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ECOLOGY
The study of how organisms fit into their
environment and interact with it and each
other.
CYCLING OF MATTER
habitat: the place where a
particular population lives
Population: A group of one species
community: different species that live together in a habitat
The community AND all physical aspects of its habitat.
THE WEB OF LIFE
all organisms
interact with the
biosphere and
each other
they depend on each other for….energy and matter
ENERGY
to live,
grow,
and reproduce.
AND…MATTER
to make up their bodies
life on earth “works” because
of this flow of energy and
matter
WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS, THE MAIN ENERGY
SOURCE FOR ECOSYSTEMS IS
Energy flows one way through a
community
community
(metabolism)
heat
Energy must continually enter the community
or the community will die
O2
O2
Chemical Energy
Radient Energy
H2O
CO2
H2O
CO2
Heat
MATTER* IN A COMMUNITY
*the “stuff” things are made of
matter cycles through a
community
When a consumer eats a plant/animal for food
-both Energy and matter are passed to the
consumer
However, unlike Energy, matter is recycled
MATTER CYCLES OF BIOSPHERE
CYCLES OF MATTER




No definite beginning or end
matter is RECYCLED – Energy is not
Matter is not used up, it is TRANSFORMED
Biogeochemical process

Pass same molecule/compound/element through biosphere
over and over
CARBON CYCLE
Carbon is the main component of all living
things
 Carbon is found in glucose, which is the fuel for
LIFE!
 What other things do we fnd carbon in?

CARBON PUT INTO BIOSPHERE

Carbon dioxide (CO2)




Methane (CH4)


Cellular respiration (plants and
animals)
Volcanic eruptions
Burning of fossil fuels (oils)
Grasses and animals release
Bicarbonate ions (HCO3 -)

Found in rock and released
during erosion
CARBON CYCLE
CARBON TAKE OUT OF BIOSPHERE

Plants –
PHOTOSYNTHESIS…remember
– requires CO2
The Carbon Cycle
WHAT IS THE PATH OF A CARBON ATOM?
From apple to fossil fuel?
 From YOU to banana?
 From fossil fuel to YOU?

HOW IMPORTANT IS NITROGEN?
component in all amino acids
 is present in the bases that make up nucleic
acids such as RNA and DNA
 used in chlorophyll molecules,

Nitrogen cycleAtmospheric nitrogen (N2) makes up nearly
78%-80% of air.
Organisms can not use it in that form.
Lightning and bacteria convert nitrogen into
usable forms.
NITROGEN CYCLE

N2 gas - atmosphere
 Nitrogen-fixation
by bacteria on roots of legumes
N2  NH4+ (ammonium is a
usable form of
Nitrogen for
plants)
Rhizobium

Ammonia NH4+
 Nitrification
by bacteria in soil
NH4+ NO3- and NO2- (NO3- is a
usable form
of Nitrogen
for plants)
Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrobacter,
Nitrococcus

Nitrates NO3- and Nitrites NO2 Denitrification
by denitrifying bacteria in soil
NO3- and NO4-  N2 (atmosphere)
NITROGEN CYCLE
 N2NH4+NO3-
and NO2-N2
The Nitrogen Cycle
THE NITROGEN CYCLE
Nitrogen
Fixation
Denitrification
Nitrification
Practice – Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling
abiotic factors
physical
aspects
biotic factors
the organisms
(living)
i.e. soil, water,
weather
(non-living)
The community AND all physical aspects of its habitat.
THE WEB OF LIFE
all organisms
interact with the
biosphere and
each other
they depend on each other for….energy and matter
life on earth “works” because
of this flow of energy and
matter
who eats what
food chain
who eats who
FOOD CHAIN = ONE PATH FROM A FOOD
SOURCE TO THE FINAL CONSUMER
FOOD WEB = the food chains in a
particular community or ecosystem
TROPHIC LEVELS – IN FOOD WEB
4th level -- carnivores (eat
carnivores)
3rd level -- secondary
consumers (eat herbivores)
2nd level -- primary consumers -
herbivores – eat producers
1st level -producers – make
their own food
DECOMPOSERS AKA
4th level -- carnivores (tertiary consumers)
3rd level -- carnivores (secondary consumers)
2nd level -- herbivores
(primary consumer)
1st level -- producers
obtain Energy from organic wastes & dead bodies of any
trophic level
Energy pyramid
THE ENERGY PYRAMID – 10% RULE
Energy is used for growth, movement or to create body heat
Which tropic level contains the most biomass?
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SLOTHS BECAME EXTINCT?
Build a Food Web
DDT
POPULATION ECOLOGY
What happens in populations?
Demographic events are important influences of
populations
natality
(birth)
immigration
mortality
(death)
emigration
All populations
undergo three
distinct phases of
their life cycle:
• growth
• stability
• decline
Population growth occurs when:
• available resources exceed the number of
individuals able to exploit them
• Reproduction is rapid
• death rates are low
Human populations are in a growth phase. Beginning in 1650, the slow population increases
of our species exponentially increased. New technologies for hunting and farming have
enabled this expansion. It took 1800 years to reach a total population of 1 billion, but only
130 years to reach 2 billion, and a mere 45 years to reach 4 billion.
exponential growth
a.k.a j-curve
All populations have the potential for
Maximum rate at
which species or
population can
increase under
ideal conditions.
No limits on
resources, no
competition.
Populations don’t usually
grow unchecked.
growth usually has environmental
limits
(biotic and abiotic)
There are a finite
amount of Energy and
matter in every
ecosystem
As resources become
depleted,
growth slows
The environment* is the ultimate
cause of population stabilization.
*biotic and abiotic
biotic and abiotic factors help establish
carrying capacity (K)*
*
the maximum population an
environment can sustain
LOGISTIC GROWTH CURVE
Determined by availability of resources
Relationship between carrying capacity (K) and the
population density over time.
The environment is the
ultimate cause of
population stabilization.
There are biotic and abiotic
limiting factors that determine
carrying capacity
DENSITY-INDEPENDENT FACTORS
behaviors
weather
migration
Physical characteristics
Cryptic coloration
human
activity
DENSITY-DEPENDENT FACTORS
food supply
The competitive exclusion principle: two species
that compete for the exact same resources cannot
stably coexist.
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COMPETITIVE EXCLUSION:
THE CILIATE PARAMECIUM
How do density-dependent and independent
factors determine relationships between
populations?
Each species finds its own
niche
NICHE: Each species unique living arrangement in
a community
Niche includes:
The habitat
Food sources
Time of day organism is most active
Think about a specific position player on a team
i.e. pitcher on a baseball team
Its niche is the role it plays in that particular
ecosystem (its job)
COMPETITION
2 species use the same resource in a
habitat
Competition requires:
1. Similar resource
requirements
2. Limited resources
How might a population’s niche be
affected by competition?
species with similar
requirements can coexist
–
but they will end up
occupying smaller niches
than they would if they
lived alone.
PREDATOR/PREY RELATIONSHIP
Interaction where an organism captures and
feeds on another organism
 Predator

 Organism

that does the killing and eating
Prey
 Organism
that is being killed and eaten (victim)
PREDATOR/PREY RELATIONSHIP
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FOX POPULATION AS THE RABBIT
POPULATION INCREASES? VISA VERSA?

Wolves and rabbits
Populations in a community
effect each other in specific ways
-
they interact
SYMBIOSIS



Any relationship where
two species live closely
together
Symbiosis literally means
“living together”
3 main types



Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism
WHAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP IS THIS?

Who is helping who?
MUTUALISM



Both species benefit
from the relationship
A Happy couple
Flowers and bees

Flowers need bees for
pollination, bees need
flowers nectar
MUTUALISM
partners both benefit
What type of relation ship is going
on here?
•Who is helping who?
COMMENSALISM
One member of the relationship benefits
while the other is neither harmed nor helped
 One-sided
 Rare in nature

COMMENSALISM
one partner derives some benefit while the
other is unaffected
WHAT TYPE OF INTERACTION IS GOING ON
HERE?
PARASITISM
one partner benefits at the expense of the
host
tapeworm
planaria
KEEPING POPULATIONS IN CHECK

Density dependent , density independent
factors and population interactions (symbiosis)
operate in an ecosystem to keep populations
within certain boundaries.
POPULATION DENSITY

the number of individuals of a population per
unit of living space

How would you
calculate the
population density of
the three diagrams?
= total population
total area
ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
The numbers and types of species found in
communities change over time due to factors
such as density dependent/independent and
symbiosis
 Two types

 Primary
 secondary
PRIMARY SUCCESSION

Occurs in an area that has never been
colonized by living organisms (i.e. lava or
glacier flow)
 Bare
land or rock
 Pioneer species (bacteria or lichen work to create
soil)
SECONDARY SUCCESSION

Formerly inhabited area that was disturbed by
flood, fire, humans
 Soil
is present
 Other organism rapidly repopulate due to presence
of soil
YOU TRY IT
BIOMES

Due to interactions amongst organisms,
different “Biomes” are formed

Biomes are the world's major communities,
classified according to vegetation and
organisms to that reside there
TYPES OF BIOMES – EACH HAS ITS OWN
CHARACTERISTRIC
BIOMES
Biomes have changed and moved many times
during the history of life on Earth
 More recently, human activities have drastically
altered these communities.
 Conservation and preservation of biomes
should be a major concern to all.
 Why is it important to preserve and conserve
biomes?

BIOME ACTIVITY

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