ORGANIZATION OF LIFECh 4

Everything is connected

What Is Ecology?• Ecology is a study of how organisms

interact with one another and with their physical environment of matter and energy.

What is an ecosystem?

What do all ecosystems have in common?

Look at the 3 ecosystems and list the parts of each.

Now determine what they all have in common.

TROPICAL RAIN FOREST

DESERT

TUNDRA

What Keeps Us and Other Organisms Alive?

Life is sustained by the flow of energy from the sun through the biosphere, the cycling of nutrients within the biosphere, and gravity.

Earth Has Four Major Life-Support Components

• Atmosphere

• Hydrosphere

• Geosphere

• Biosphere

Three Factors Sustain Life on Earth

• One-way flow of high-quality energy from the sun

• Cycling of matter or nutrients through parts of the biosphere

• Gravity

Solar Energy Reaching the Earth• Electromagnetic waves– Visible light– UV radiation– Heat

• Natural greenhouse effect

• Energy in = energy out

• Human-enhanced global warming

Fig. 3-7, p. 44

Solarradiation

Radiated byatmosphereas heat

Reflected byatmosphere

Mostabsorbedby ozone

Absorbedby the earth

Greenhouseeffect

Visiblelight

UV radiation

Heat radiatedby the earthHeat

Troposphere

Lower Stratosphere(ozone layer)

Energy in = Energy out

What Are the Major Components of an Ecosystem?

• Energy, mineral nutrients, carbon dioxide, water, oxygen, living organisms

• Some organisms produce the nutrients they need, others get the nutrients they need by consuming other organisms, and some recycle nutrients back to producers by decomposing the wastes and remains of organisms.

Fig. 3-8, p. 45

Soluble mineralnutrients

Producers

Decomposers

Secondaryconsumer(fox)

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Primaryconsumer(rabbit)

Producer

Oxygen (O2)Precipitation

Water

Living and Nonliving Components

• Abiotic – Water– Air– Nutrients– Solar energy

• Biotic– Plants– Animals– Microbes– Once living parts, waste

What are Abiotic components? What are Biotic components? What is the fundamental energy source? How does this energy source vary at different locations around Earth? Where are Plants in the flow of energy and materials? Why are plants called the Producers, or for more emphasis, the Primary Producers? What is meant by Consumers? What are Herbivores? What are Carnivores? What are the sources of Energy and Materials for the preceding? Where do Humans fit in? What are the implications for energy and space efficiencies? What are Decomposers; what is their "role"? Why can they be called Recyclers?

Organization of Matter in Nature

Smallest unit of a chemical element that exhibits its chemical properties

Atom

Molecule Chemical combination of two or more atoms of the same or different elements

CellThe fundamental structural and functional unit of life

OrganismAn individual living being

Population A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular place

Fig. 3-3, p. 41

CommunityPopulations of different species living in a particular place, and potentially interacting with each other

Stepped Art

Ecosystem A community of different species interacting with one another and with their nonliving environment of matter and energy

Biosphere Parts of the earth's air,water, and soil where life is found

What is habitat?

What is habitat?

IS SOIL ALIVE?

Fig. 3-A, p. 49

MillipedeOak tree

Fern

Wood sorrel

O horizonLeaf litterA horizon

Topsoil

B horizonSubsoil

C horizonParent

material

Root system

Mature soil Bacteria

Nematode

Fungus

Young soil

Mite

Immature soilBedrock

Rockfragments

Red earthmite

Mossand lichen

Organic debrisbuilds up

Grasses andsmall shrubsMole

Earthworm

Honeyfungus

Habitat destruction