Transcript 13.1 ecology def. energy pp-bio

13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships
KEY CONCEPT
Ecology is the study of the relationships among
organisms and their environment.
13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships
Environmental levels of organization:
• An organism is an individual living
thing (Ex: alligator)
Organism
Organism
13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships
• A population is a group of the same
species living in one area.
Population
Population
Organism
Organism
13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships
• A community is a group of different
species that live together in one area.
Community
Community
Population
Population
Organism
Organism
13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships
• An ecosystem includes all living and
nonliving things in a given area.
Ecosystem
Ecosystem
Community
Community
Population
Population
Organism
Organism
13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships
• A biome is a major community of
organisms--includes climate conditions
Biome
Ecosystem
Ecosystem
Community
Community
Population
Population
Organism
Organism
13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships
Ecosystems include both biotic and abiotic factors.
• Biotic factors are living things.
– plants
– animals
– fungi
– bacteria
plants
13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships
• Abiotic factors are nonliving things.
– moisture
– temperature
– wind
– sunlight
sunlight
moisture
13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships
Biodiversity
• Biodiversity is the variety, of living things in an ecosystem.
• Importance of Biodiversity:
– Interrelationships
– Potential medicines
– An ecosystem will most likely
remain stable if it has a high
level of biodiversity
13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships
Ecosystem Energy
• Producers (autotrophs) make their own food.
• Consumers (heterotrophs) get their energy by eating other
living or once-living things.
13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships
• Consumers are not all alike.
– Herbivores eat only plants.
– Carnivores eat only animals.
– Omnivores eat both plants and animals.
– Decomposers eat dead organic matter. (fungi)
– They break down organic compounds into atoms
carnivore
decomposer
13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships
A food chain shows a sequence of feeding
relationships.
If the grass (the producer) disappears, the cottontail
(prey) has no food (dies), the hawk ( a predator) will
lose its prey
GRAMA GRASS
DESERT COTTONTAIL
HARRIS’S HAWK
13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships
A food web shows a complex network of food chains
13.1 Ecologists Study Relationships
Trophic levels show flow of energy in a food chain
(through nourishment/food)
Carnivores
Herbivores (primary
consumers which are
(anything that only eat
plants)
Producers (plants, anything
that makes its own food)
90% of energy
lost as it flows
up the food
chain.