Download Ecology

Objective 3
Ecology
Ecology
The study of interactions between
living things and their environment
Levels in Ecology
1. Individual A single member
of a species
2. Population A group of individuals
of a species.
3. Community Several species in
an area.
4. Ecosystem Living and nonliving
things in an area
5. Biome
Group of ecosystems
6. Biosphere All the biomes
How do organisms interact?
Producers - organisms that
produce their own
energy, and are
food for other
organisms.
They are also called
autotrophs
Consumers - organisms that
have to eat other
organisms for
their energy
They are also called
heterotrophs
Who eats who?
Food Chain - a series of steps showing which organisms
eat which. (transfer energy)
Food Web
- a chart linking all
food webs in a
particular area
Another way to show relationships
Ecological Pyramids
Biomass Pyramid
- each level in the
pyramid shows the total
amount of organisms in
the level
Numbers Pyramid
- each level shows the
numbers of individuals
in the pyramid
Energy Pyramid
- each transition shows
the amount of loss of
energy from one level to
the next.
90% of energy
is lost to heat
from one level to
the next.
Only 10% of your food is actually incorporated
into making you!
Cycles in Nature
Water Cycle - shows the different stages that water goes
through in ecology
Carbon Cycle
- the carbon that makes you and all other
living (and many non living) things is
shown moving through the environment.
Nitrogen Cycle - All organisms require nitrogen. This cycle
shows how it moves through the environment.
Biotic factors in the environment interact in many
ways
Competition
When groups are
using limited
resources Situation
leaves winners and
losers.
Predation
When one organism
feeds on another
They can form a symbiotic relationship
(three different types)
1. Mutualism
Both individuals
benefit.
2. Commensalism
One is helped, one is
neither helped or harmed.
3. Parasitism
One is helped, the other is
harmed.
Biomes:
Def: a large area that is characterized by certain
soil, climate. plants, and animals.