EcologyMr. Rafferty Biology

What is Ecology?Ecology is the study of organisms and their relationship between the living and nonliving portions of their environment.

What are some non-living things in our environment?

Are all living factors in the environment

All the non living things in the environment

The Biosphere is the portions of the Earth where all living things live.

It goes from the ocean floor to the highest point in the sky where organisms live

Where does most of our energy come from??

The Sun provides almost all the energy for living things on earth.

SUNLIGHT/LIFEMore sunlight = More life

If the Sun provides energy, what is the single most important thing all living things need to live?

WATER is the lifeline of all living things on earth.

71% of the earth is covered by water

Precipitation is the release of water from the atmosphere as rain, snow, dew, and fog.

How do Scientists study organisms in their environment.

When studying organisms in nature, scientists often begin with a group of similar organisms in a certain areaA Population includes all the individuals of a specific organism in natureex/ Humans in a school, mice in a field

This is not a neighborhood but a …..

A community is all the populations of organisms in a given area.

Ecosystem

A ecosystem includes a community and its physical environment.

Containing Both Biotic and Abiotic Factors.

Ecosystems must remain balanced in order to sustain life.

Autotrophs vs. Heterotrophs

Autotrophs are organisms that can produce their own food. ex/ flower

Heterotrophs are organisms that must obtain their food from the environment. ex/ Lion hunting a zebra

Autotrophs

Autotrophs include any plants on Earth. These Plants carry out to create their own food.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Activator

Name 3 Heterotrophs & 3 Autotrophs!

Heterotrophs

We know Heterotrophs have to obtain their own food. Here are some examples:

What’s

The

Diff?

HeterotrophsThere are 4 types of Heterotrophs1. Herbivore- obtains nutrition by eating only plants ex/ 2. Carnivore- obtains nutrition by eating other organisms (

MEAT) a. Predator- kills other organisms ex/ b. Scavengers- feed on dead animals they find ex/

3. Omnivore- obtains nutrition by eating both plants and animals ex/

4. Decomposers- obtains nutrition by breaking down dead organisms.

Every Organism on Earth has a relationship with each other.

Symbiotic Relationships- are relationships in which 2 different organisms live in close association with each other to the benefit of at least one of them.

There are 3 types of Relationships.

MutualismBoth organisms benefit from their association

Ex/

Commensalism

Commensalism- is when one organism benefits and the other one is unaffected

ex/

Parasitism

Parasitism- is when one organism benefits and the other is harmed.

ex/

Each type of organisms within an ecosystem has a particular part of the environment that it lives in.

A Habitat- is the specific area where a organisms lives.

A niche- is the specific role each organism has in its habitat.

Each niche is broken down into 3 Roles

Producers Producers- are all autotrophs in an environment

all organisms that produce their own food,

Consumers

Consumers - are organisms that obtain their nutrition from other organisms.

Decomposers Decomposers- break down the remains of dead plants and animals.

They release nutrients back into the environment to be reused***

Each of these Niches(roles) come together and build a Food Chain.

Within an ecosystem there is a flow of energy that ALWAYS begins with the Producers.

● Herbivores are the primary consumers● Carnivores that feed on Herbivores are the secondary consumers● Higher level consumers exist and eat the secondary consumers. ● APEX Predator- is top predator, nothing eats it. “Top of the Food Chain”

Ex/

Food WebWithin an entire ecosystem, many food chains combine to create FOOD WEBS

BrainpopFood Web

Earth is split up into areas that have very different climates, animals, and plants

A Biome- is a large geographical region that has a particular type of environment and the type of organisms that occupy it.

There are 6 types of Biomes across the Earth.

TUNDRAThe Tundra- is a region that lies close to the polar ice caps, in the extreme Northern and Southern Tips of Earth. Climate- low average temperature, short growing period( 60days) ground never unfreezes (permafrost)Plants- very limited #, grasses, mosses and shrubsAnimals- Reindeer, Polar Bears, wolves, seals, Arctic Hares, Arctic Foxes

** During the Short Growing period Millions of Birds Fly there to breed.

Taiga The Tiaga- moving south from the poles is the Tiaga Biome, the vegetation slowly changes and trees appear. Climate- Has cold winters, warmer than tundra and growing period is 120 days. Much more Precipitation and ground will unfreezePlants- Pine, Fir and Spruce trees are dominant, grasses, these trees do not lose their leaves, (Conifers) Animals- Moose, Wolves, Bears, lynx, deer, elk, various rodents, birds, and insects.

Deciduous Forest (NEW YORK STATE)

Deciduous Forest- are south of the Taiga, has increased precipitation. Unique quality is that Trees LOSE LEAVES!!Climate- Cold Winters & Hot and Humid Summers.

Plants- Oak, Maple, Hickory, Beech, Chestnut trees that lose their leaves. Has Fir, Spruce and Pine trees. grasses(meadows) ferns, mosses, bushes, shrubsAnimals- wolves, foxes, bobcats, deer, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, many birds and insects, turtles,

Grasslands Grasslands have become the most productive farm land on Earth.

Climate- the climate is very similar to the Deciduous Forest/ Hot Summers & Cold Winters. Rainfall is different, only 25 to 75 cm fall a year.

Plants- since there is little rainfall,trees are very scarce in the grasslands. Grasses and wildflowers are abundant. The soil is rich and very farmable.

Grassland Animals Grasslands are separated into 2 regions: N American & African

North Americacoyotesbadgers

rattlesnakesprairie dogs

buffalojack rabbits

*****BIRDS IN THE GRASSLANDS ARE LESS NUMEROUS THAN THE FORREST

Africalions

hyenaszebra

leopardsgiraffesgazeles

elephants

DesertsDeserts- occur in regions that are too dry to support grasses.

Climate: Deserts have less than 25 cm of rain per year. They are very dry and the temperature can get as high at 120 degrees during the day and can be as low as 40 degrees at night.

Plants: Plants are rare in a desert, some plants include catus (cacti), yucca, mesquite, and small shrubs

Animals- Most organisms are Nocturnal (awake at night) and include camels small rodents, desert fox, lizards, insects, snakes.

RainforestRainforest- are found in areas around the equator. Rainforest are being destroyed at a very fast rate, 1 acre per second

Climate- Constant supply of rainfall all year. 200-400 cm or rain. Humidity is very high and the temperature is always around 80 degrees.Plants- There are so many plants and trees in the Rainforest that light has a very hard time to reach the ground. The trees form a Canopy. There is the most plant species on Earth in this Biome.

Animals- A wide variety of animals live in the rainforest like monkeys, bats, squirrels, snakes ,lizards, poisonous frogs, jaguars, and many insects. The rainforest Biome has the most animals in it on Earth.

Bill Nye Biodiversity

Bill Nye