Download Principles of Ecology - H.S.H.P. Biology

Principles of
Ecology
EQ: What are the interactions
between the levels of
biological communities? How
does energy flow through an
ecosystem?
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ECOLOGY - the study of interactions among
organisms with each other and with environment
BIOSPHERE - portion of planet where life exists
Ecological methods - how do we study it?
1. Observing
2. Experimenting
3. Modeling
Models are created by
humans to make
predictions.
LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION
Species - individuals that can breed with one
another
Population - all the individuals of the same
species (ducks) in an area
A population is
always composed
of same-species
organisms
Community - all the populations that live
together in an area
What is in your backyard
community??
Ecosystem - the community plus the physical
factors in an area (rain, light, soil…)
Examples:
Rotting Log
Koi Pond
Lake
Clump of Dirt
A field
An old maple tree
**EVERY ecosystem includes both biotic
(living) and abiotic(nonliving) factors.
Biome - large area that has a particular climate, and
particular species of plants and animals that live
there (ex: tundra)
Biosphere - the part of the earth that supports life
Biodiversity: variety of different species living near one
another
?? Where do you think there is the most biodiversity
on our planet??
ENERGY FLOW
Autotroph (producer) - capture energy from environment
and convert it into "food”…green plants/algae…
?? What process ??
●
●Heterotroph (consumer) - must eat things to get the energy
it needs
Herbivores
●
Omnivores
(plant eaters)
(meat and plants)
Carnivores
●
(carnivore eaters)
Decomposers
(recycle materials in dead organisms)
Detritivores
(eat fragments of dead
matter in ecosystem)
*SUNLIGHT is the main source of
energy…starts the energy flow!
Remember…
Photosynthesis: uses light energy to make "food"
Chemosynthesis - makes food from chemicals
(some bacteria synthesize food in this way)
Some bacteria
live in deep
ocean vents,
and make their
food from
chemicals in
those vents
FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS - illustrate the
flow of energy in an ecosystem
- Food Chain: simple, sequence of feeding
relationships
- Food Web: complex, network of feeding
relationships in a whole ecosystem
**Each step in a
chain or web is
called a TROPHIC
LEVEL
Identify:
1. Producers
2. Consumers
- Identify them
as primary,
secondary,
tertiary, or
quaternary
3. Herbivores
4. Omnivore
5. Carnivore
ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDS