- The study of how organisms interact with the biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) things around them

- Environment is all the living and nonliving thingss that surround an organism

Biotic factors Abiotic Factors

Ecosystem- A self-sufficient environment which has both a biotic community community and an abiotic environment

- Materials must be cycled cycled among organisms

- Materials can be reused by different living things

CommunityCommunity - all the different types of organisms living in an environmentPopulationPopulation- One type of organism in the

community

Limiting Factors - Determine what kinds and how many of various types of organisms can survive in an environment

Examples of Limiting Factors include:- Amount of sunlight

- Temperature

- Amount of oxygen

- Amount of Salt in water

- pH of water

- Amount of food available

Oxygen Cycle

Carbon cycle

Water Cycle

Energy Flow Relationships

- Energy must flow from organism to organism in an ecosystemFood Chain- Transfer of energy through a series of

organisms

Food Web - Shows all the interactions between organisms

Producers – autotrophs conver sun energy into energy usable by the

community Decomposers

- Break down organic wastes and recycle them to the environment for other organisms to use

Consumers - Eat other organismsPrimary consumers - Herbivores (eat plants) Secondary consumers – carnivores (eat meat) Omnivores – eat plants and meats

d. The arrows only point away from the grass or pond algae. Explain one biological reason for this.

Pyramid of Energy - More energy is available on the producer level than any other level

-each consumer level uses only a small amount of available energy form what it eat the rest is wasted as heat and unusable chemical energy

Pyramid of Biomass- The most biomass occurs at the producer level

- This keeps the ecosystem at homeostasis- The least biomass occurs at the carnivore level

Ex. If rabbit population gets to big then the fox population will grow which causes rabbit population to drop and on and on

Nutritional Relationships

Autotrophs - Synthesize their own food

Heterotrophs -must find other organisms to eat

Saprophytes - Organisms that eat dead or decaying matter

Ex. Fungi and bacteria

Herbivores - Consume only plants

Carnivores - Eat only meat

Predators - Hunt prey

Scavangers

- Eat animals they have not killed

Omnivores- Eat both plants and animals

Symbiotic Relationships

- Organisms that live together may affect each other

Commensalism - One organism benefits and another organism is not adversely affected (+,0)

Mutualism - Both organisms benefit (+,+)

Parasitism

- Parisite benefits but host is harmed (+,-)

BED BUG

Eyelash follicle mite

Scabies … YEECH!!!

Changes in Succession

- Ecosystems change until they reach a climax community which is stable

- The replacement of one community by another until a climax community is established is called ecological ecological successionsuccession

Pioneer Organisms - The first organisms to populate an area

Lichens - Live on bare rock and break rock down

- Slowly add soil to surface allowing new organisms to move into the area

- Eventually grasses will grow in area and replace the lichens- Shrubs and small bushes will then move in adding more soil and nutrients

Finally…A climax community will develop which has conifers, pines and firs (evergreen forest) OR maples, oaks, and beeches (deciduous forest)

-climax community will continue until a major change in a biotic or abiotic factor alters or destroys it

Ex. Fires, floods, disease, bug infestation

-succession will then start over again with pioneer organisms

Competition

- Members of the same and of different species in the same environment (habitat) will compete for limited resources

- The organism that is best adapted will then take over as the dominant organism in that niche

Niche - The role an organism has in the environment

Carrying Capacity- The number of organisms an environment can support

Biomes

-various types of climax communities found on earth

Terrestrial biome - On land

- The type of biome is determined by the climate

- temperature, rainfall, solar radiation

Tundra - Frozen subsoil, lichens, mosses, grasses, caribou, snowy owl

Tiaga - Long cold winters, conifers, moose, blackbear

Temperate Deciduous Forest

- Moderate precip, cold winters, warm summers, leaves fall off in autumn, grey squirrel, fox, deer

Tropical Rainforest -heavy rains, warm, broad-leaved, monkey, snake

Grassland - Varying rain and temp., lots of wind, grasses, bison, prairie dogs

Desert - Little rain, extreme temp. changes, succulent plants, lizards, kangaroo rat

Climates and biomes change with altitude and with latitude

Top of mountain in New York is like a tundra

Aquatic Biomes - Largest type on Earth

-70% of earth- Temperatures are quite stable and therefore have very stable ecosystems

- Factors such as amount of dissolved oxygen, amount of sunlight, and temperature affect what types of organisms live in aquatic biomes

Marine biomes - oceans- Most stable biome

- Absorb and hold lots of heat and thereby keep atmosphere relatively stable

- Nutrients and dissolved salts are fairly stable- Habitat for many diverse organisms

- Most organisms live near coast because photosynthesis won’t happen where ocean is to deep

Freshwater biome

-ponds, lakes, streams, rivers

- Vary in size, temp, velocity of current, amount of dissolved gases, rate of succession - Small ponds and streams will eventually turn into terrestrial climax communities

Human Impact on Living Environment

Overhunting - Has caused extinction of dodo bird and carrier pigeon

- Some countries continue to hunt endangered species like the blue whale

Importation of Exotic Species

- Humans continually bring organisms from other areas into new ecosystems

- The imported species often have no natural enemies and cause disruption to an ecosystem

Snakehead fish Zebra mussels

Purple loosestrife

Exploitation - Using flora or fauna for their products or as pets-elephant and walrus for ivory

- Parrot for a pet

Poor Land Management- Caused by increased population and urbanization

Overcropping - Draining land of needed mineralsOvergrazing

Non use of covercrops - Allows depletion of topsoil

- If bad enough can lead to starvation – N. Africa

Loss of Biodiversity - As more organisms go extinct the ecosystems they live in become less healthy

Deforestation - Cutting of valuable ecosystems to make room for housing, retail and agriculture

Population Explosion- earth’s population is growing rapidly

Why?

- Few natural checks ( no major diseases wipe us out )Industrialization

- Move toward an industry based society

- Causes high demand for limited natural resources

Technological Oversights- Lead to unplanned consequences

Environmental Pollutants Natural - Volcanic eruptions, forest fires, pollen

- Can cause climate and weather changes

Human pollutants - Appear to have greatly disturbed the environmental equilibrium

Pollutants include solids, liquids, gases, organisms, and energy ( heat, light, sound, radiation )

Water Pollution

Major pollutants include:

Heat - From utilities, industries, and nuclear power plants

Sewage - Home industry and farm waste

Chemicals - Phosphates (detergents and fertilizers)

Heavy metals - used in industry

PCB’s - Carcinogenic manufacturing wastes

Oil Spills

Air Pollution

- Car, factory wastes

Major Pollutants include

1. Carbon Monoxide and Carbon Dioxide

2. Hydrocarbons

3. Particulates

- Nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides combine with water to make acid rain

Biocides - Pesticides and herbicides

- DDT used in 60’s and 70’s messed up bald eagle and peregrine falcon populations causing them to become endangered

- Can cause cancer

Disposal Problems- Where do wastes go

- In past not much thought was given to disposal, creating problems like love canal

Nuclear Wastes - Radioactive wastes

- Mutagenic agents

Global Impact-humans in one country can cause detrimental effects to another

Acid Rain - Wastes from Midwest industries and cars pollute air and fall as acid rain in Adirondack Mountains

- When to acidic animals and plants can not survive

Global Warming- Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere

Why worry? 1. Flooding on coastlines2. Saltwater contamination of coastal drinking water

5. More hurricanes

3. Coastal ecosystem damage

4. Changes in precipiation patterns

6. Food production problems

7. Serious loss of biodiversity

Global Cooling- Dust and other particles in air could cause temperature of Earth to go down and cause and Ice Age

Ozone Depletion- Ozone shield is stratosphere blocks harmful UV rays

- UV rays cause mutations and skin cancer

- As ozone sheild gets destoryed by aerosal’s like freon more UV radiation gets through

Individual choices and societal actions that have improved the environment

Population controls

- Countries have enacted laws, provided family planning and education for their populations

- Still a major problem in 3rd world countries

Conservation - Reforestation efforts

- Cover cropping

- Water conservation

- Recycling laws

-biodegradable packaging

- Benefits the environment, economy, employment, industry and government

Species Preservation - Habitat protection

- Wildlife management

Biological Controls - Using sex hormones to attract insect pests- Using natural pesticides

Pollution controls - On industry, utilities, cars and boats

- Sewage treatment plants

Environmental Protection Laws

- Wetlands acts

- Clean water acts

- Clean air acts