Download Ecological Concepts

9/16/2015
Factors in Ecosystems
What is Ecology?
Scientific study of natural interactions
• between organisms
• between organisms & their environment
(surroundings)
(land, water, air) Biosphere
Biome
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
-where all living things are found - earth
-geographical location makes the
climate, determines plants/animals
Ecosystem -biotic & abiotic factors in an area
Community -different species in an area
Population -same species in an area
(Species) Organism
BIOTIC – LIVING (Biological)
-tissues working together (same job)
Tissue
-cells with the same function
Cells
-smallest unit of living things
Molecul
es
Atoms
What Shapes an Ecosystem?
wind
Availability
of water or
nutrients
Abiotic
Factors
Biotic
Factors
Any other
organism
that might
interact
with
Ecosystem
Habitat
Niche
-small organs of a cell
-2 or more atoms combined
-Building blocks of matter
Habitat
• Area where an organism lives
• Includes both a/biotic factors
– Food
– Water
– Shelter
– Space
Trash
Rocks
Minerals
Rain
Storms
Flood
Temperature
Water
Soil
Drought
Gravel
Sunlight
-can mate & produce fertile offspring
Organs
Organelles
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
climate
Organ Systems -group of organs working together
Levels of
Biological
Organization
ABIOTIC – NONLIVING (Physical)
Worms
Weeds
Dead Organisms
Bacteria
Flowers
Insects
Grass
Scat
Deer
Mushrooms
Mice
Niche
• Organism’s job (ecological role)
– Place in the food chain/web
– What climate it needs to survive
– What habitat it lives in
– What it eats
– When & how it
reproduces
1
9/16/2015
ENERGY
Ability to do
work or cause
change
Food Chain
Series of steps where organisms transfer
energy by eating & being eaten
Produces: warmth, sound,
light, movement, growth
(Work – transfer of energy)
Which direction is the energy flowing?
Food Chain
Food Web
Sequence of organisms or trophic levels
where each feeds on the proceeding
Trophic system composed
of interconnected food chains
Be Prepared to Discuss
Ecological
Pyramids
2
9/16/2015
Ecological Pyramid
The “D” Words
• Detritus – dead organic material
Shows the relative amounts of energy/matter
contained within each trophic level.
10% Rule = Only 10% of energy is passed on.
–Leaf litter, humus, ocean bottom
• Decomposers – organisms that break
down dead or decaying matter
(Bacteria)
• Detritivores – consumers that eat dead
plant & animal matter
–worms, fungi, bacteria, scavengers
Tertiary Consumer
Trophic
Levels
Harmful substance enters environment
Concentration of
substance increases in
organisms at higher
trophic levels
 Affects the entire
food web
 Top-level carnivores
are at highest risk

• Heterotroph
• Omnivore-Carnivore

Secondary Consumer
• Heterotroph
• Omnivore-Carnivore
Primary Consumer
• Heterotroph
• Omnivore-Herbivore
Producer
• Autotroph
• Photosynthetic-Chemosynthetic
Competition
• Competition occurs when two organisms
fight for the same limited resource.
Ecosystem
Interactions
Symbiosis
Competition
Predation
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism
3
9/16/2015
Intraspecific Competition
• Same species
Interspecific Competition
• Different species
4 Pictures 1 Word
Predation
• 1 organism (predator) captures & feeds on
another organism (prey).
S Y M B I O S I S
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPZNjtODzFI
http://youtu.be/yMUMOeFzo9U
Symbiotic Relationships
Symbiosis – close relationship between two or more species
Mutualism
Both species benefit! + +
Some are dependent on the relationship
Ex: Lichen = Algae + Fungus
4
9/16/2015
Mutualism
Both species benefit! + +
Some are dependent on the relationship
Commensalism
One organism benefits & the other is
unaffected (isn’t harmed or benefitted)
+0
Parasitism
Nest Parasite
One species (parasite) derives nourishment
at the expense of the other (host)
+• Host also provides parasite with a place to live & reproduce
• Does the parasite usually kill the host?
Endoparasite
Aphid Killers
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/animals/bugs-animals/bees-andwasps/wasp_parasitic/
http://youtu.be/rLtUk-W5Gpk
Body Invaders
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/national-geographic-channel/all-videos/av6461-6667/ngc-body-invaders/
http://youtu.be/vMG-LWyNcAs
Snail Zombies
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/animals-pets-kids/invertebrateskids/snail-zombies-kids/
Roach Zombies
http://youtu.be/qN2XMyxAs5o
Parasitic Plants
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwfhYYnmLYM&list=PL_5OKef10sqdjt8yvtjVeK4xLS7l
InZjj&feature=share&index=3
Be prepared to discuss
A scientist did an experiment in a controlled environment with two plants
– Plant 1 and Plant 2. The scientist grew the two plants separately, and
then grew them together. The scientist measured the growth of the plants
under each of these two conditions.
50
Height (cm)
Ectoparasite
Plant 1, grown separately
40
30
Plant 2, grown separately
20
Plant 1, grown together
10
Plant 2, grown together
0
0
4
8
Time (days)
12
What type of interaction occurred between Plant 1 and Plant 2 when they
were grown together?
A
B
C
D
Competition
Parasitism
Commensalism
Mutualism
5
9/16/2015
Follow-up questions
• Sketch what this graph would look like for
commensalism.
• Sketch what this graph would look like for
parasitism.
Limiting Factor
• Causes population growth
to decrease
• Affects an organism’s ability to survive
Write the following on the separate colors:
• Density-Dependent Limiting Factor
– Depends on population size
• Density-Independent Limiting Factor
– Affects all populations in similar ways, regardless
of population size
Limiting Factors
Density
Dependent
Density
Independent
Competition
Unusual Weather
Predation
Natural Disasters
Parasitism
Seasonal Cycles
Disease
Human Activity –
damming rivers,
clear-cutting,
Ecological Succession
• Series of predictable changes involving species
replacements in a community over time.
Carrying Capacity (K)
• The largest number of individuals that an
environment can support
Primary Succession
– Occurs in areas where there is no soil
• Previously unoccupied by living organisms
• Following a volcanic eruption or glacial retreat
• Organisms occupy a site and gradually change
environmental conditions
–Allows other plant species to grow
•Create soil or change soil nutrients
•Shelter
•Increasing humidity
•Provide shade
6
9/16/2015
Secondary Succession
– Begins in areas where soil is present
•
•
•
•
Existing community is disrupted & a new one develops
Following a fire or clear-cutting
Abandoned crop fields
Wetlands or shallow ponds eventually fill in
Be prepared to discuss
The growth of crabgrass and horseweed in the
community illustrated above is an example of A
Primary succession
B
Climax community
C
Secondary succession
D
Extinction
7
9/16/2015
MATTER
Recycling in the Biosphere
• Energy = 1-way flow
Anything that
takes up space
& has mass
• Matter = recycled within &
between Earth’s systems
Ex: nutrients
What supplies the
energy to keep
these matter
cycles going?
Biogeochemical Cycles
• Processes that move chemicals
(CHNOPS) through the
biological (biotic) & geological
(abiotic) parts of Earth.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Biogeochemical Cycles
Sun is the energy source
Most energy is lost
Nutrients are recycled & reused
Organisms die & are decomposed
Nutrients are released
Eventually become parts of living things
again. How? Gecko/Ants
Body Farm Video
8
9/16/2015
NUTRIENT CYCLES
• Nutrient – all the chemical substances
needed to sustain life
– Life’s “Building Blocks”
– Every living organism needs nutrients to
build tissues and carry out essential life
functions
Nutrients are passed between organisms & the
environment through ____________________
biogeochemical cycles
Where is Carbon Stored?
-
Atmosphere – carbon dioxide (CO2)
Biosphere – organisms (dead & alive)
Hydrosphere - Oceans – dissolved CO2
Lithosphere – rocks - calcium carbonate rock
(CaCO3 – limestone)
- Fossil Fuels – coal, oil, natural gas (made up of
dead organisms from millions of years ago
Nitrogen Cycle
Processes that Move Carbon
- Biological – photosynthesis, respiration,
decomposition, digestive processes
- Geochemical – erosion, volcanic activity
- Biogeochemical – decomposition, conversion in
to fossil fuels
- Human Activities – mining, cutting/burning
forests, burning fossil fuels
Where is Nitrogen Stored?
- Atmosphere - gas (N2)
- Organisms
- Waste products
- Dead & decaying organic matter
- Large bodies of Water
9
9/16/2015
Nitrogen Cycle - Processes
• Most organisms cannot use atmospheric
nitrogen (N2)
• Nitrogen-fixing bacteria found in soil & on
certain plant roots “fix” (transform) N2 into a
form that plants can use – ammonia (NH4+)
• Some bacteria (Rhyzobium) live in nodules on
the roots of plants called LEGUMES
– Beans, peas, clover
Processes that Move Nitrogen
- Nitrogen Fixation – Process of converting
nitrogen gas into ammonia (NH4+).
- Legumes
- Lightning & volcanic action
- Denitrification – Conversion of nitrates into
nitrogen gas.
- Soil bacteria
- Human Activities – fertilizers
Be prepared to discuss
Name at least one other event that may
have caused the trend shown on the graph.
Be Prepared to Discuss
10