Ecology

I am the Lorax.I speak for the trees.I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.

Ecology

Study of relationships between organisms and their environments.

Ecosystem Organization

PopulationsCommunitiesEcosystems

Biosphere

Organisms

Biome

Organism A single living thing

Population A group of organisms that belongs to the

same species Species-is a group of individuals capable

of interbreeding to produce fertile offspring.

Population members breed with each other and live in the same area

Community Different

populations in a certain area at a certain time.

Changes in one population cause changes in other populations

Ecosystem All the different populations in a

community and the community’s non-living factors

There are two major kinds of ecosystems: terrestrial and aquatic

Biomes are a group of ecosystems with similar climates (temperature and rainfall) and organisms.

Portion of Earth that supports life

Biosphere

Energy in the Biosphere The ultimate source of energy on Earth is the Sun Autotrophs-get energy from the sun to make food Heterotrophs-must eat other organisms to get

energy Carnivores-eat animals Herbivores-eat plants Omnivores-eat both

plants and animals Detritivore-eats

dead/decaying things

Food Chain Shows how matter and energy move

through an ecosystem Each organism in a food chain represents a

trophic level Trophic level – the feeding step on the food

chain; an organisms trophic level is which position it occupies on the food chain

Trophic Levels (feeding steps) Producers-Autotrophs

Mostly Plants Primary Consumers-1st order heterotrophs

Eat Producers (herbivores) Secondary Consumers-2nd order heterotrophs

Eat Primary Consumers Tertiary Consumers-3rd order heterotrophs

Eat Secondary Consumers (top predators) Decomposers

Eats dead materials, helps break down nutrients and return them to the environment

Food Web Models that show all possible feeding

relationships at each trophic level in a community

RULE OF 10 Only 10% of energy is transferred from

one trophic level to the next. Example:

It takes 100 kgs of plant materials (producers) to support 10 kgs of herbivores

It takes 10 kgs of herbivores to support 1 kg of 1st level predator

http://mff.dsisd.net/Environment/PICS/Trophics.jpg