1 / 17

Ecology

Ecology. Module 15. Organization of the Biosphere. Levels of organization Biosphere Biome Ecosystem Biotic factors – living Abiotic factors – non living Community Population Organism. The ecological “niche”. Every organism in a community has a specific NICHE:

hani
Download Presentation

Ecology

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Ecology Module 15

  2. Organization of the Biosphere Levels of organization • Biosphere • Biome • Ecosystem • Biotic factors – living • Abiotic factors – non living • Community • Population • Organism

  3. The ecological “niche” Every organism in a community has a specific NICHE: The organism’s ROLE in the ecosystem - Habitat Place in food web Interrelationships

  4. Transfer of Energy • An ecosystem’s ultimate source of energy is the SUN • Solar energy is used by “producers” to make food. • “Consumers” eat producers (or other consumers) to gain food. • Each step in the food web is called a TROPHIC LEVEL

  5. Transfer of Energy Arrows show the transfer of energy from one organism to another Energy moves in ONE DIRECTION!

  6. Transfer of Energy Ecological Efficiency • Only about 10% of the available energy in one trophic level is passed to the next trophic level • The “lost” energy is used for biological work (eating, growing, respiring, etc) and is converted to HEAT. Tertiary consumers LEAST energy Secondary consumers Primary consumers Producers MOST energy

  7. Cycling of Matter Role of Decomposers • Break down wastes and dead organisms • Decomposition allows nutrients to be returned to the soil and reused • Includes bacteria, fungi, and some invertebrates

  8. Biogeochemical Cycles Water Cycle: Nitrogen Cycle:

  9. Biogeochemical Cycles Carbon Cycle: Driven by photosynthesis and cellular respiration Decomposition is a form of cellular respiration Fossil fuel combustion adds CO2 to atmosphere Deforestation removes trees that should remove CO2

  10. Community Interactions Organisms in a community interact with each other in many ways. Some of these interactions include: • Competition • Predation • Symbiosis

  11. Community Interactions Competition A struggle for resources (food, space, abiotic factors, mates)

  12. Community Interactions Predation Some organisms (predators), consume others (prey)

  13. Community Interactions Symbiosis A close, permanent relationship between 2 organisms – NOT predation or competition! Mutualism (+,+) Parasitism (+,-) Commensalism (+, 0)

  14. Population Growth J-Curve: S-Curve: Carrying Capacity: The maximum number of individuals an environment can support Exponential growth: rapid growth in a short period of time # organisms # organisms Time Time

  15. Limiting Factors – establish carrying capacity and limit the size of a population Density Dependent: Includes food, disease, mates Density Independent: Includes natural disasters

  16. Population Growth Populations fluctuate around the carrying capacity…. This is called “dynamic equilibrium”.

  17. Change in COMMUNITIES over time Succession: Communities change over time in a predictable, orderly way over many decades Changes in plant communities lead to changes in animal communities

More Related