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Grade 11 equivalent Biology Ecology
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Ecology Notes
What is ECOLOGY?
Ecology is a study of connections in nature. How organisms
interact with one another and with their nonliving environment.
Figure 3-2
Levels of Organization
Organisms The different forms of life on earth
Species Organisms that can breed & produce fertile offspring
Population A group of individual organisms
that belong to the same species and live in the same area.
Community Different populations that live &
interact in an area.
Ecosystem The community plus their non-living
environment.
Biotic & Abiotic Factors of Ecosystems Biotic (living)
Ex. – bacteria, animals, plants Abiotic (non-living)
Ex. – humidity, solar energy, rocks, clouds
Biome A group of ecosystems that have the same
climate Ex. – Tundra, Taiga, Desert, Tropical Rainforest
Biosphere All of the
combined portions of the planet where life exists, including land, water, and atmosphere
Fig. 3-2, p. 51
Communities
Subatomic Particles
Atoms
Molecules
Protoplasm
Cells
Tissues
Organs
Organ systems
Organisms
Populations
Populations
Communities
Ecosystems
Biosphere
Earth
Planets
Solar systems
Galaxies
Universe
Organisms
Realm of ecology
Ecosystems
Biosphere
Energy Flow Producers Autotrophs - use solar energy or
chemical energy to make their own food
Photosynthesis
Chemosynthesis
Energy Flow ConsumersHeterotrophs - get energy from the food
they eat
Herbivores – eats plants
Carnivores – eats animals (includes insects)
Omnivores – eats plants and animals
Detritovores – feed on dead matter (scavengers)
Decomposers – break down dead matter
Break it Down Auto – self
Troph – feeding
Photo – light
Synthesis – make
Hetero – different
-vore – eat
Herb – plant
Carni – meat
Omni – all
Energy Flow Food Chains & Food Webs
Show how energy & nutrients move from one organism to another through the ecosystem
Energy Pyramid Shows the amount of energy available at
each trophic level
100%
10%
1%
0.1%
Primary Consumer
Secondary Consumer
Tertiary Consumer
Producer
Energy Flow Losing Energy in Food Chains and Webs
90% of the energy at each energy level is lost because the organism uses the energy. (heat)
Biomass pyramid – total amount of living tissue- Amount of potential food for each trophic level
Pyramid of Numbers – # of individuals at each level- Does not always resemble a pyramid- Forest – fewer producers than consumers
1 tree = lots of insects / birds
Energy Flow Other Pyramids
Interactions in an Ecosystem Habitat – The area where an
organism or a population lives
Niche - the total role of a species in an ecosystem All the physical and biological conditions a
species needs to live & reproduce in an ecosystem
Interactions in an Ecosystem
Predation – one organism captures and feeds on another
Interactions in an Ecosystem Relationships
Predator – Prey Cycle
SOURCE: Isle Royale Wolf/Moose Study | GRAPHIC: By Patterson Clark, The Washington Post - July 21, 2008
Interactions in an Ecosystem Relationships
Competition – organisms of the same or different species attempt to use the same resources at the same time
Interactions in an Ecosystem Relationships Symbiosis – any relationship in which 2
species live closely together
Mutualism Commensalism Parasitism
Mutualism: Win-Win Relationship Both of them benefit
Pollination of flowers by insects Oxpeckers and black rhinoceros
Commensalism: Using without harming One is helped and has little or no effect on
the other
Burrs are carried by animals. This helps scatter the seeds for the parent plant.
Parasitism: Sponging Off of Others One benefits and the other is harmed
MosquitosTapeworms
Carrying Capacity The maximum # of individuals
that a given habitat can support
What is the carrying capacity?
Fig. 3-11, p. 58
Zone of intolerance
Optimum rangeZone of physiological
stress
Zone of physiological
stress
Zone of intolerance
TemperatureLow High
Noorganisms
Feworganisms
Upper limit of tolerance
Po
pu
lati
on
siz
e
Abundance of organismsFew organisms
Noorganisms
Lower limit of tolerance
4 Factors Determine Growth Rate1. Birth rate2. Immigration3. Death rate4. Emigration
Which increase and which decrease the population?
Limiting FactorsBiotic or abiotic resource that
limits size of population
Habitat Needs Cover – shelter; trees, shrubs,
etc. Water Nutrients
Populations can grow until competition for resources increases & the carrying capacity is reached
Population Growth
Fig. 3-7, p. 55
Nitrogencycle
Biosphere
Heat in the environment
Heat Heat Heat
Phosphoruscycle
Carboncycle
Oxygencycle
Watercycle
CARBON CYCLE
Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen Fixation This is the first step of the nitrogen cycle
where specialized bacteria convert gaseous nitrogen to ammonia that can be used by plants. This is done by cyanobacteria or bacteria living in the nodules on the root of various plants.
Nitrification Ammonia is converted to nitrite, then to
nitrate
Plant roots absorb ammonium ions and nitrate ions for use in making molecules such as DNA, amino acids and proteins.
Assimilation
Ammonification After nitrogen has served its purpose in
living organisms, decomposing bacteria convert the nitrogen-rich compounds, wastes, and dead bodies into simpler compounds such as ammonia. Denitrification
•Nitrate ions and nitrite ions are converted into nitrous oxide gas and nitrogen gas.
This happens when a soil nutrient is reduced and released into the atmosphere as a gas.
BiomagnificationConcentration
of toxin at higher trophic levels
Succession The process where plants & animals
of a particular area are replaced by other more complex species over time.
Stages of Succession
Land – rock lichen small shrubs large shrubs small trees large trees
Primary Succession When the starting
point is an ABIOTIC environment
VolcanoFlood
Secondary Succession
When an EXISTING ecosystem is disturbed
Fire/lightningDiseaseHurricanesHuman activities
Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, NASA's MODIS Rapid Response Team
Wetland Succession
© 2003 John Wiley and Sons Publishers
Fig 10.7 Diagram of bog succession.
Wetland Succession
Sedges and floating
plants close over the open
water, trapping
sediments in their roots,
and gradually drying out the
pond.
1
2
3
CLIMATE: A BRIEF INTRO.
Weather - local, short-term conditions such as temperature and precipitation
Climate - a region’s average weather conditions over a long time Latitude and elevation help determine climate
BIOMES:
Large terrestrial regions characterized by similar climate, soil, plants, and animals
Biomes Around the World
DESERT BIOMES The evaporation is greater than the
precipitation (usually less than 25 cm). Covers 30% of the earth.
DESERT BIOMES
Variations in annual temperature (red) and precipitation (blue) in tropical, temperate and cold deserts.
Figure 5-12
FOREST BIOMES
Forests have enough precipitation to support stands of trees and are found in tropical, temperate, and polar regions.
FOREST BIOMES
Variations in annual temperature (red) and precipitation (blue) in tropical, temperate, and polar forests.
Figure 5-19
Taiga (evergreen coniferous forest) Just south of the tundra (northern part of N.
America), it covers 11% of earth’s land. Its winters are long, dry & cold. Some places have sunlight 6 to 8 hours a day. The summers are short and mild, w/ sunlight 19 hours a day.
MOUNTAIN BIOMES (Taiga) High-elevation
islands of biodiversity
Often have snow-covered peaks that reflect solar radiation and gradually release water to lower-elevation streams and ecosystems.
Evergreen Coniferous Forests
Consist mostly of cone-bearing evergreen trees that keep their needles year-round to help the trees survive long and cold winters.
Tropical Rainforest Near the equator. It has warm
temperatures, high humidity & heavy rainfall.
Tropical Rain Forest Tropical rain
forests have heavy rainfall and a rich diversity of species. Found near the
equator. Have year-round
uniformity warm temperatures and high humidity.
Tropical Rain Forest
Filling such niches enables species to avoid or minimize competition and coexist
Temperate Rain Forests
Coastal areas support huge cone-bearing evergreen trees such as redwoods and Douglas fir in a cool moist environment.
Temperate Deciduous Forest It has moderate temperatures, long, warm
summers, cold winters &lots of rain. Trees include oaks, hickory, maple, and beech.
Temperate Deciduous Forest
Most of the trees survive winter by dropping their leaves, which decay and produce a nutrient-rich soil.
Grassland The rainfall is erratic & fires are
common. It has & shrubs that are good for grazing animals.
GRASSLANDS AND CHAPARRAL BIOMES
Variations in annual temperature (red) and precipitation (blue).
Figure 5-14
Savanna The tropical & subtropical grassland.
It is warm all year long with alternating wet & dry seasons.
Chaparral (temperate grassland) These are coastal areas. Winters are mild
& wet, w/ summers being long, hot, & dry.
Chaparral
Chaparral has a moderate climate but its dense thickets of spiny shrubs are subject to periodic fires.
Temperate Grasslands
The cold winters and hot dry summers have deep and fertile soil that make them ideal for growing crops and grazing cattle.
Tundra (polar grasslands) Covers 10% of earth’s land. Most of the year,
these treeless plains are bitterly cold with ice & snow. It has a 6 to 8 week summer w/ sunlight nearly 24 hours a day.
Polar Grasslands
Polar grasslands are covered with ice and snow except during a brief summer.
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