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ECOLOGY
What is Ecology?
ECOLOGY: The study of
interactions among organisms with
each other and with the
environment.
How organisms interact with one
another.
How organisms interact with their
non-living environment
Levels of organization
atoms
molecules
organelles
cells
tissues
organs
species
population
community
ecosystem
systems
organism
biosphere
ECOLOGY
Species
 Groups
of organisms that can potentially interbreed
to produce fertile offspring
Do you
know any
species?
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus
Species have either an autotrophic or heterotrophic
method of nutrition:
- Autotrophs obtain inorganic nutrients from the
abiotic environment.
- Consumers are heterotrophs that feed on living
organisms by ingestion.
- Detritivores are heterotrophs that obtain organic
nutrients from detritus by internal digestion.
- Saprotrophs are heterotrophs that obtain organic
nutrients from dead organisms by external digestion.
Population
 All
the organisms of the same species which live in
the same habitat.
The black-veined white
butterfly
(Aporia crataegi) mating
A population
is always
composed
of samespecies
organisms
Habitat
The type of environment where an organism lives.
(e.g. a stream, a temperate woodland, trees tops)
Melursus ursinus
Community

Formed by populations of different species living
together and interacting with each other
7-spotted lady bird
(Adephagia
septempunctata)
Bean aphids
(Aphis fabae)
Red ant
(Myrmica rubra)
Broom plant
(Cytisus
scoparius)
Biodiversity
The total number of different species in
an ecosystem and their relative
abundance
© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
Worcester City Museums
Components of an Ecosystem
 Abiotic
Factors: nonliving factors that have an
effect on living things
Such as:
 light, water, wind, nutrients in soil,
heat, solar radiation, atmosphere, etc.
AND…
 Biotic
Factors: living or once living organisms
Living organisms…
 Plants
 Animals
 microorganisms in soil, etc.
Energy flow and organisms
Autotrophs
Organisms which can make
their own energy-rich,
organic molecules from
simple inorganic molecules
(e.g. green plants synthetize
sugars from CO2 and H2O)
© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
Heterotrophs
Organisms who must obtain energy-rich,
organic compounds from the bodies of
other organisms (dead or alive)
Detritivores
Heterotrophic organisms who ingest dead
organic matter (e.g. earthworms, woodlice,
millipedes)
Earth worm
(Lumbricus terrestris)
Saprotrophs
Heterotrophic organisms who secrete digestive
enzymes onto dead organism matter and absorb
the digested material. (e.g. fungi, bacteria)
Chanterelle
(Cantherellus
cibarius)
© 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
Consumers
 Omnivore: eats both plants and animals
 Carnivore: meat eater
 Herbivore: plant eater
Print this page and paste it into your notebook ;)
THE ENERGY CYCLE
Check this video
that explains the
energy flow in
ecosystems:
http://www.youtub
e.com/watch?v=o_
RBHfjZsUQ
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/biology/enercyc.html
Feeding relationships
 Predators
& prey
 Herbivory
 Parasite
& host
 Mutualism
 Competition
Large blue
butterfly
(Maculinea arion)
Why are ecological interactions important?
Interactions can affect distribution and abundance.
Interactions can influence evolution.
Camouflage – blending in
How has predation influenced evolution?
as predators become better at locating and subduing pray, their pray
over time develops adaptations to elude and defend themselves.
Adaptations to avoid being eaten:
spines (cactii, porcupines)
hard shells (clams, turtles)
toxins (milkweeds, some frogs)
bad taste (monarch butterflies)
Camouflage
Aposematic colors
Mimicry
Aposematic colors – warning
Mimicry – look like something that is dangerous
or tastes bad
Food Chains
 Sequence
of
relationships between
trophic levels.
 Show the flow of energy
from the SUN to the
heterotrophs.
 Trophic level: an
organism’s feeding
position in a food chain.
 Producers are essential
to every single food
chain
ENERGY PYRAMID
Check this video
Food Web
 Shows
the feeding relationships in a community.
Arrows show the flow of energy.