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Transcript
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.