Intro to Ecology

Biology

By completing this lesson, you will learn about…

• The scope of Ecology

• Ecological Organization

• Energy Flow• Feeding

Relationships • Chemical Cycles

Studies in Ecology Concept Map

Biology

Ecology

Population EcologyCommunity Ecology

Conservation Ecology

Ecosystem Ecology

Energy Flow Concept Map

Carbon

Cycle

NitrogenCycle

WaterCycle

ChemicalCyclesFeeding

Relationships

Energy Flow

TrophicLevels

PhosphorousCycle

The Scope of Ecology

• Introduction

• Ecological Organization

• The Branches of Ecology

What is Ecology?

• ECOLOGY – The study of interactions between organisms and environments.

Ecological Organization

• Ecological relationships range from an individual organism to the entire biosphere.

Population

Community

Biome

Biosphere

Ecosystem

Organism A single living thing

A group of organisms of the same species that live together.

A group of Populations that live together

Communities and their physical environments

A group of ecosystems that have the same climate.

All the biomes on Earth. Thus, all the living areas of the planet.

Population

Community

Biome

Biosphere

Ecosystem

Organism

Branches of Ecology

Population EcologyStudy of how populations grow

Conservation EcologyStudy of how to preserve

And create a healthy,Lasting biosphere

Community EcologyStudy of how populations interact

with each other

Ecosystem EcologyStudy of how populations

interact with their physical environment

Question: Levels of Organization

Match the terms on the left with the definitions on the right

Population Ecology

Areas of same climate

Study of group growth

Example of a biome

Biome

Tundra

Question: Levels of Organization

Match the terms on the left with the definitions on the right

Population Ecology

Areas of same climate

Study of group growth

Example of a biome

Biome

Tundra

Energy Flow 1: Feeding Relationships

• Overview

• Trophic levels

• Food Webs

Overview: Energy FlowEcosystem

Level of ecological study that includes allorganisms in a given area along with the factors with which they interact. A community and its physical environment.

Most ecosystemsare drivenby energy

fromsunlight

Energy flow and chemical cycling are two interrelated processes that occurby transfer of substances through the feeding levels of ecosystems.

Key Concept:

One of the ways in which energy flows through an Ecosystem is by feeding. Different living organisms eat each other, and the food is energy moving from one organism to the next.

One of the ways in which energy flows through an Ecosystem is by feeding. Different living organisms eat each other, and the food is energy moving from one organism to the next.

What is a Food Web?

• The feeding relationships in an ecosystem. Also called a food chain.

Example of a food web

grass(seeds)

grasshopper

mouse

snake

rabbit

decomposers

Bacteria & Fungus

What are Trophic levels?

• Trophic level – each feeding level in a food web or chain.

Trophic level organisms: Producers

Producers are the backbone trophic level

Producers are autotrophs which gets energy from the sun using photosynthesis. Plants, algae & phytoplankton

Trophic level: ConsumersConsumers is a trophic level of heterotrophs

Consumers are heterotrophs which eat other organisms for energy, such as snails and pigs. There are many trophic levels of consumers.

Herbivores eat plants only. (cows)

Carnivores eat animals only. (sharks)

Omnivores eat plants and animals.(humans, mice)

Decomposers break down dead, rotting remains. ( bacteria, mushrooms)

Trophic levels of food webs

PRODUCERSAutotrophs

CONSUMERS(Heterotrophs)

HerbivoresCarnivores

Omnivores

decomposers

waste andremains

detritivores

Trophic level Pyramid

ProducersAutotrophs

Primary Consumer Heterotrophs Herbivores

SecondaryConsumer

TertiaryConsumer

Uses the sun’s energy to make its own food- photosynthesis

Trophic level Pyramid

ProducersAutotrophs

Primary Consumer Heterotrophs Herbivores

SecondaryConsumer

TertiaryConsumer

Uses the sun’s energy to make its own food- photosynthesis

About 10% of available NRGis passed up

1000

100

10

Trophic level Pyramid

ProducersAutotrophs

Primary Consumer Heterotrophs Herbivores

SecondaryConsumer

TertiaryConsumer

Uses the sun’s energy to make its own food- photosynthesis

About 10% of available NRGis passed up

1000

100

10The rest is lost asHeat and Waste

Primary Productivity

The rate at which light energy is converted to the chemical energyof organic compounds by autotrophs in an ecosystem.

primary productivity is limited by a variety of factors that depend on the specific ecosystem as well as change in season.

Usually only about 10% of the chemical energy available at one trophic level appears at the next.

Question: Trophic Levels

• What type of organisms consume wastes?1.______________2.______________

The food web is organized by__________ levels.

Question: Trophic Levels• What type of organisms consume wastes?1. Detritivores2. Decomposers

The food web is organized byTrophic levels.

Energy Flow II: Chemical Cycles

• Overview

• Carbon Cycle

• Nitrogen Cycle

• Water Cycle

• Phosphorous Cycle

Another way in which energy flows throughan ecosystem is by the cycling of chemicalmaterials.Chemical materials are energy, which moveas they cycle from one location to another.

Overview: Chemical CyclesBiogeochemical cycles_________________Biogeochemical cycles_________________

The various material circuits, which involve both the nutrient and physical components of an ecosystem.

Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Water are needed by every organism on Earth. C is needed to build organicmolecules. N is needed for nucleic acids. P is needed for energy molecules. Water is needed to maintain life. Howdoes every organism on Earth have access to these limitedresources?

Chemical Cycling

Carbon cycle Nitrogen cycle Phosphorous cycle Water cycle

Carbon CycleThe Carbon cycle reflects the connected processesof photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

1. Producers convert inorganic carbon dioxide into organic molecules.2. Consumers eat the producers.3. Consumers breathe out CO2 which is

reused by the autotrophs.

1. Producers convert inorganic carbon dioxide into organic molecules.2. Consumers eat the producers.3. Consumers breathe out CO2 which is

reused by the autotrophs.

Since photosynthesis generates oxygen, the oxygen cycleis coupled with the carbon cycle.

Nitrogen cycleCertain prokaryotesfix Nitrogen in the atmosphere into ammonia which otherbacteria convert intonitrites and nitrates.

Plants absorb ammonia andnitrates and convert theminto proteins that can be passed onto the food chain.

Nitrogen in the soil is returnedto the atmosphere in the form of free nitrogen by denitrifyingbacteria for prokaryotes to fixagain.

Detritivores reduce dead plants, animals and their products into ammonia which can be reused by plants or depositedin the soil.

Phosphorous cycle

Phosphorous from rocks leaks into the soil by sediment runoff.

Phosphorous is added to thesoil as phosphate.

Plants absorb the phosphate.

Animals eat the plants.

The oceans deposit thephosphorous onto rocks.

Consumers excrete fecesor decomposers break downthe wastes, which drains by run-off to the oceans.

Water cycleRain precipitates wateronto the Earth.

Water lands into theoceans. It also landson soil, and runs-offinto the oceans after use by living things.

Water from the oceanevaporates into the air.

Water in the aircondenses into clouds

Water moving through a plant is called Transpiration

Questions: Chemical cyclesWhich cycle has a chemicalwhich become depositedon rocks?

Which cycle provides the basis of organic molecules?

Which cycle requires the helpof bacteria?

Questions: Chemical cyclesWhich cycle has a chemicalwhich become depositedon rocks?

Which cycle provides the basis of organic molecules?

Which cycle requires the helpof bacteria?

Phosphorous cycle

Carbon cycle

Nitrogen cycle

What you have learned..Feeding relationshipscirculate energy from the sun to producersto consumers.

Ecology can be studiedat the organism, population,community, ecosystem,biome and biosphere level.

Ecology is the study ofinteractions betweenorganisms andenvironments.

Chemical cyclescirculate raw materialsfor organisms to use.Four major cyclesCarbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Water

Energy flow is how theearth circulates energyto support life. Two typesof energy flow includefeeding relationships andchemical cycles.