ECOLOGY AND ECOSYSTEMS

Presentation Transcript

ECOLOGY

IS THE STUDY OF THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN ORGANISMS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS

ECOSYSTEM

A LIMITED AREA IN WHICH LIVING AND NONLIVING THINGS INTERACT
HAS 2 PARTS:

ABIOTIC FACTORS (NONLIVING)
BIOTIC FACTORS (LIVING)

HOW MANY ABIOTIC (NONLIVING) COMPONENTS CAN YOU FIND IN THE FOLLOWING ECOSYSTEM?

MAKE A LIST ON YOUR PAPER.

ABIOTIC FACTORS

LIGHT
TEMPERATURE
WATER/MOISTURE
SOIL
WIND OR CURRENT

(HOW MANY OF THESE DID YOU PICK OUT OF THE PICTURE?)

BIOTIC FACTORS

THE BIOTIC FACTORS INCLUDE ALL OF THE LIVING ORGANISMS IN THE ECOSYSTEM

ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF ONE

KIND OF ORGANISM IN THE

ECOSYSTEM MAKE UP A

POPULATION

HOW MANY ABIOTIC (NONLIVING) COMPONENTS CAN YOU FIND IN THE FOLLOWING ECOSYSTEM?

MAKE A LIST ON YOUR PAPER.

THE PRODUCERS MANUFACTURE THEIR OWN FOOD USING A PROCESS CALLED PHOTOSYNTHESIS. SOME EXAMPLES OF PRODUCER ORGANISMS ARE GREEN PLANTS AND ALGAE.

THE CONSUMERS CANNOT MANUFACTURE THEIR OWN FOOD, AND MUST OBTAIN THEIR ENERGY FROM OTHER SOURCES.

TYPES OF CONSUMERS

HERBIVORES ARE CONSUMERS THAT EAT PLANT MATERIAL
CARNIVORES ARE CONSUMERS THAT EAT ANIMALS (MEAT EATERS)
OMNIVORES ARE CONSUMERS THAT EAT BOTH PLANTS AND ANIMALS

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ORGANISMS

PREDATOR-PREY: A PREDATOR IS AN ANIMAL THAT FEEDS ON OTHER ANIMALS. THE PREY IS THE ANIMAL THAT THE PREDATOR EATS. THESE RELATIONSHIPS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY KEEP THE POPULATIONS IN AN ECOSYSTEM BALANCED. AN EXAMPLE IS THE LION AND THE ZEBRA. OTHERS:

2. PARASITE-HOST: A PARASITE, WHICH IS USUALLY SMALLER THAN ITS HOST, OBTAINS ITS MATERIALS AND NUTRIENTS FROM A LARGER ORGANISM CALLED THE HOST. SOME PARASITES ARE VERY SPECIFIC AND WILL ONLY LIVE WITH ONE SPECIES OF ORGANISM. EXAMPLES ARE FLEAS ON A DOG AND FEATHER LICE ON BIRDS.

3. COMPETITION: THIS MAY OCCUR BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE SAME POPULATION OR BETWEEN DIFFERENT POPULATIONS. IT HAPPENS BECAUSE THE ORGANISMS HAVE THE SAME BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR SPACE, FOOD, OR MATES. THESE ITEMS THAT CAUSE COMPETITION WHEN THEY ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY IN AN ECOSYSTEM ARE CALLED LIMITING FACTORS.

4. COMMENSALISM: A RELATONSHIP BETWEEN 2 POPULATIONS THATBENEFITS ONE AND DOES NOT HELP OR HURT THE OTHER. A EXAMPLE IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A LEOPARD AND CARRION FEEDERS. IF THE LEOPARD KILLS AN ANTELOPE AND EATS ALL IT WANTS, SOON VULTURES, HYENAS AND JACKALS WILL COME TO “CLEAN UP” THE LEFTOVERS.

5. MUTUALISM:A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO POPULATIONS THAT IS BENEFICIAL TO BOTH. FOR EXAMPLE, AS A HONEYBEE GATHERS NECTAR AND POLLEN FROM A RED CLOVER FLOWER, THE FLOWER IS POLLINATED BY THE BEE. SINCE BOTH THE BEE AND THE FLOWER BENEFIT, THE RELATIONSHIP IS MUTUALISTIC.

MANY MUTUALISMS ARE OBLIGATORY, WHERE BOTH ORGANISMS MUST LIVE TOGETHER OR THEY WILL DIE. TERMITES, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE A TYPE OF MICROORGANISM IN THEIR INTESTINES WHICH HELP DIGEST WOOD. WITHOUT THE PROTOZOANS, THE TERMITES WOULD DIE OF STARVATION-NO MATTER HOW MUCH WOOD THEY EAT! WHAT DO THE MICROORGANISMS GET?

LAB ACTIVITY

SIMULATION OF PREDATOR-PREY INTERACTIONS IN AN ECOSYSTEM

FOOD CHAINS

ARE MODELS THAT SHOW HOW MATTER AND ENERGY MOVE THROUGH AN ECOSYSTEM
NUTRIENTS FLOW FROM AUTOTROPHS TO HETEROTROPHS, AND FINALLY TO DECOMPOSERS
EACH ORGANISM IN THE FOOD CHAIN REPRESENTS A TROPHIC LEVEL

FOOD WEBS & ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDS

FOOD WEBS REPRESENT ALL THE POSSIBLE FEEDING RELATIONSHIPS AT EACH TROPHIC LEVEL IN A COMMUNITY
ECOLOGICAL PYRAMIDS ARE MODELS THAT SHOW THE ENERGY CONVERSIONS IN AN ECOSYSTEM

MATTER CYCLES

MATTER IN AN ECOSYSTEM IS CONTINUOUSLY RECYCLED
THERE ARE FOUR PRIMARY MATTER CYCLES THAT WE WILL STUDY

WATER
CARBON
NITROGEN

IS A PREDICTABLE SERIES OF CHANGES THAT OCCUR IN BIOTIC COMMUNITIES AS THEY PROGRESS TOWARD A CLIMAX COMMUNITY
WHEN A CLIMAX COMMUNITY IS DESTROYED (FIRE, WATER, MAN,…) IT WILL GO THROUGH THE SERIES OF CHANGES IN SUCCESSION

PIONEER ORGANISMS

ARE THE 1ST ORGANISMS TO MOVE INTO THE DESTROYED AREA
THESE ORGANISMS ARE SMALL
THERE ARE FEW POPULATIONS, BUT THE POPULATIONS ARE LARGE
THE ORGANISMS HAVE HIGH METABOLIC RATES AND SHORT LIFE SPANS

CLIMAX ORGANISMS

ARE THE ORGANISMS TO MOVE INTO THE AREA AFTER IT HAS BEEN SETTLED BY THE PIONEERS
THESE ORGANISMS ARE LARGE
THERE ARE MANY SMALLER POPULATIONS
THE ORGANISMS HAVE LOW METABOLIC RATES AND LONGER LIFE SPANS