Download Ecology Powerpoint - Warren County Schools

Ecology and the
Environment
Ecology: Study of how organisms
interact in their environment.
Name several factors an organism
would interact.
Origin of the word…”ecology”
• Greek origin
• OIKOS = household
• LOGOS = study of…
• Study of the “house/environment” in which
we live.
The Study of the Earth’s Environment’s
Ecology – The study of the living organisms
and how they interact with one another and
with their environment(biotic and abiotic
factors).
Ecology…(levels)
• views each locale as an integrated
whole of interdependent parts that
function as a unit.
tundra
caribou
LIVING THINGS AND THEIR
ENVIRONMENT
Environment – all the living living things
with which an organism interacts.
All the living and nonliving things in an environment
are interconnected. If one factor is affected
another factor is thrown off balance. Nature is
always trying to stay in balance.
To study Ecology involves…
• For non-living
(abiotic)
– Climatology
– Hydrology
– Oceanography
– Physics
– Chemistry
– Geology
– soil analysis, etc.

For living
(biotic)
animal
behavior
Disease
Fungi
Protists
Bacteria
Plants
animals

Abiotic Factors
The nonliving things in
an environment are
called ABIOTIC
factors.
Examples: sunlight ,
Drought , fire, flood,
temperature, rainfall,
climate, pH and soil
conditions.
Not rocks unless habitat
Biotic Factors
• Biotic factors are all the living things or their
materials that directly or indirectly affect an organism
in its environment. This would include organisms,
their presence, parts, interaction, and wastes. Factors
such as parasitism, disease, and predation (one animal
eating another) would also be classified as biotic
factors.
Some Biotic Factors
*symbiotic relationship
*competition
• disease
• predation
• Living(biotic) organisms…
–
–
–
–
–
Plants
Animals
microorganisms in soil, etc.
All organisms
Including
disease
causing
• Consumers
– herbivores and
carnivores
• Decomposers
– fungi and bacteria
Tundra
Producers: plants and
protists Caribou
ECOLOGY:
Levels of Organization
- a hierarchy of organization
in the environment
ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION
• Biosphere - Layer of the Earth where life
exists.
• Animals & plants adapt to best survive in
the conditions of each Earth region. These
regions are called the biomes.
Biosphere
• While the earth is huge, life is found in a very
narrow layer, called the biosphere. If the earth
could be shrunk to the size of an apple, the
biosphere would be no thicker than the apple's
skin.
• The biosphere, like the human body, is made up
of systems that interact and are dependent on
each other.
ECOSYSTEMS
•An ECOSYSTEM is made of all the
abiotic and biotic things that interact
in a particular area
•Ecosystems can be
• large or small
ECOSYSTEMS
•An ECOSYSTEM(HABITIAT) must
provide what an organism needs to
survive, or the organism must move,
adapt, or die.
•To stay alive, organisms need
–Energy (food)
–Water
–Oxygen
–Living space
Ecosystem
• The biosphere’s systems are called
ECOSYSTEMS.
• All ecosystems must have a constant source of
energy (usually the sun) and cycles or systems to
reuse raw materials. Examples are the water,
nitrogen and carbon cycles.
• An ecosystem is made up of all the biotic or living
and the abiotic or non-living components in a
given area.
Community
• Community - all the species in a given area.
Example - all the living things in Town Lake
ENVIRONMENTAL
ORGANIZATION
• Community – all the populations (living
things) in an area
• Ecosystem – all the biotic (living) &
abiotic (nonliving) things that interact in
an area
Population
• A population is all the members of a given
species in a given area.
Example - All the turtles in Town Lake.
Ecological Niche
• A plant's or animal's ecological niche is a
way of life that is unique to that species.
• Niche and habitat are not the same. While
many species may share a habitat, this is not
true of a niche. Each plant and animal
species is a member of a community.
• The niche describes the species' role or
function within this community.
ENVIRONMENTAL
ORGANIZATION
• Organism – the individual living thing
(one deer)
• Population – all the members of one
species (the herd)
• Very complex
• Can contain 100’s to 1000’s of interacting
species.
Levels of organization - Terms
• Habitat – physical location of community
• Organism – simplest level of organization
• For example, the red fox's habitat, which might include
forest edges, meadows and the bank of a river, is shared
with many animals .
• The niche of the red fox is that of a predator which feeds on
the small mammals, amphibians, insects, and fruit found in
this habitat. Red foxes are active at night. They provide
blood for blackflies and mosquitoes, and are host to
numerous diseases. The scraps, or carrion, left behind after
a fox's meal provide food for many small scavengers and
decomposers. This, then, is the ecological niche of the red
fox.
• Only the red fox occupies this niche in the meadow-forest
edge communities. In other plant communities different
species of animal may occupy a similar niche to that of the
red fox.
Autotrophs/Producers
• A groups of organisms that can use the energy in
sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into
Glucose (food)
• Autotrophs are also called Producers because
they produce all of the food that heterotrophs use
• Without autotrophs, there would be no life on this
planet
• Ex. Plants and Algae
Autotrophs/Producers
Autotrophs/Producers
• Chemotrophs
– Autotrophs that get their energy from inorganic
substances, such as salt
– Live deep down in the ocean where there is no sunlight
– Ex. Bacteria and Deep Sea Worms
Heterotrophs/Consumers
• Organisms that do not make their own food
• Another term for Heterotroph is consumer
because they consume other organisms in order to
live
• Ex. Rabbits, Deer, Mushrooms
Heterotrophs/Consumers
Heterotrophs/Consumers
• Consumers
Scavengers/Detritivores – feed on the
tissue of dead organisms (both plans and
animals)
• Ex. – Vultures, Crows, and Shrimp
– 1.
Heterotrophs/Consumers
• Consumers
– 2. Herbivores – eat ONLY plants
• Ex. – Cows, Elephants, Giraffes
Heterotrophs
• Consumers
– 3. Carnivores – eat ONLY meat
• Ex. – Lions, Tigers, Sharks
Heterotrophs
• Consumers
– 4. Omnivores – eat BOTH plants and animals
• Ex. – Bears and Humans
Heterotrophs
• Consumers
– 5. Decomposers – absorb any dead material and break
it down into simple nutrients or fertilizers
• Ex. – Bacteria and Mushrooms
Transfer of Energy
• When a zebra eats the grass, it does not obtain all
of the energy the grass has (much of it is not
eaten)
• When a lion eats a zebra, it does not get all of the
energy from the zebra (much of it is lost as heat)
Food Chains
• The energy flow from one trophic level to the other is
know as a food chain
• A food chain is simple and direct
• It involves one organism at each trophic level
–
–
–
–
Primary Consumers – eat autotrophs (producers)
Secondary Consumers – eat the primary consumers
Tertiary Consumers – eat the secondary consumers
Decomposers – bacteria and fungi that break down dead
organisms and recycle the material back into the
environment
Food Chain
Food Web
Food Web
• Notice that the direction the arrow
points  the arrow points in the
direction of the energy transfer, NOT
“what ate what”
• The arrow indicates “is eaten by”
Food Web
Marine Food Webs
Marine Food Web
Forest/Rainforest Webs
Forest/Rainforest Web
Food Chains
Tundra Ecosystem
Name 3 limiting factors for the
Caribou
PARTS OF THE
BIOSPHERE
•The living parts of an ecosystem are
called BIOTIC factors
•Examples: trees, plants, flowers,
insects, animals
Biotic Factors
Plants: Producers and make oxygen in
photosynthesis.
BIOTIC FACTORS
• Each organism in an ecosystem has a role
or niche
• PLANTS(Producers) or Protists – mostly
plants, make their own food through
photosynthesis
• Role – to provide food (energy) for all
living things
Biotic Factors
Protists: They are a large part of
the food chain. Some are producers.
Biotic Factors
Animals: Make carbon dioxide for the
plants. They use resources.
BIOTIC FACTORS
• Animals(Consumers) or Protists–
must eat (consume) other organisms
to get energy.
– Herbivores – eat only plants
– Carnivores – eat herbivores
– Omnivores – eat plants, herbivores,
and carnivores
BIOTIC FACTORS
• Scavengers are organism that
eat dead animal remains
– buzzards
– hyenas
- snails
- flies
BIOTIC FACTORS
• Decomposers are organisms that
break down dead matter into the
smallest particles
BACTERIA
FUNGI
BIOTIC FACTORS
– Bacteria are decomposers that break
down animal remains.
– Role: returns materials to the soil,
clean up the environment
– Fungus are decomposers that break
down plant material and returns
materials back to the soil
PARTS OF THE
BIOSPHERE
•The non-living things in an
ecosystem are called ABIOTIC
factors
–Examples : water, rocks, soil, air,
temperature, wind, carbon
dioxide, nutrients, sunlight
ABIOTIC FACTORS
Sunlight
Plants need the sunlight
to make glucose by photosynthesis.
Without plants, the food chain dies.
Sunlight produces heat that changes
the temperature of the Earths
atmosphere and surface.
ABIOTIC FACTORS
Water
Organisms are mostly made of water.
The cytoplasm of cells are mostly
water. Plants need water to
conduct photosynthesis.
ABIOTIC FACTORS
Climate
Includes the average temperature and
rainfall for a region. All organisms are
adapted for the climate they live.
Climate determines the different
biomes.
ABIOTIC FACTORS
Soil
Plants need the soil for the
nutrients and water it
provides. NOT FOOD!!!.
Many animals live in the soil.
The type of soil in an area
determines the types of
plants and animals that can
live in the area.
EX: Venus Flytraps
ABIOTIC FACTORS
Severe Disturbances
1. Fire – Fire can be good or bad. It
destroys habitat and food. Some plants
need a fire for their seeds to germinate.
2. Hurricanes
3. Volcanoes
4. Floods
5. Storms
6. Droughts
ABIOTIC FACTORS
Introduced Species
Humans sometimes move organisms
to a location where they do not
belong. Sometimes they die, but
often they prosper. If the
organism has no predators, then
its population will grow. An
example of this occurring this the
kudzu plant. It was transplanted
to American and nothing eats it
here. So, it grows out of
control.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE GROWTH OF A POPULATION
When conditions are good, a
population will generally increase.
But a population does not keep
growing forever. Eventually some
factor in its environment causes
the population to stop growing.
Factors that Affects the Growth
of a Population
1. Immigration –Movement of individuals
into a population.
2. Births –
3. Emigration – Movement of individuals out
of a population.
4. Deaths
Exponential Growth
• Population grows dramatically pver time.
Conditions really good!! BACTERIA
GROWTH!!!! Eventually run out of
resources.
Logistic Growth
• Population begins with slow growth,
exponential growth, then because of
limiting factors levels off. Reaches carrying
capacity!!
Which Growth Represents the
Human Population?
Which type of growth is normal
for a Population?
Limiting Factors
Environmental abiotic and biotic factors
can also be termed "Limiting Factors."
They are limit the growth of a population
so there is plenty for the healthy.
These factors help to keep a population at
or below carrying capacity.
Limiting Factors
• Limiting Factors--Somthing that controls a
process, such as organism growth or species
population. The availability of food, predation
pressure, or availability of shelter are examples of
factors that could be limiting for a organism.
• Two types of Limiting factors –
1.Density dependent: Factors that are affect by the
number in the population.
1.Density Independent:Factors not affected by the
number in the population.
Density-Dependent Limiting
Factor
• Density Dependent Limiting Factors--A limiting
factor of a population wherein large, dense
populations are more strongly affected than
small, less crowded ones.
• Examples: Food supply; water supply; disease;
predation; competition; living space; Usually related to
biotic factors
Limiting Factors
• Density Independent Limiting Factors-Density independent factors can affect a
population no matter what it’s density is.
Usually are abiotic factors.
• Examples: natural disasters, temperature,
sunlight, camouflage, migration and human
activities.
Density-Independent Factor
• Affect all populations in similar ways,
regardless of population size.
• Usually are:
–
–
–
–
Weather
Natural Disasters
Seasonal Cycles
Human Activities
LIMITING FACTORS
• LIMITING FACTORS: Biotic and abiotic
factors that prevents a population from
increasing.
– Food
– Water
– Living space
– Temperature
– Predation
– Competition
LIMITING FACTORS
FOOD & WATER
When food is scarce, the
population numbers will
decrease from
starvation or low birth
numbers. When
food if plentiful, numbers
increase because
of low death rates and high
birth rates.
LIMITING FACTORS
SPACE
If the plant or animal does not have
enough room to reproduce and grow,
the numbers will decrease.
LIMITING FACTORS
CLIMATE
Conditions such as drought and temperature
changes can limit the population growth. Too
cold, too hot, too wet, too dry all affect
population growth. Early frost can kill many
insects and plants.
LIMITING FACTORS
Predator/Prey Relationship
Predation has a huge effect on the size and growth of a
population. If there are more predators or more
efficient at hunting techniques, then the prey species
goes down. Predators affect prey species numbers and
prey species affect predators numbers.
What is the carrying capacity of this ecosystem for
the rabbits? Fox?
Name the carrying capacity of this environment for
the wolves and the moose.
PREDATOR/PREY RELATIONSHIP
Remember, when the prey species
goes up, the predator goes up
SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
When the prey species goes down,
the predators go down, SHORTLY
THEREAFTER.
LIMITING FACTORS
COMPETITION
When two or more individuals or populations try
to use the same resources. Can occur within
populations or between populations. Both affect
the others numbers.
LIMITING FACTORS
DISEASE
When disease (fungal, parasitic, bacterial, viral)
is introduced to a population, population
numbers are affected. Only the strongest
individuals overcome the disease and survive.
Limiting Factors
Introduced Species
Humans sometimes move organisms
to a location where they do not
belong. Sometimes they die, but
often they prosper. If the
organism has no predators, then
its population will grow. An
example of this occurring this the
kudzu plant. It was transplanted
to American and nothing eats it
here. So, it grows out of
control. This causes native plants
to loose the space, sunlight and
water supply they need to survive.
Brown Tree Snake
• Shortly after World War II, and before 1952, the brown
Treesnake was accidentally transported from its native
range in the South Pacific to Guam, probably as a
stowaway in ship cargo. As a result of abundant prey to
eat on Guam and the absence of natural predators and other
population controls, brown Treesnake populations grew.
Snakes caused the loss of most of the native forest
vertebrate species; thousands of power outages affecting
private, commercial, and military activities; widespread
loss of domestic birds and pets. Most songbirds of Guam
have gone extinct.
Brown Tree Snake
Cane Toad
Cane Toad
• Cane toads, introduced into Australia to control
beetles that were destroying sugarcane crops, are
still spreading across Australia. They failed to
control the cane beetles, and became a major pest
themselves. Cane toads can harm native wildlife
by eating small animals and poisoning larger
predators that try to eat them. Household pets are
also at risk from poisoning. So far, there is no
known way to control cane toads across large
areas, but scientists are searching for a biological
control agent that is specific to the toads.
Name the limiting factors in the pictures below:
CARRYING CAPACITY
• The maximum number of organisms an
ecosystem can successfully support.
Carrying Capacity
• Limiting Factors keep numbers below
carrying capacity.
Relationships in Ecosystems
• Prediation
• Competition
• Symbiotic
Mutualism
Parasitism
Commensalism
Predation
• Predation is the type of feeding relationship
in which one animal captures and eats
another animal for its food.
• Prey – is eaten
• Predator – captures and eats prey.
Predation
• Predator-Prey Relationships
– Regulation of a population by predation.
– Ex: Sea otters and killer whales regulate each
others growth.
PREDATOR/PREY RELATIONSHIP
Predators directly affect the population
of their prey and the prey directly affect
the population of the predator.
How is this possible?
PREDATOR/PREY RELATIONSHIP
25
20
DEER
15
10
MOUNTAIN
LIONS
5
YEARS
15
13
11
9
7
5
3
0
1
NUMBER OF DEER
OR MT LIONS
Deer & Mt Lions Population Over 15
Years
PREDATOR/PREY RELATIONSHIP
Remember, when the prey species
goes up, the predator goes up
SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
When the prey species goes down,
the predators go down, SHORTLY
THEREAFTER.
Competition
• Competition – occurs whenever more than
one individual or populations tries to make
use of the same limited resources.
Competition
• Organisms compete with one another for
available food, water, space, sunlight etc…
– Example: Puffins compete for limited nesting
sites
Symbiosis
• Any close relationship between species.
Individuals in the relationship are either:
1. Helped 2. Unaffected 3. Harmed
Mutualism
• A relationship in which both species benefit
Zebra & oxpecker
Cleaner fish
www.orn.mpg.de
Lichens: algae + fungus
Commensalism
• A relationship in which one species benefits
and the other is neither helped nor harmed
Shark & remora
Barnacles on whale
Parasitism
• A relationship in which one organisms
benefits and the other is harmed. The
individual that benefits is called the
parasite, the one harmed is called the
host.
Tick
Mistletoe
Parasitism
• Organisms that take nourishment at the
expense of their host, weakening or killing
them
Coevolution
The evolution of two species totally dependent on
each other. Coevolution is an extreme example of
mutualism.
Yucca flowers are a
certain shape so only
that tiny moth can
pollinate them. The
moths lay their eggs in
the yucca flowers and
the larvae (caterpillars)
live in the developing
ovary and eat yucca
seeds.
Yucca moths and yucca plants
Acacias are small, trees
that have large, hollow
thorns. The acacia ants
live in the thorns. On the
tips of its leaflets, the plant
makes a substance used
by the ants as food. The
ants defend the tree from
herbivores by
attacking/stinging any
animal that even
accidentally brushes up
against the plant. The ants
also prune off seedlings of
any other plants that sprout
under “their” tree
Acacia ants and acacia trees
Examples of Symbiosis
Examples of Symbiosis
Examples of Symbiosis