ecology

Ms. Hamilton

5.01 Investigate and analyze the interrelationships among organisms, populations, communities and ecosystems

• Techniques of field ecology • Abiotic and biotic factors • Carrying capacity

Students should be able to identify and describe symbiotic relationships • Mutualism • Commensalism • Parasitism

Students should be able to identify and predict patterns in Predator /prey relationships.

Use field ecology techniques such as sampling and quadrant studies to determine species diversity and changes over time.

Explain how abiotic and biotic factors are related to one another and their importance in ecosystems.

Analyze how limiting factors influence carrying capacity (e.g. food availability, competition, harsh winter).

Interpret population growth graphs.

Chapter 53

The biosphere is the global ecosystem.

Key Terms Ecology Biotic factor Abiotic factor Population Community Ecosystem Biosphere Habitat

Ecology is the study of interrelationships of organisms and their environments.

Ecosystems are composed of all the communities and their associated physical environments, including the physical, chemical, and biological processes. Ecosystems may sustain themselves

entirely through photosynthetic activity, energy flow through food chains, and nutrient recycling.

Abiotic components: non-living chemical and physical factors Temperature, light,

nutrients, water

Biotic components: all living organisms Interactions among

organisms

Temperature Most organisms are only able to live

within a certain temperature range Water Sunlight

Adequate light quantity AND quality is critical

Wind Magnifies effect of temperature Contributes to water loss Influences plant morphology

Rocks and Soil Physical structure, pH, mineral

composition all important soil features

Is the study of the structure of plants (physical form)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-XpUacV-TE

Week 4 : Aug 29 Definition of Prefix/Suffix Example

Con- With; together ConnectContra- Against ContradictCosmo- World; form CosmopolitanCounter- Against CounteractCrypt- Hidden; covered CrypticCuti- Skin CuticleCyan- Dark blue CyanobacteriaCycle- Ring; circle Water cycleCyst- Bladder; pouch CystitisCyt-; cyte- Cell OocyteDacty- Finger PolydactylDeca- Ten Decagon

Smallest unit of ecological study

Ecologists ask questions about the adaptations that enable individuals to meet the challenge of their environment

The interactions between organisms and their environments determine the distributions and abundance of organisms.

Think about it! People gather in big cities versus small towns.

Plants, algae, and many species of bacteria Photoautotrophs(use light energy),

chemoautotrophs(use chemical energy) Limnetic zone of lakes: algae & bacteria Littoral zone of fresh and marine

ecosystems: multicellular algae & aquatic plants

Terrestrial ecosystems: plants

Are opportunistic feeders They consume autotrophs, but also

heterotrophs Primary consumers feed on producers.

Secondary consumers feed on primary consumers, and / or producers.

Detritivores are consumers that break down organisms into smaller pieces which are then available to decomposers

Group of the individual organisms of the same species living in a particular area.

Ecologists often ask questions about factors that affect the size and growth of a population

All of the organisms inhabiting a particular area

Ecologists investigate interactions among all of the organisms in a community

Includes the biotic and abiotic factors in an area

Questions at the ecosystem level may relate to the flow of energy and chemicals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iowgc3ScemY&feature=PlayList&p=DDE86B2FEF7AD3F3&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=24

A population is a local group of organisms of ONE species.

Key Terms Population density

Alligators living in a swamp make up a population—members of the same species living in a specific geographic area.

Other populations in the swamp include diverse species of trees, egrets and other birds, and the various species of fishes, algae, and microorganisms in the swamp water.

Several factors influence a population's size and how much it changes over time. They include the availability of food and space, weather conditions, and breeding patterns.

In studying how these factors affect a population, ecologists need to define the population's geographic boundaries. Natural Artificial

Population density is the number of individuals of a particular species per unit area or volume. The number of alligators per square kilometer of

swamp, the number of bacteria per square centimeter of an agar plate, and the number of earthworms per cubic meter of soil are all examples of population density measurements.

Population density   =  Individuals  =  1000 trees  =  20 trees  

Unit area  50 km2  1 km2

It usually isn't practical to count every member of a population. There may be too many individuals, or they may move around too quickly to be counted accurately, as with many species of insects, birds, and fish.

In such cases, ecologists use a variety of sampling techniques to estimate the size of the population. Quadrats Indirect Counting Mark-Recapture Limits to Accuracy

Quadrats One method is to mark

off a particular area, then count the number of a particular species within this boundary

After repeating this procedure in several locations within the ecosystem, ecologists average their results to estimate the population density of this species in the ecosystem

Indirect Counts A sampling technique

for organisms that move around a lot or are difficult to see is indirect counting

This method involves counting nests, burrows, or tracks rather than the organisms themselves

Mark-Recapture The biologist traps animals in the study area and

marks them, such as with a drop of colored dye. The researcher then releases the marked

individuals. After a period of time, the researcher again

captures animals from the population and counts the marked and unmarked individuals in the second sample.

Total population  =   # in 1st capture * # in 2nd capture   # of marked animals recaptured

http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets.html

Is the use of techniques such as sampling and quadrate studies to determine species diversity and to monitor changes in an ecosystem over time.

Relationships between species can be classified as symbiosis or predation.

What is predation?

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126945.400-squid-symbiosis-may-shed-light-on-disease.html

Is a permanent relationship between two different types of organisms.

Three different types:

Mutualism, Commensalism Parasitism

BOTH organisms benefit from one another.

Sea anemones and clownfish.

Fish is protected by the sea anemone, the sea anemone receives scraps of food from the fish.

Flowers and their pollinators are a common and ubiquitous form of mutualism.

The use of a pollinator, however, can be much more exact if the plant species can attract a pollinator, attach its pollen to it, and then get the pollinator to go to another individual of the same plant species.

Dairy ants and aphids have a mutualistic relationship. The ants protect the aphids from possible predators. In return, the aphids provide the ants with honeydew.

ONE organism benefits from the other.

The other organism is neither helped nor harmed by the relationship.

May be shelter, transportation, defense, or food.

See your classmates notes for other examples.

ONE organism BENEFITS, and the other is Harmed.

Parasite-the organism that benefits

Host Ex. Tapeworms and

liver flukes

There are environmental factors that limit the size of a population. These include but are not limited to:o Foodo Watero Oxygeno Sunlighto Relationships with other organismso Ability to remove wastes

Factors that limit the growth of a population when that population is of a particular size.

This factor comes into play the population density reaches a certain level.

These factors include competition and predation.

Factors that limit the growth of a population, regardless of its size.

These include climatic events such as extreme cold or heat, tidal waves, volcanoes, flooding or drought.

Is the largest population that a given environment can support over a long period of time.

Describes the flow of energy from producers to consumers to decomposers.

Energy is constantly flowing through every ecosystem.

Food webs are food chains hooked together.

Dominant species in a community have the highest biomass (the sum weight of all members of a population).

Food webs that exists on land are called terrestrial food webs.

Food webs that exists in the ocean is called an oceanic food web or a marine foodweb.

Are used to represent the energy in an ecosystem.

Each of the steps in a feeding relationship is called a trophic level.

Producers are the first trophic level, then primary consumers, then secondary consumers, and finally the top carnivores. Any remaining energy is passed to decomposers.

Savannas Desert Temperate Grassland Temperate Deciduous forest Coniferous forest Tundra Tropical Rainforest