Transcript What is an Ecosystem?

Ecology
What is the study of the
interaction between
organisms and the living and
nonliving components of
their environment?
Chapter 4 : What is an
Ecosystem?
An ecosystem includes
a community of
organisms and their
Abiotic environment.
Community

A group of
various
species that
live in the
same place
and interact
with one
another.
Living –vs- Nonliving

Biotic = refers to
living factors in an
environment.

Abiotic = refers to
non-living factors.


Habitat = the place where an
organism usually lives.
Biodiversity = the variety of species
in a community
Succession
 The
replacement of one type of
community by another at a particular
place over time.
Biome

A large region characterized by a
specific kind of climate and unique
plant and animal communities.
(Look at the map on pg. 82 In
what biome do we live?)
Biosphere (the broadest point of view)
The
 The
part of the world in which life
can exist. The planets outer shell
including air, land, rocks & water.
 “The global sum of all ecosystems.”
 “The zone of life on earth.”
Green shading on land shows the normalized difference vegetation index
(NDVI), which is strongly correlated with plant primary production. Blue
shading in the oceans depicts surface chlorophyll concentrations; chlorophyll
concentrations are directly related to the abundance of microscopic marine
plants, or phytoplankton, and can be used to quantify marine primary
production. (Courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory)
Energy flow in ecosystems:

Trophic level = An organisms
position in the transfer of energy
through an ecosystem.


Producer (autotrophic)
Consumer (heterotrophic)
– Herbivores – eat producers only
– Carnivores – eat other consumers
– Omnivores – eat producers and
consumers (bears)
– Detritivores – consumers that feed on
the garbage of an ecosystem (vulture)
– Decomposers – cause decay by
breaking down dead tissue which
allows the nutrients to return to the
soil (fungi & bacteria)
Food chain
A
single pathway of feeding
relationships among organisms in an
ecosystem that results in energy
transfer.
 Food web – a diagram or picture
showing the interrelated food chains
in an ecosystem.
Loss of Energy
 Energy
Pyramid
If, in an energy pyramid, each
trophic level is only 10% efficient,
where does 90% of the energy go?
Trophic Level Summary:
Cycling of Matter

Water cycle – the continuous movement of
water between the atmosphere, the land,
and the oceans.
Carbon & Oxygen cycles

When animals, people & plants
exchange Oxygen and Carbon
dioxide between organism and their
surroundings by the photosynthesis
and respiration processes.
Nitrogen Cycle

The cycling of nitrogen between
organisms, soil, water, and the
atmosphere.
Phosphorus cycle


The roots of plants absorb
phosphates that humans and
animals can consume, then when
those organisms die the phosphorus
is returned to the soil.
The phosphorus cycle differs from
the nitrogen and carbon cycles
because phosphorus is unable to
achieve the gaseous state in the
atmosphere
Biology Homework:
Complete
the science skills
worksheet “Interpreting Graphics.”
If you have not completed a recent
study island, after doing the
worksheet, you may use the laptop to
login and work on study island.