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What is Ecology? Mrs. Griffin Greek origin OIKOS = household LOGOS = study of… Study of the “house/environment” in which we live. Origin of the word…”ecology” Ecology is study of interactions between non-living components in the environment… ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ light water wind nutrients in soil heat solar radiation atmosphere, etc. AND… Living organisms… ◦ Plants ◦ Animals ◦ microorganisms in soil, etc. ECOLOGY: Levels of Organization A hierarchy of organization in the environment Biosphere ◦ Contains the combined portions of the planet in which all life exists, including land water, and air or atmosphere. Ecosystem ◦ Is a collection of all the organisms that live in a particular place, together w/ their non-living, or physical environment. Levels of organization - Terms Levels of organization - Terms Community – All populations (diff. species) that live in a particular area. Population – groups of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area. Species- A group of similar organisms that breed and produce fertile offspring. What is the ULTIMATE source of energy? Energy Flow What is an autotroph? ◦ What are plants, some algae, and certain bacteria also called? Producers- are essential to the flow of energy through the biosphere. What is a heterotroph? ◦ What are heterotrophs also known as? Consumers Heterotrophs Include Herbivores Carnivores Omnivores Detritivores Decomposers Feeding Relationships Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction. ◦ What is that direction? From sun or inorganic compounds -> autotrophs (producers)-> various heterotrophs (consumers). Who eats whom? Food Chains- the energy stored by producers can be passed through an ecosystem along a food chain. Organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten. Food Webs- are formed when feeding relationships in an ecosystem form a network of complex interactions. Links all food chains in an ecosystem together. Each step in a food chain or food web is called a trophic level. Producers make up the first….. Ecological Pyramids Used to represent energy in an ecosystem; shows relative amt. of energy w/in each trophic level. Only 10% of the energy available w/in one trophic level is transferred to organisms at the next trophic level. ◦ Why is this so? Respiration, movement, reproduction, & other life processes. What Shapes an Ecosystem? Includes both biotic and abiotic factors. ◦? Together biotic and abiotic factors determine the survival and growth of an organism and the productivity of the ecosystem in which the organism lives. ◦ What is the area that an organism lives called? Habitat, includes both biotic and abiotic factors. No two species can share the same niche in the same habitat: Competitive exclusion principle- no two species can occupy the same niche The Niche (NITCH)- the full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions. Symbiosis: living together Community interactions such as competition, predation, and various forms of symbiosis can affect an ecosystem. Interspecific: competition amongst two or more species for limiting resources Intraspecific: competition amongst members of a population. Intra/Interspecific Competition Primary succession: begins with bare rock exposed by geologic activity Secondary succession: begins on soil from which a previous community has been removed Ecological Succession- a series of predictable changes in a community over time. Limiting nutrients- when an ecosystem is limited by a single nutrient that is scarce or cycles very slowly ◦ Fertilizers are used for this reason, usually contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium ◦ Aquatic systems nutrient rich or poor? Algal blooms Problem? Nutrient Limitation Three important characteristics of a population are its geographic distribution, density, & growth rate How big can geographic distribution (the area inhabited by a population)be? Populations The number of individuals per unit area ◦ Varies greatly ◦ Ex. Saguaro cactus Population Density Three factors can affect population size: the number of births, deaths, & the number of individuals that enter or leave a population ◦ Immigration ◦ Emigration Population Growth Occurs when individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate (under ideal conditions w/unlimited resources) Exponential Growth, J-curve Occurs when a population’s growth stops slows or stops following a period of exponential growth ◦ Population growth may slow down when the birthrate decreases or death rate increases, or both ◦ Carrying capacity- the largest number of individuals that a given environment can support Logistic Growth, S-curve Tends to increase over time Human Population Growth Limiting factor- a factor that causes population growth to decrease : competition, predation, parasitism, human disturbances, etc… Density-Dependent Factors- a limiting factor that depends on population size, include competition, predation, parasitism, and disease. Density-Independent Factors Limits to Growth Competition Parasitism & disease Predation -> predator-prey relationships, one of the best-known mechanisms of population control Limits to Growth