ECOLOGY!

1. ECOLOGY!

2. *Ecology= the study of interactions among organisms and their environments.

3. I. Biotic and Abiotic Factors • A. Biotic Factors-- all living things that inhabit an environment • 1. relationships with organisms of the same or different species. • B. Abiotic Factors: The nonliving environment • 1. air, currents, temperature, moisture, soil, light etc. • 2. Affect species survival and success in the environment.

4. II. levels of organization • A. organism= an individual living thing • B. population= a group of organisms of the same species that inhabit a specific area and interbreed. • C. community= a collection of populations of different species that interact • D. ecosystem= made up of the interactions among the populations in a community and the community's physical/ abiotic surroundings. • E. Biosphere-- portion of the earth that supports life

5. III. Organisms in Ecosystems • A. Habitat = where an organism lives (habitat destruction= major cause of extinctions/ endangerment) http://www.ocean.com/film.asp?resourceid=3498&catid=48&locationid=3 • B. Niche-- the role and position a species has in its environment (includes all interactions of the species with biotic and abiotic components of its habitat)

6. Habitat vs. Niche Exit Questions • Explain the concept of an ecological niche in your own words, giving an example of your choosing. (2 points) • Clearly explain how the habitat of a killer whale is different from the niche of a killer whale. • (2 points)

7. IV. Relationships between organisms • A. predator-prey relationship • B. Competition • C. Symbiosis (living together)-- close and permanent association among organisms of different species

8. *Three types of symbioses • 1. parasitism-- one species benefits, the other is harmed (ticks, fleas, tapeworms etc.) • a. parasite • b. host • 2. mutualism -- both organisms benefit (acacia tree and ants) • 3. commensalism-- one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed • ex. Orchid epiphytes, geese and falcon (Red breasted geese nest near falcons where they are protected from predators) Ant and Caterpillar symbiosis Video (2:42 min.) http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/ant_caterpillarsymbiosis?source=relatedvideo Sharks and symbiosis (Unlikely travel companions) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvAjKDyatr0 Brain –eating worms http://animal.discovery.com/videos/monsters-inside-me-the-baylisascaris-parasite.html Malaria: http://animal.discovery.com/videos/monsters-inside-me-malaria-parasite.html Pork tapeworm: http://animal.discovery.com/videos/monsters-inside-me-pork-tapeworm.html

9. Which Symbiosis is it?

10. SECTION 2.2 Nutrition and Energy Flow • How organisms Obtain Energy Trophic Levels • Producers (autotrophs) • Maketheirownfood (organicmatter) byphotosynthesis. • examples? • Consumers (heterotrophs) • Musteatorganicmatter (otherorganisms) togetnutrition.

11. Types of consumers • Primary (1st order) consumers (herbivores) • Eatproducers • Secondary (2nd order) consumers • Eatprimaryconsumers • Tertiary (3rd order) consumers • Eatsecondaryconsumers • Etc… • Scavengers (eat dead stuff) • Omnivores (eats plants and animals) • Decomposers-- break down dead and decaying matter into simpler molecules they can eat. • http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/hew06.sci.life.reg.foodweb/ Coral reef video on Energy flow….

12. II. Matter and Energy Flow in Ecosystems • Food Chain • Shows what each organism eats in a line. • Trophic level= a feeding step • Start with producer and end with top predator. • Arrows point in direction of energy flow (to the eater…) • Diagram an example

13. Food Web (more accurate) -- shows all possible feeding relationships

14. Energy Pyramid= 90% of energy is lost (as heat) between trophic levels (only 10% is passed on to next level) • Pyramid of Biomass= how much weight of living material at each trophic level • Pyramid of Numbers= how many organisms at each trophic level.

15. Exit Questions • 1. Draw a food chain with at least 3 organisms for any ecosystem you know about. • 2. For your food chain, draw an energy pyramid. Assume that there are 1,500,000 Calories at the producer level. Show how many Calories are available at each higher level on your diagram.

16. Some stats • One person in seven goes to bed hungry every day. • One-third of the world’s population is undernourished. • There are 25,000 starvation-related deaths each day. • Each night more than 300 million children go to bed hungry. • Every day, over 12,000 children (one every 7 seconds) die from hunger-related causes. • Approximately 146 million or 27 percent of children under age 5 in developing countries are underweight. • Nearly 17 percent of babies in developing countries are born with a low birth weight compared with only 7 percent of babies in industrialized countries. • What would be the best way to eat, if you wanted to be able to feed the whole world? Sources: www.one.org, www.bread.org, www.unicef.org, www.who.int, www.unep.org

17. III. Cycles in Nature Hopefully, you know these already. Review in the Biology book on pages 52-57: The Water Cycle The Carbon Cycle The Nitrogen Cycle The Phosphorus Cycle Your Task: • Summarize the main processes for each in your assignments • Make a clear, labeled diagram of each cycle in your assignments!

18. III. Cycles in Nature Matter is constantly recycled on earth! This is necessary for life!

19. water

20. Water Cycle • Evaporation • Transpiration • Condensation • Precipitation • Runoff

21. carbon

22. Carbon Cycle • Photosynthesis • Respiration • Carbon moves through food web • Combustion • Fossilization and Fossil Fuels

23. Nitrogen Cycle

24. Nitrogen Cycle • Nitrogen Fixation • Nitrification • Assimilation • Nitrogen moves through food web • Decomposition and Ammonification • Denitrification

25. Phosphorus cycle

26. Phosphorus Cycle • Weathering from Rocks • Phosphate in soil and water • Enters plants (enters food chain) • Phosphorus moves through food web • Decomposition • Uplifting

27. Think! • Why are nutrients recycled? (1 pt.) • What processes are involved in all of the cycles (besides the water cycle)? (1 point) • Compare (give similarities) and Contrast (give differences) between the flow of matter and the flow of energy in ecosystems. (2 pts.) • What important molecules require nitrogen? Phosphorus? Carbon? (2 pts.)

28. Chapter 3 (Biology Book) • Chapter 3: Communities and Biomes Notes • I. Communities (Ch. 3.1) • A. The types of organisms that make up a community will depend on the biotic and abiotic factors of the community. • 1. Adaptation= a trait that helps an organism survive in a certain environment http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3209/05.html frozen frogs

29. B. Limiting factors—any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms. (examples?) • 1. Carrying Capacity– the number of organisms of a particular species that an environment can support.

30. C.Ranges of Tolerance • 1. Tolerance = the ability of an organism to survive variations in the environment. • 2. Species may be able to tolerate certain conditions but won’t be as healthy as they are in optimal conditions. (examples?)

31. Exit Questions • Explain how limiting factors affect the carrying capacity of an ecosystem for an organism, giving one example. (2 pts.) • Explain how the adaptations of an organism influence the survival of that organism in its environment, giving one example. (2 pts.) • Explain how tolerance of an organism for a specific abiotic variable influences the distribution (locations where it is found) of that organism, giving one example. (2 pts.)

32. II. Succession: Changes over Time • A. Succession= the orderly, natural changes and species replacements in a community • B. 2 Types of Succession • 1. Primary succession-- colonization of new sites that have no life and no Soil. • a. Pioneer species— the first species to colonize an area. (ex. Lichen) • b. many changes in species composition • c. Climax community—a stable, mature community that undergoes little or no change in species is called a climax community. lichen

33. 2. Secondary Succession —sequence of community changes that takes place after a community is disrupted by natural disasters or human actions. • * Same steps as for primary succession BUT… • a. takes less time (soil already present) • b. occurs in an area that previously contained life • c. pioneer species are different http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/other-shows/videos/assignment-discovery-shorts-succession.htm

34. Succession Comic Strip • Create 2 comic strips (with explanations) showing the following: • 1. Primary succession for a tropical island. • 2. Secondary succession for a tropical island. • Be sure to clearly show and explain how they are different.

35. 3.2 Biomes! • I. Biome= a large group of ecosystems that share the same type of climax community

36. A. Terrestrial Biomes • 1. Three factors determine the dominant biome in an area • a. latitude b. altitude c. precipitation

37. 2. Major terrestrial biomes • a. tundra—treeless, permafrost, low nutrient soil, slow decay, Around poles. • b. taiga—northern coniferous forest—acidic/nutrient poor topsoil, long harsh winters, short summers. • c. desert—low precipitation (sometimes zero rainfall!) Adaptations? ex. kangaroo rat • d. Grassland—grasses dominate experience a dry season, often fire. unpredictable precipitation, fertile soil. • e. temperate deciduous forest—trees lose leaves. • f. tropical rain forest—soil is nutrient poor. Highest biodiversity of terrestrial biomes. Canopy prevents understory plant growth. Rains frequently/ high precipitation.

38. ID These Biomes

39. Planet Earth Video Assignment As the video shows each new biome, write which biome it is, and explain how you can tell.

40. Ch. 4: Population Dynamics • Think: What factors cause fluctuations in population size in an ecosystem? How and Why? • Factors affecting population size • Birth rate • Death Rate • Immigration • Emigration

41. I. Population Growth • A. Exponential Growth (J-shaped curve)—as pop.gets larger, it grows faster • B. S-Shaped growth curve—When population reaches its carrying capacity, growth levels off • C. Carrying capacity= the number of organisms of one species that an environment can support • Animation

42. Exit Question • Read “The Wolves of Yellowstone” • Explain the importance of predators (such a wolves) to populations in an ecosystem using examples from the article to support your explanation. • Describe the niche of wolves. • Interesting video on the impact of wolves • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q

43. Why is pop. Growth limited? • D. Limiting factors limit pop. Growth • E. Two types of limiting factors • 1. Density-dependent factors– factors that affect the population differently depending on the population’s density. • Organism interactions (ex. Disease, competition, predation, crowding) • 2. Density-independent factors -- affect the population regardless of its population size. • (ex. freezes, hurricane, floods, forest fires) • Simulation activities! 1918 flu Hurricane Katrina

44. F. Reproductive patterns • 1. r strategists— • rapid life histories • rapid reproduction • Thrive in unpredictable environments • 2. k strategists • Large • reproduce and mature slowly • long-lived • often care for young

45. 4.2 Human Population Growth • A. Demography—the study of human population growth characteristics • 1. effects of birth/death rates • 2. Age structure • 3. immigration and emigration

46. In your assignments… • Explain why exponential growth CAN’T continue forever. Why does population growth level off? • Compare and contrast r and k strategists giving an example of each. • Compare and contrast Density dependent factors with density independent factors, giving an example of each.

47. Ch.5 Biodiversity and Conservation • Section 5.1 • I. Biodiversity= variety of life in an area • A. usually increases as you get closer to equator (warmer places—tropical rainforest, coral reefs) • B. Larger areas= more biodiversity than smaller areas

48. II. Importance of Biodiversity • A. Beauty • B. ecological relationships between organisms • C. Importance to people— • medicines • Ex. Taxol-Pacific Yew), mold- penicillin, rosy periwinkle—drugs for Hodgkin’s disease (lymphatic cancer) and leukemia, Willow bark—aspirin, cinchona tree bark—quinine) • Foods • Materials and Resources

49. III. Loss of Biodiversity A. Extinction • B. Threatened species— population of the species is declining rapidly (Af. Eleph, loggerhead) • C. Endangered Species—numbers of the species are so low that extinction is possible. (Black rhino, CA condors, manatees)

50. IV. Threats to Biodiversity • A. habitat loss= biggest threat • B. habitat fragmentation—separating wilderness areas from other wilderness areas • C. Habitat Degradation