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Environmental Science
What is Ecology?
Questions:
What is ecology?
What is the
difference
between biotic
and abiotic
factors?
What are
adaptations
and how do
they help an
organism?
• Ecology - the study of all living
things and their environment
– Ecologists
• Parts of the ecosystem
– Biotic – living
– Abiotic – nonliving (scientists use
these to characterize an area no what
lives there)
Levels of Organization
Questions:
Explain the
differences in
the levels of
ecological
organization.
• Biosphere – The area of earth where
life is found
• Ecosystem – ALL living and nonliving
elements in an area
• Community – All the living organism
in an area that are adapted to live in
that area
• Population – A group of organisms of
the same species that have the ability
to reproduce
• Organism – a single living thing in an
ecosystem
Movement of Energy in
Organisms
Questions:
What is the
difference
between a food
chain and a
food web?
• Food Chains – show one
path of energy transfer
• Food Web – shows the
energy transfer paths
SC.912.L.17.9 Use a food web to identify producers, consumers, and decomposers. Explain the pathway of energy transfer
through trophic levels and the reduction of available energy at successive trophic levels .
Organisms
Questions:
What are the
different types
of organisms in
a food chain?
• Herbivore – eats plants
• Carnivore – eats animals
• Omnivore – eats plants and
animals
• Scavengers – eat dead
organisms
• Decomposers –
microscopic eaters of dead
organism
SC.912.L.17.9 Use a food web to identify producers, consumers, and decomposers. Explain the pathway of energy transfer
through trophic levels and the reduction of available energy at successive trophic levels .
Food Chain
Food Web
Ecological Pyramid
10% of energy goes to the
next level
The rest is used for life functions
or given off as heat
Water Cycle
Questions:
How does the
water cycle
move matter
throughout the
ecosystem?
• The movement of water from
the ground to the atmosphere
and back again
• Water gets to the atmosphere
by evaporation and
transpiration and sublimation
• Water leaves the atmosphere
by condensation and
precipitation
Carbon Dioxide – Oxygen Cycle
Questions:
Explain the
Carbon
dioxide oxygen
cycle and its
importance to
all living
things.
• Plants remove CO2 from the
atmosphere for photosynthesis and
release O2
– Changes solar energy into chemical energy
• Animals remove O2 from the
atmosphere for cellular respiration
and release CO2
– Convert chemical energy in plants to usable
energy
Nitrogen Cycle
Questions:
What is the
difference
between
nitrogen fixing
bacteria and
denitrifying
bacteria and
why are they
important?
• Nitrogen fixing bacteria
convert atmospheric nitrogen
into usable forms
– On the roots of plants and in the
soil
• Denitrifying bacteria change
different forms of nitrogen back
into atmospheric nitrogen
Summary
• What is ecology and why is it important to study?
• Compare and contrast the levels of ecological
organization.
• What are the difference between a food chain and a food
web?
• What are the types of living organism in an ecosystem
and what do they eat?
• What are ecological pyramids and what do they show?
• Explain the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles and
explain why they are important?
Climates
Questions:
What is climate?
How does climate
vary on earth
and what is
the effect on
living
organisms?
• A climate is the average temperature and
precipitation conditions that exists in an
area
• Include:
– Polar area – always cold
– Temperate area – have large variations in temperature
and precipitation depending on distance from equator
– Deserts – receive little precipitation
– Tropical – always hot
– Mountains – get colder with altitude and it usually is wet
one side and dry on the other with snow at the top
– Water – Varies with depth and location on planet
SC.912.L.17.2 Explain the general distribution of life in aquatic systems as a function of chemistry, geography, light, depth,
salinity, and temperature.
Effects of season and climate
on an ecosystem
Questions:
How do climate
changes effect
organisms?
Give
examples.
How do seasons
and climate
changes differ
in their effects
on a
ecosystem?
• Climate change – effect over
long periods of time
• If it is a seasonal change effects for a short period of time
– Fur changes – thickness and color
– Hibernation/migration
– Leaves changing colors
– Dormancy
SC.912.L.17.4 Describe changes in ecosystems resulting from seasonal variations, climate change, and succession
SC.912.L.17.8 Recognize the consequences of loss of biodiversity due to catastrophic events, climate changes, human activity,
and the introduction of invasive non-native species.
Other changes in the ecosystem
Questions:
What are some
examples of
changes in the
ecosystem
and what are
their results?
• Changes can be abiotic:
– Temperature, salinity, oxygen levels
• Changes can be biotic:
– Changes in the types of organisms that live in
the area
– Removal or introduction or a species effects
the entire food chain
– Numbers can be influenced by disease, food,
water, shelter, populations, weather, etc.
SC.912.L.17.4 Describe changes in ecosystems resulting from seasonal variations, climate change, and succession
SC.912.L.17.8 Recognize the consequences of loss of biodiversity due to catastrophic events, climate changes, human activity,
and the introduction of invasive non-native species.
Organisms must adapt to
survive
Questions:
What are
adaptations
and what are
their effects on
organisms?
• Adaptations - physical
characteristics or behaviors that
organisms have in order to
survive
Succession
Questions:
What is
succession
and how does
it impact an
ecosystem?
• Succession - a gradual
repopulation of a community
over a period of time.
– Primary – starts with no soil
– Secondary – starts with soil
SC.912.L.17.4 Describe changes in ecosystems resulting from seasonal variations, climate change, and succession
SC.912.L.17.8 Recognize the consequences of loss of biodiversity due to catastrophic events, climate changes, human activity,
and the introduction of invasive non-native species.
Ecological Succession
Summary
• How are climates different around the
world?
• How do climates effect an ecosystem?
• How do things like seasons and climate
changes effect an ecosystem?
• What are adaptations and why are they
important?
• What are the two types of succession and
how to thy differ?
Populations
Questions:
Explain how
different
factors affect
the size of a
population and
how the size of
the population
effects the
health of an
excosystem.
• The number of each type of
species in an area
• Affected by many things
including
– Birth rates
– Death rates
– Immigration
– Emigration
– Limiting factors
SC.912.L.17.5 Analyze how population size is determined by births, deaths, immigration, emigration, and limiting factors (biotic
and abiotic) that determine carrying capacity.
Limiting Factors
Questions:
• Anything in nature that affects the
carrying capacity of an area
• Examples
– Water
– Food
– Shelter
– Mates
SC.912.L.17.4 Describe changes in ecosystems resulting from seasonal variations, climate change, and succession
SC.912.L.17.8 Recognize the consequences of loss of biodiversity due to catastrophic events, climate changes, human activity,
and the introduction of invasive non-native species.
Relationships and Interactions
Questions:
What types of
relationships
exists in an
ecosystem
and how does
it impact an
ecosystem?
• There are many relationships that
exists for survival
– Predator-prey
– Mutualism
– Parasitism
– Commensalism
• An introduction of a nonnative species
can destroy an ecosystem
SC.912.L.17.8 Recognize the consequences of loss of biodiversity due to catastrophic events, climate changes, human activity,
and the introduction of invasive non-native species.
Biodiversity
Questions:
What is
biodiversity
and how does
it reflect the
health of an
ecosystem?
• The amount of different
organisms in an ecosystem.
• The higher the diversity the
healthier the ecosystem
Renewable verses Nonrenewable
Resources
Questions:
What are natural
resources?
What is the
difference
between
renewable and
nonrenewable
resources and
what are the
pros and cons
• Natural resources are materials
found in the nature that are useful or
necessary for living things
• Types
– Renewable - plants, animals, water,
wind, sun
– Nonrenewable – fossil fuels
of each?
SC.912.L.17.11 Evaluate the cost and benefits of renewable and nonrenewable resources, such a water, energy, fossil fuels, wildlife and forests
SC.912.L.17.13 Discuss the need for adequate monitoring of environmental parameters when making policies and decisions
SC.912.L.17.20 Predict the impact of individuals on environmental systems and examine how lifestyles affect sustainability
.
Human Effects on the Ecosystem
Questions:
What effects are
humans
having on the
health of the
ecosystem?
•
•
•
•
•
Air pollution
Land pollution
Water pollution
Ozone depletion
Greenhouse effect
– Causes global warming
SC.912.L.17.11 Evaluate the cost and benefits of renewable and nonrenewable resources, such a water, energy, fossil fuels, wildlife and forests
SC.912.L.17.13 Discuss the need for adequate monitoring of environmental parameters when making policies and decisions
SC.912.L.17.20 Predict the impact of individuals on environmental systems and examine how lifestyles affect sustainability
.
Effects of Chemicals