The Biosphere!

Chapter 3

3-1 What is Ecology?

Study of the interaction among organisms and between organisms and their environment

Coined by Earnest Haeckel in 1866

Biosphere: planet, life, water, land, air and part of the atmosphere

Levels of Organization

Study of the interactions between a particular organization and its surroundings.

SpeciesPopulationCommunityEcosystemBiomeBiosphere

Levels of Organization

SpeciesGroup of organisms so similar that they can breed and produce fertile offspring.

PopulationGroups of individuals that belong to the same species living in the same area.

Levels of Organization

CommunityGroups of different populations within a defined area.

EcosystemCollection of organisms that live in a particular place with nonliving; or physical environment.

Levels of Organization

BiomeGroup of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities.

BiosphereThe earth

Ecological Methods of Study

Tools and techniques for studying the living world.

Observing

Experimenting

Modeling

3-2 Energy Flow

Producers: Sunlight is the main source of energy for life

It is the ultimate producer

Autotrophs

Energy Flow

Autotrophs:Photosynthesis

ChemosynthesisWithout the presence of light this process is used to release energy from inorganic molecules

Energy Flow

Consumers:Heterotrophs

Herbivores

Carnivores

Omnivores

Detritivores

Decomposers

Feeding Relationships

Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction:

From sun or inorganic compounds

To autotrophs

Then to various heterotrouphs

Feeding Relationships

Relationships between producers and consumers is based on who eats whom

Food Chains

Food Webs

Trophic Levels

Food Chains

Transfer of energy by eating and being eaten.

ExampleAlgae Zooplankton Small fishSquid Sharks

Pg. 69 in book

Food WebA network of interconnecting food chains.

Quaternary,

tertiary,

and secondaryconsumers

Tertiaryand

Secondaryconsumers

Secondaryand

Primaryconsumers

Producers(plants)

Primaryconsumers.

Food Web

Figure 3-8

Trophic Level

Each step in a food chain or food web

Quaternaryconusumers

Trophic level

Tertiaryconsumers

Secondaryconsumers

Primaryconsumers

Producers

Hawk

Snake

Mouse

Grasshopper

Plant Phytoplankton

Zooplankton

Herring

Tuna

Killer whale

A aquatic food chainA terrestrial food chain

Ecological Pyramids

Diagram that shows the relative amounts of energy or matter within each trophic level

3 Types:Energy Pyramid

Biomass Pyramid

Pyramid of Numbers

Energy Pyramid

Shows the relative amount of energy available at each trophic level. Organisms use about 10 percent of this energy for life processes. The rest is lost as heat.

100% Producers

10% First Level

Consumers

1% Second Level

Consumers

0.1% Third Level Consumers

Biomass Pyramid

Amount of living organic matter in each trophic level.

5000g of Grain

500g of chicken

50g of Human Tissue

Pyramid of Numbers

Shows the relative number of individual organisms at each trophic level.

5000 Flowers and Grasses

50 Rabbits

and Mice

5 Snakes

1 Hawk

3-3 Cycles of Matter

Matter is recycled within and between ecosystems

Biogeochemical Cycle: Elements, chemical compounds and other forms of matter are passed from one organization to another and from one part of the biosphere to another

The Water Cycle

Evaporation: Liquid to atmospheric gas

Transpiration:Evaporation from leaves; from liquid water to water gas

The Water Cycle

Condensation

Seepage

Runoff

Precipitation

TranspirationEvaporation

RootUptake

Nutrient Cycles

Carbon Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle

Phosphorus Cycle

Carbon Cycle

Carbon plays a major role in live.

4 major processes to move carbon through this cycle:

Biological Processes

Geochemical processes

Mixed biogeochemical processes

Human activities

Carbon Cycle

CO2 in atmosphere

Photosynthesis

Cellularrespiration

Burning offossil fuelsand wood

Carbon compoundsin water

Detritus

Primaryconsumers

Higher-levelconsumers

Decomposition

Nitrogen Cycle

All organisms require nitrogen to make amino acids which are the building blocks for proteins.

Nitrogen fixation:Bacteria convert ammonia to nitrates and nitrites.

Phosphorus Cycle

It is essential to living organisms because it forms part of DNA and RNA.

Released as rocks and sediments break down.

Nutrient Limitations

Factors that controls the primary productivity of an ecosystem is the amount of available nutrients.

Limiting Nutrient: a single nutrient that is scarce or cycles very slowly