed on to tertiary consumers, when the tertiary consumers eat them. Energy Pyramid • An energy pyramid is a diagram that shows the amount of energy that flows through an ecosystem. HowStuffWorks Videos "Assignment Discovery: Energy Flow“ Energy Pyramid • The shape of the energy pyramid represents two things: – the decrease in the amount of energy moving from producers to primary consumers to secondary consumers to tertiary consumers – the decrease in the number of organisms in an ecosystem as you move up the food chain. Energy Pyramid Questions 1. Why would there be less energy available to move from one level to the next? 2. Why would an ecosystem have fewer organisms as you move up the food chain? Lesson 3 Limiting Factors Carrying Capacity Limiting Factors Anything that limits the number of individuals that can live in ecosystem is a limiting factor. Examples of Limiting Factors: Food Water Climate Disease Shelter Predators Carrying Capacity The largest number of individuals of the same species that an area can support is called its carrying capacity. Example The woods around Cave Run only has enough food, water, and living space for a certain number of deer, rabbits, and squirrels. Lesson 4 Symbiotic Relationships There are different kinds of relationships between the organisms in an ecosystem. Predator/Prey An organism that hunts and eats another organism is called a predator. The organism that the predator hunts and eats is called prey. Which one is the predator and which one is the prey? zebra lioness Which one is the predator and which one is the prey? snake roadrunner Which one is the predator and which one is the prey? fish osprey Which one is the predator and which one is the prey? fox hare Symbiosis Symbiosis is when two organisms live together, temporarily or for a longer time, and at least one of the organisms benefits from the relationship. Different kinds of symbiosis Mutualism Commensalism Parasitism both organisms benefit one organism benefits one organism is unaffected one organism benefits one organism is harmed +0 +- ++ The organism that benefits in a parasitic relationship is called the parasite. The organism that is harmed in a parasitic relationship is called the host. Identify the type of relationships in the following examples: Moray Eel with Cleaner Fish Moray Eel gets a clean mouth. Cleaner Fish gets a meal. Mutualism Cattle stir up insects as they eat grass. Egrets hang around and eat insects. Commensalism Acacia plant with ant galls Bull horn acacia trees provide nutrients and housing for acacia ants. Acacia ants attack herbivores that try to eat the leaves. Mutualism Clown fish with anemone Clown fish gets protection. Anemone is unaffected. Commensalism Antelope with oxbird Antelope gets rid of parasites. Oxbird gets a meal. YouTube - JumpStart Symbiotic Harmony Song Mutualism Taenia worm in human eye Worm infects human blood stream. Human may go blind. Parasitism Keystone Species Concept In ecological communities there are little players and big players. The biggest players of all are referred to as keystone species. A keystone species may be defined as one whose presence/ absence, or increase/decrease in abundance, strongly affects other species in the community. Removal of the keystone in the arch will cause the structure to collapse. Evidence usually comes from addition or removal experiments. Keystone Species Lesson 6 Invasive Species An introduction Introduction Video • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJWZgjz7G0 1. Why are minx an “enemy” in Europe? 2. How did studying minx lead to breakthroughs in methodology for studying semi-aquatic mammals? 3. How could humans have prevented the invasion of minx on European land? What is a native species? Native species are those that normally live and thrive in a particular community. They occupy specific habitats and have specific niches in their native environment. They have natural predators that help to keep their populations in check. Pink lady's slipper, Cypripedium acaule Red fox, Vulpes vulpes What is a non-native species? • A species living outside its native distributional range, which has arrived there by human activity, either deliberate or accidental. Non-native species are not necessarily invasive. Multiflora rose, Rosa multiflora, was introduced for use as an ornamental plant, to control erosion, and to use as “living” fences for livestock. Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), were accidentally introduced to North America, and are now found in some Pennsylvanian waterways What is a non-native invasive species? • A non-native species that adversely affects habitats and biodiversity. Emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis , has killed millions of ash trees in the mid-west and has recently been found in Pennsylvania Japanese stilt grass, Microstegium vimineum, becomes established on recently disturbed areas and outcompetes native plants, reducing biodiversity. Common characteristics of invasive species Invasive species in general: • Have few natural predators, competitors, parasites or diseases • Have high reproductive rates • Are long-lived • Are generalists • Are pioneer species Characteristics that make Zebra mussels a good invader include its ability to tolerate a widerange of environments, and high reproduction rate; female mussels release up to 100,000 eggs ability to tolerate a wide-range of environments year. Discussion: how would these characteristics enable a species to become invasive? What traits are common to invasive plant species Characteristics that make tree-of-heaven a good invader include its ability to flower early (within 2 years), ability to spread asexually, and fast growth rate. • Self-compatible • Flower early • Produces abundant seed • Disperse seed widely • Grow rapidly • Spread asexually • Strong competitors Example: Japanese stilt grass What makes Japanese stilt grass a successful invader? • It can become established and live in a wide variety of habitats • Each plant produces hundreds of seeds that can remain viable in the seed bank for upward of five years. • Seed can be transported long distances by water or contaminated hay, seed mix and soil. • Plants also reproduce asexually. They form roots at the nodes, which allows for new vegetative stem growth. • People can spread stilt grass by carrying the seeds on their shoes, equipment and vehicles. Example: Garlic Mustard What makes garlic mustard a successful invader? • It can germinate in shade • Is capable of ballistic seed dispersal of up to 10 feet • Its seeds lie dormant for up to 6 years • Its seed spread by animals and water • It forms spreading monocultures • It is allelopathic: it produces chemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants Impacts of invasive species Displace native species: Japanese stilt grass displaces native herbaceous plants, reducing biodiversity, and reducing food available for wildlife species. Monoculture of Japanese stilt grass, prevents establishment of native herbaceous species Diversity of herbaceous species increases wildlife habitat Impacts of invasive species Reduce forest health and productivity Monoculture of Japanese barberry prevents the establishment tree seedlings Impacts of invasive species Some invasive species kill native species About ¼ of the hardwood trees in Pennsylvania used to be American chestnut. The invasive chestnut-blight fungus killed most American chestnut throughout the eastern US by 1950. American chestnut, Castanea dentata, at Grey Towers National Historic Site in Milford, PA, circa 1905 American chestnut infected with chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica Impacts of invasive species Indirect impacts: Hemlock woolly adelgid is killing Eastern hemlock trees throughout Pennsylvania and the northeast. Eastern hemlock forests play an important role in maintaining stream temperatures and oxygen levels favorable for brook trout. Hemlock mortality leads to increased water temperatures and oxygen levels, and therefore reduced brook trout populations. Hemlock woolly adelgid Hemlock woolly adelgid infestation Hemlock mortality along stream bank Impacts of invasive species Economic impacts: Invasive species are responsible for tremendous economic losses through loss in forest and agricultural productivity, spread of diseases that impact humans, among other impacts. European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, spread diseases to wildlife, livestock, and humans, damage agricultural crops, and displace native birds. Their damage to agricultural crops is estimated at $800 million annually. What you can do • When boating, clean your boat thoroughly before transporting it to a different body of water. • Clean your boots before you hike in a new area to get rid of hitchhiking weed seeds and pathogens. • Don’t move firewood (it can harbor forest pests like emerald ash borer). • Don't release aquarium fish and plants, live bait or other exotic animals into the wild. If you plan to own an exotic pet, do your research and plan ahead to make sure you can commit to looking after it. • Volunteer at your local park, refuge or other wildlife area to help remove invasive species. Help educate others about the threat.