What

is ecology? What is an ecosystem?

Elements of an ecosystem
Nutrient
Biomes

cycles

 Ecology

- study of the different ways organisms interact with other organisms and their environment
Environment- non-living surroundings in which

the organism lives

 Ecologists

- people who study ecology

study 3 areas: 1. how organisms interact with other organisms

like themselves 2. how organisms interact with other kinds of organisms 3. how organisms interact with the nonliving parts of their environment

 Ecological

system / Ecosystem interaction of all living and nonliving things in a given area (maybe as small as an aquarium or a field, or as large as a lake or a forest) Biosphere world ecosystem; includes all the living things on the earth and the whole nonliving environment with which the living things interact
Living things can only live in the biosphere, or those

parts of the earth that can supply water, oxygen and nutrients the things that are needed to support life

 Living

things play different roles in an ecosystem

producers /autotrophs

consumers / heterotrophs
decomposers

 able

to produce their own food from simple substances in the environment make their own food by using energy from the sun or by using energy from certain chemical substances; with this energy they put together simple substances to form complex ones all green plants and certain protists

 organisms

that depend upon other organisms as a source of food because they are not able to produce their own food tissues contain elements as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen; takes in these elements in the form of complex compounds if it eats an organism such as a plant or animal; compounds are broken down in consumers body during digestion

 Herbivores

animals that feed on plants; also called primary consumers Carnivores animals that feed on other animals
secondary consumers - carnivores that eat

Omnivore

an animal that feeds on both plants & animals

herbivores tertiary consumers carnivores that feed on other carnivores

 special

consumers that feed on dead matter; break down compounds of a dead organism; thus important elements are returned to the environment to be used again by living things bacteria & fungi

Lake Decomposers Carnivores (Tertiary Consumer )

Carnivores (Secondary Consumer) Herbivores (Primary Consumer ) Producers

Forest Fungi / Bacteria Hawks

Field Fungi / Bacteria Snakes

Fungi / Bacteria Humans

Bass

Small Birds

Frogs

Bream

Beetles

Crickets

Shore Plants

Trees

Grass

 Limiting

Factor - Factor that limits the growth of organisms or where an organism can live Types: A. Biotic factors living things (ex. Food sources) B. Abiotic factors nonliving things (ex. Temperature, sunlight, water, air and soil)

 blue-green

algae that live in hot springs (limiting factor for other organisms) some living things able to live at below freezing temperature tropical orchids grow best in shade different types of soil
(sandy, clay) contain different amounts of minerals, organic

material, water & air determines kind of plants that can live there determine the kind of animals that live there

 Types

of Nutrients:

Macronutrients - nutrients that are needed in fairly

large quantities (C, H, O, N, Ca, K, P, S, Mg, Na) Micronutrients - needed in much smaller quantities (Fe, Cu, Mn, B, Zn, I, Mo, Cl, Co, V, F, Se)
Total

supply of nutrients on earth = constant (do not increase ) Cycle movement of a nutrient through the various parts of the ecosystem over and over again

 Biome-

large ecological region of a certain type Has certain characteristics that make it different from other biomes (different plants, animals) 2 important environmental factors: rainwater and temperature

 Very

cold biome Wide band of land that nearly surrounds the Arctic Ocean; around the Antarctic Ocean Land characteristics: Bogs, ponds, swamps, Permafrost permanently frozen layer Plants: Mosses, lichens, grasses, sedges (most trees cannot grow) Animals: insects, birds, bears, moose, caribou, rabbits in summer (migrate to other warmer place for winter)

 Largest

biome on the earths surface Northern part of Asia, Europe, N. America South of Tundra Plants: mosses, lichens, small plants (soil warm in summer but wet); spruce fir trees Other known as coniferous forest biome Animals: moose, deer, wolves, lynx, porcupines, squirrels, beavers, bears; insects, birds

 Part

of N. America, S. America, Asia, Europe Has seasons, average rainfall of 100 cm/yr Deciduous trees loses leaves in winter Plants: beeches, maples, oaks, hickories Animals: deer, bears, squirrels, skunks, rabbits, raccoons, opossums; reptiles, amphibians, insects, birds

 C. America, S. America, C. Asia, parts

of

Africa & Australia Rains almost everyday More plant species than many other biome Animals spend most of lives in trees wooly monkeys, sloths, squirrels, bats, spiders, insects Soil not productive for farmland

 Australia, Africa, Asia, N. America, S.

America 1/3 of the U.S. Common plants are grasses Called prairie, steppe, pampa, veld and savanna Animals: gazelles, rhinoceros, giraffes, water buffalo (herbivores); bison, pronghorn antelopes, rabbits, gophers, ground squirrels, prairie chicken, pheasants

 W. United

States, S. America, N. Africa, C. Asia, C. Australia, India Very hot; cold winters Low rainfall (less than 25 cm/yr) Plants: grow rapidly when rains; other short stem with many branches; some have very thick leaves; lose leaves during drought; have thorns for leaves

 Streams, rivers; ponds, lakes

Plants: algae, rooted

plants Animals: bottom feeders (mussels, snails, worm, crayfish); rotifers, insects, fish, frogs, turtles, salamanders, birds

 Ecosystem

that contain salt water 2 parts of ocean: ocean floor & open ocean

Intertidal - land between high tide & low tide

Littoral area from intertidal to continental shelf
gets sunlight for green plants for photosynthesis Animals: flounders, stingrays, mollusks (in sandy Animals: worms, crabs, oysters, barnacles

Benthic not enough sunlight for green plant to grow

Animals: one-celled bacteria & other blue green algae

bottoms) Sea cucumber, clams, sea urchins (in muddy bottoms)

 Photic

zone area where light has effect

nearly all plant production different kinds of animals live

Aphotic

zone most organisms are scavengers & decomposers

no living plants