Download Ecology - Elmwood Park Memorial High School

Ecology
Classification of Organisms
• The science of classifying organisms is called Taxonomy.
• Carl Linnaeus worked out a broad system of classification for
plants and animals in which an organisms form and structure
are the basis for arranging specimens in a collection.
• Domain – Kingdom – Phylum – Class – Order- Family –
Genus – Species
• Binomial Nomenclature is a two word scientific name that
consists of the genus followed by the species.
Ecology
• The study of the interactions of organisms
with each other and with their environment.
Populations
• A population is all of the individuals of a
species that live together in one place at one
time.
• Populations tend to grow because individuals
tend to have multiple offspring over their
lifetime.
• Eventually limited resources limit in an
environment limit the growth of the
population
3 Key Factors of Populations
• Population Size – the number of individuals
• Population Density – the number of
individuals that live in a given area.
• Dispersion – the way the individuals of the
population are arranged in space.
– Random
– Even
– Clumped
Carrying Capacity
• Populations do not usually grow unchecked.
Their growth is limited by predators, disease,
and the availability of resources.
• The population size that an environment can
sustain is called the carrying capacity.
Ecosystems
• The place where a particular population of a
species lives is it’s habitat.
• The many different species that live together
in a habitat are called a community.
• An ecosystem consists of a community and all
the physical aspects of it’s habitat.
Ecosystems
• The physical (nonliving) aspects of a habitat
are known as abiotic factors
• The organisms(living) aspects of a habitat are
known as biotic factors.
Ecosystems
• The occupation of an organism is called its
niche. This includes how it gets food,
reproduces, avoids predators, etc.
• The niche of an organism determines its
habitat.
• The way an organism has evolved to survive
determines where it can live.
Environmental Factors
• Since organisms have specific habitat
requirements, different environmental
conditions can limit where they live.
• These conditions are called limiting factors.
Community Interactions
Competition
• One of the main interactions between
organisms is competition.
• Competition is usually greatest between
members of the same species because such
individuals are more likely to share identical
niches.
Community Interactions
Predation
• In nature most living things will either eat or
be eaten.
• In predation members of one population are a
food source (prey) for members of another
population (predators).
Community Interactions
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Symbiosis
A close relationship between two different
organisms is called symbiosis.
A parasite lives on or in another organism that it
uses for food and sometimes for shelter.
The organism that the parasite uses is called
them host.
In this type of symbiosis the parasite benefits
from the relationship while the host is harmed.
Community Interactions
Symbiosis
• Comensalism – were one member of a
symbiotic relationship benefits and the other
is unaffected.
• Mutualism – where both members of a
symbiotic relationship benefit.
Ecological Succession
• Succession is a series of slow changes that
occur until a stable climax community is
reached.
Ecological Succession
• Primary Succession occurs when a new
environment appears for the first time and
becomes inhabited by pioneer species.
• Secondary Succession occurs after a sudden
disturbance causes a community to quickly go
through a series of changes
Energy in Ecosystems
• In order for organisms to survive there must
be a continuous source of energy.
• Ecologists describe the flow of energy
between organisms in a system of feeding
levels called trophic levels. (producers and
consumers)
Energy in Ecosystems
• Producers – Organisms that first capture
energy and convert it to energy storing
molecules
• Consumers – Organisms that consume plants
or other organisms to obtain the energy
necessary to build their molecules.
Energy in Ecosystems
• The path of energy through the tropic levels of
an ecosystem is called a food chain.
(producers to consumers- herbivores,
omnivores, carnivores detritivores)
• An interconnected group of food chain is
called a food web
Chain vs Web
Cycling of Materials in Ecosystems
• All substances are made up of chemical
elements.
• Only a few elements are found in significant
amounts in organisms, carbon, hydrogen
oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfer.
• Because they are needed by living things
these elements need to be recycled
throughout ecosystems again and again.
Water Cycle
Carbon Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle