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Key Concepts of Ecology • What is ecology? • What basic processes keep us and other organisms alive? • What are the major components of the ecosystem? • What happens to energy in the ecosystem? • How do scientists study the ecosystem? • What are ecosystem services? What is ecology? The study of how organisms interact with one another and with their nonliving environment. Meaning Universe Galaxies Solar systems Biosphere Planets Earth Biosphere Ecosystems Ecosystems Communities Populations Realm of ecology Organisms Organ systems Communities Organs Tissues Cells Populations Protoplasm Molecules Atoms Subatomic Particles Organisms The Nature of Ecology Ecosystem Organization 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Organism Species Population Community Ecosystem Biosphere The Nature of Ecology Ecosystem Organization 1. Organism Any form of life The Nature of Ecology Ecosystem Organization 2. Species – breed with one another – Produce live, fertile offspring – Examples: – Things that can breed that are not the same species The Nature of Ecology Ecosystem Organization 3. Populations • Group of interacting individuals of the same species that occupy a specific area a the same time. The Nature of Ecology Ecosystem Organization 4. Communities – Populations of the different species occupying a particular place – Biological community – Example: The Nature of Ecology Ecosystem Organization 5. Ecosystem A community of different species interacting with one another and their nonliving environment 6. Biosphere All of the earth’s ecosystems Sustaining Life of Earth One-way flow of energy (into the environment) Sun Living materials and living things Cycling of matter Atoms, ions, molecules needed for survival The Source of Energy Fig. 4-8 p. 69 Parts to an Ecosystem • Producers: – First level of a system – Plants and some microorganisms – Trap the sun’s energy • This produces? • Consumers: – Primary Consumers • Eat? • Example: – Secondary Consumers • Eat? • Example: – Tertiary Consumers • Eat? • Example: The Biotic Components of Ecosystems • Producers (autotrophs) – Transform energy by Photosynthesis • Consumers (heterotrophs) – Transform energy by Aerobic Respiration • Decomposers Fig. 4-16 p. 75 Figure 4-11 Page 72 Sun Producers (rooted plants) Producers (phytoplankton) Primary consumers (zooplankton) Secondary consumers (fish) Dissolved chemicals Tertiary consumers (turtles) Sediment Decomposers (bacteria and fungi) Major components of freshwater ecosystem Major components of a terrestrial ecosystem Oxygen (O2) Sun Producer Carbon dioxide (CO2) Primary consumer (rabbit) Falling leaves Precipitation and twigs Secondary consumer (fox) Producers Soil decomposers Water Figure 4-12 page 72 Soluble mineral nutrients Trophic “Feeding” Levels • First Trophic Level Producers (plants) • Second Trophic Level Primary consumers (herbivores) – • Third Trophic Level Secondary consumer (carnivores) – • Fourth Trophic Level Feed directly on producers Feed on Primary Consumers Tertiary consumer – Feed on other carnivores Trophic Levels • Omnivore – Eat plants and animals • Detritivores and Scavengers – Feed on detritus, dead organisms, and waste • Decomposers – Break down dead organic material – Release the resulting simpler compounds into the soil – Anaerobic respiration (absence of oxygen) • Methane, ethyl alcohol, acetic acid, hydrogen sulfide Major Ecosystem Components • Biotic Components – Producers, consumers, decomposers – Plants, animals, bacteria/fungi – Biotic interactions with biotic components include predation, competition, symbiosis, parasitism, commensalism etc. Principles of Ecological Factors Terrestrial Ecosystems Abiotic factors • Sunlight • Temperature • Precipitation • Wind • Latitude (distance from equator) • Altitude (distance above sea level) Figure 4-13 Page 73 Aquatic Life Zones • Fire frequency • Soil • Light penetration • Water currents • Dissolved nutrient concentrations (especially N and P) • Suspended solids • Salinity Principles of Ecological Factors Law of tolerance: existence, abundance, and distribution of a species in an ecosystem are determined by whether the levels of one or more physical or chemical factors fall within the range of tolerance. Optimum Range Zone of Zone of Physiological Intolerance Stress Principles of Ecological Factors Limiting factors principle: too much or too little of any abiotic factor can limit or prevent growth of a population, even if all other factors are at or near the optimum range of tolerance. p. 73 Limiting Factors on Land & in H2O • Terrestrial – Sunlight – Temperature – Precipitation – Soil nutrients – Fire frequency – Wind – Latitude – Altitude • Aquatic/Marine – Light penetration • Water clarity – Water currents – Dissolved nutrient concentrations • Esp. N, P, Fe – Dissolved Oxygen concentration – Salinity Ecosystems Use Sunlight As Their Source of Energy Conservation of Matter and Energy Capture Photosynthesis 6 CO2 + 6 H20 C6H12O6 + 6 O2 Respiration C6H12O6 + 6 O2 6 CO2 + 6 H20 Connections: Food Webs and Energy Flow in Ecosystems Food chains – sequence of organisms each of which is a food source for the next. Food Webs and Energy Flow in Ecosystems Food webs – a network of interconnected food chains Food Webs and Energy Flow in Ecosystems Ecological Pyramid A food chain that shows the relationship between the organisms in each trophic level. Types of Ecological Pyramids • Pyramid of energy flow • Pyramid of numbers • Pyramid of biomass • Ecological efficiency – Range 5%-20% – Typically 10% Fig. 4-20 p. 79 Ecological Pyramids of Numbers The figures represent number of individuals counted at each trophic level. Ecological Pyramids of Biomass • The total dry weight of organisms in a particular trophic level is referenced as “biomass”. BIOMASS = # of organisms x the weight of an average individual Ecological Pyramids of Biomass Ecological Efficiency Energy in ecosystems flows from producers to consumers. Energy is depicted in kilocalories. Primary producers convert only about 1% of the energy in available sunlight. The average amount of energy that is available to the next trophic level is about 10%. (10% Rule) Ecological Pyramids of Energy Primary Productivity of Ecosystems • Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) – Rate at which an ecosystem’s producers convert solar energy into chemical energy as biomass – kg/m2/year (kcal/m2/year) • Net Primary Productivity (NPP) – Energy that remains in plant tissue after respiration has occurred – GPP (total photosynthesis) -respiration = NPP (plant growth measured using biomass) Primary Productivity of Ecosystems Ecology is the study of how _____ interact: A.) communities B.) organisms C.) ecosystems D.) people E.) animals The layer containing ozone is called: A.) troposphere B.) lithosphere C.) stratosphere D.) hydrosphere E.) mesosphere Which of the following is the most productive ecosystem per meter squared? A.) desert B.) open ocean C.) estuaries D.) tundra E.) rainforest What is the usual percentage of ecological efficiency? A.) 2% B.) 20% C.) 15% D.) 10% E.)30% Which trophic level makes its own food from sunlight? A.) primary producers B.) primary consumers C.) secondary consumers D.) tertiary consumers E.) decomposers