1. What is an ecosystem?

2. What is a niche?

3. What are the 3 types of symbiotic relationships?

4. Describe each type of symbiotic relationship and GIVE AN EXAMPLE.

5. What is predation?

6. What is competition?

Interrelationships Ecosystem- Community of abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living) factors.

Interactions Predation- predator vs. prey

Competition- for the same resource

Symbiosis- two species live in direct contact

Symbiosis Parasitism- One benefits; one is harmed

Mutualism: both benefit

Commensalism- one benefits; other neither helped/harmed

Date: ______________

1. What is an ecosystem?

2. What are the 3 types of symbiotic relationships?

3. Describe each type of symbiotic relationship and GIVE AN EXAMPLE.

Agenda

Introduction of Ecology Project

Notes on Energy Flow

Creation of the Pyramids and ?s

Energy flow through ecosystems can be described and illustrated in:

Food chains

Food webs

Energy pyramids

Number pyramids

Biomass pyramids

Food chain: simplest path that energy takes through an ecosystem

Energy enters an ecosystem from the SUN!

Energy is transferred through trophic levels, in which each organism uses some of the energy for cellular respiration, lose the energy due to heat loss, and store the rest.

1st level: Primary Producers (Autotrophs) Perform photosynthesis: sun sugar

Sugar is used for energy, structure, and function of plants

Examples: land plants and phytoplankton in aquatic environments

2nd level: Primary Consumers (Heterotrophs)

3rd level and above: Consumers

1st level: Primary Producers (Autotrophs)

2nd level: Primary Consumers (Heterotrophs) Herbivores: eat green plants

Energy consumed used to fuel metabolism and converted into other molecules for structure and function

Much of the consumed energy is lost as heat

Examples: grasshoppers, rabbits, zooplankton

3rd level and above: Consumers

1st level: Primary Producers (Autotrophs)

2nd level: Primary Consumers (Heterotrophs)

3rd level and above: Consumers Carnivores: eat primary consumers (meat)

Omnivores: eat producers (plants) and primary consumers (meat)

Nutrients used for energy, to build structure, and perform necessary functions

Much of the consumed energy is lost as heat

Examples: humans, wolves, frogs, minnows

A heterotroph that decomposes organic material and returns the nutrients to soil, water, and air is a detritivore. It makes nutrients available to other organisms.

Represents many interconnected food chains describing various paths that energy takes through an ecosystem.

Models that show how energy flows through ecosystems.

Shows relative amounts of energy, biomass, or numbers of organisms at each trophic level.

Base of the pyramid = producers Each step up represents a different consumer level

Trophic levels are based on the number of organisms in the food chain or web

Represents energy available for each trophic level in an ecosystem

Energy needs are greater from level to level

Total amount of energy available DECREASES

Each successive level in an ecosystem can support FEWER numbers of organisms than the one below

With each level of the pyramid, only 10% of the energy available is used while the other 90% is lost to the environment

Represents the total mass of living organic matter (biomass) at each trophic level

The biomass at each trophic level is reduced

It does not necessarily represent the amount of energy available at each level

Skeleton and the beak of a bird will contribute to the total biomass, but are not available for energy

Number of individual organisms available for energy at each trophic level

Examines how the population of one species affects another

Autotrophic level is the base of the pyramid Represents the total number of producers available to support the energy needs of the ecosystem

Total numbers of organisms decline as trophic level increases

Population: group of organisms of the SAME SPECIES that live in a particular area

They can be described based on size, density, or distribution.

Population density: number of individual organisms living in a defined space.

Regulation of population density is affected by density-dependent factors, density-independent factors, abiotic factors, and biotic factors.

Limiting factors that operate more strongly on LARGE populations.

Triggered by increases in population density (crowding).

Includes competition, predation, parasitism, and disease.

Limiting factors that occur regardless of how large the population is.

Reduce the size of ALL populations in the area by the same proportion.

Mostly abiotic (weather changes), human activities (pollution), and natural disasters (fires).

Limiting factor that can change within an ecosystem and may affect a population.

Chemical or physical

Examples: water, nitrogen, oxygen, salinity, pH, soil nutrients and composition, temperature, amount of sunlight, and precipitation.

Limiting factor that can change within an ecosystem and may affect a population.

All living components of an ecosystem.

Examples: bacteria, fungi, plants, animals.

A change in one of these factors may DECREASE the size of a population if it cannot adapt or migrate.

A change may INCREASE the size of a population if that change enhances its ability to survive, flourish, or reproduce.

1. How can we illustrate energy flow through an ecosystem?

2. How does energy enter an ecosystem?*

3. Describe the major trophic levels. What is included in each?*

4. What is a detritivore?

5. How are food webs and food chains different?

6. What are the 3 types of ecological pyramids? How are they different from each other?

1. What is a population?*

2. What is population density?*

3. What are density-dependent factors? Give an example.*

4. What are density-independent factors? Give an example.*

5. What are abiotic factors? Give an example.*

6. What are biotic factors? Give an example.*

Review DUT

Study Guide and Project (correction)

Previous Assignments Grading Vocab, Go Fish, Pyramid and Questions

Quiz on 3.6, 6.1, 6.2 last 15 minutes

Notebooks due at end of class!

1(embedded 3/4) 8:20 – 9:15

2 (embedded 7/8) 9:21 – 10:11

4 (embedded 14/15) 10:17 – 11:07

3A Lunch 11:07 – 11:32

3A Class 11:38 – 12:40

3Embedded 11 11:13 – 11:43

3B Lunch 11:43 – 12:05

3Embedded 11 12:10 – 12:40

3C Class 11:13 – 12:15

3C Lunch 12:15 – 12:40