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Ecology: Interactions and Impact on the Environment

Discover the study of ecology and its focus on the interrelationships among organisms and their physical environment. Explore human impact on ecology and learn about species, populations, communities, ecosystems, biomes, and the biosphere. Understand the importance of biodiversity and the various feeding relationships in an ecosystem. Explore the concept of symbiotic relationships and their types.

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Ecology: Interactions and Impact on the Environment

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  1. ECOLOGY The study of the interactions among organisms and their inter-relationship with in their physical environment.

  2. Human Impact

  3. Ecology Song

  4. Define Species

  5. Define Species A group of individuals with similar characteristics and are capable of producing fertile offspring.

  6. Population All members of a particularspecies inhabiting a given location

  7. Community A group of interacting populations in a given area Several populations living together.

  8. Ecosystem The living community and physical environment functioning together as an interdependent and relatively stable system

  9. BIOME Large geographical region with a particular type of climax community. 3 Types: • Terrestrial – LAND – includes tundra, taiga, tropical rainforest, desert, temperate deciduous forest, grassland • Freshwater – AQUATIC – includes lakes and streams • Saltwater – AQUATIC – includes oceans

  10. Biosphere The portion of the Earth in which life exists. Composed of numerous complex ecosystems and biomes

  11. Ecosystems • Includes the interactions of a community with its environment. Biotic Abiotic

  12. Ecosystem Is a self-sustaining unit when the following occurs: Constant source of energy and a living system capable to covert this energy into organic compounds A cycling of materials between organisms and their environment

  13. The Living & Nonliving • Biotic Factors : all LIVING things in an ecosystem. Including their wastes • Ex. Bacteria, Fungi, Plants, Animals • Abiotic Factors : all NONLIVING things in an ecosystem. Chemical and physical factors • Ex. Soil, water, space, energy, temperature, amount of light, pH, salinity

  14. Biotic or Abiotic???

  15. 3 Main Interactions in an Ecosystem • Organisms are affected by the environment. • availability of water, temperature, available light • The physical environment is affected by organisms. • Organisms are affected by other organisms. • competition

  16. Environmental Limits on Population Size • Abiotic : • Resources (O2, CO2, H2O, nutrients, space, sunlight) are limited.

  17. Environmental Limits on Population Size • Biotic: • Competition: struggle for living resources among organisms.

  18. Environmental Limits on Population Size • Competition: • INTERSPECIFIC COMPETITION: between organisms of different species – LESS INTENSE • INTRASPECIFIC COMPETITION: between organisms of the same species – MORE INTENSE

  19. Carrying Capacity - The number of individuals that an environment can support - The population then stabilizes or levels off

  20. Carrying Capacity Graph

  21. Habitat • The specific environment that an organism calls “home”. • Examples: A field, a forest, an ocean, the desert.

  22. Niche • The functional role an organism in the ecosystem. • Its “occupation” • If two species attempt to fill the same niche – competition occurs

  23. Biodiversity • Measured by the number of communities in an ecosystem. The more species…… the greater the biodiversity • The more species in an ecosystem the more stable the ecosystem will be • A major decrease in the biodiversity will affect the ecosystem

  24. Biodiversity We are all connected

  25. Feeding Relationships They may be competitive, or cooperative!!!

  26. Autotroph: organism that produces its own food by using the energy of the sun - photosynthesisIt is also called a producer.

  27. AutotrophExamples: Plants, Algae

  28. Heterotroph: Organisms that cannot make their own food Called a consumer.

  29. HeterotrophExamples: Herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and decomposers

  30. Herbivore Eats Plants

  31. Carnivore Two Types: • Scavengers • Predators Eats Meat

  32. Omnivore Eats Meat and Plants Humans, Bears and Raccoons

  33. Scavenger VULTURE HYENA Eats Dead Meat

  34. Outside My House

  35. Decomposers or Saprophytes Bacteria, Fungi and Heterotrophic plants Breaks down plant or animal material and returns the nutrients into the soil

  36. Predator HUNTS MEAT THEN EATS IT

  37. Symbiotic Relationships

  38. 3 Types of Symbiosis • Mutualism- both organisms benefit – “win-win” situation. (+,+) • Commensalism- one organism benefits, the other is unaffected. (+,0) • Parasitism- one organism benefits, the other is harmed. (+,-)

  39. What Type of Symbiosis?

  40. MUTUALISM Both the plant and the bird are benefiting from their relationship.

  41. What Type of Symbiosis? • The bird (Cattle Egret) eating insects from grassland where cattle feed

  42. COMMENSALISM The birds are benefiting, while the cattle is unaffected.

  43. What Type of Symbiosis?

  44. PARASITISM The tick is benefiting while the person is harmed from their relationship.

  45. What Type of Symbiosis? Termites and micro-organisms that inhabit their body Termites are now able to digest cellulose from the wood that they eat. Micro-organisms are given a home and receive their food from termites.

  46. MUTUALISM Both the termite and the micro-organism are benefiting from their relationship.

  47. What Type of Symbiosis? Tapeworm inhabits human intestines. Receives food and shelter from the human. Human gets sick from tapeworm.

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