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Ecology Slide 2 Ecology - the study of the interaction between living things and their environment Slide 3 What is the Biosphere? The portion of the earth in which all living things exist Only about 20Km of total diameter of earth From 11km below oceans surface (hydrosphere) to about 8Km above earths surface (atmosphere) Slide 4 Consists of two types of factors Biotic and Abiotic Whats the difference? What are some examples of each? Slide 5 Organized into a hierarchy: Population: all individuals of a certain species within a certain area Community: all the populations of different species within an specific area Slide 6 Many subcategories Ecosystem: includes a community and its physical environment Includes both biotic and abiotic Slide 7 Many subcategories Biome: includes all the ecosystems in a particular climate Examples: Slide 8 Individuals have a habitat and a niche Habitat: where an individual organism lives; its home where is yours? Niche: the role that organism plays in its ecosystem What is yours? Slide 9 What are some of the niches of the 6 kingdoms? Slide 10 Relationships between organisms Competition: if two individuals occupy the same niche they will compete Limited resources like? Only one will win Slide 11 Relationships between organisms Symbiosis: two organisms living in close association Three types: mutualism, commensalism and parasitism Slide 12 Relationships between organisms Mutualism: both species benefit Example? Why? Slide 13 Commensalism: one benefits; the other is neither hurt nor helped Relationships between organisms Slide 14 Parasitism: one species benefits at the others expense Relationships between organisms Slide 15 Predator-Prey Relationship Predator: organism that eats another organism; Receives energy Prey: organism that is eaten; donates energy An organism can be both! Slide 16 To examine ecosystems and biomes we must add in some abiotic components Slide 17 All organisms require Energy As one organism eats another energy moves through ecosystem Forms food chain Many food chains make food web Slide 18 Food Chain Slide 19 Food Web Slide 20 Also depicted by Energy pyramids 100,000J 10,000J 1,000J 100J Slide 21 Additionally we need materials to make up living things Biogeochemical cycles! Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorous, Water All these recycle in unique ways Slide 22 Slide 23 Slide 24 Slide 25 Biomes of the World Slide 26 Slide 27 Succession: the changes an ecosystem goes through over time Starts simple and the gets more complex Example: abandoned parking lot Slide 28 Succession Who are the pioneer species? What is a climax community? What are disturbances and how do they affect succession? Slide 29 Carrying Capacity An ecosystem has only enough resources to support a certain number of organisms This number is the ecosystems Carrying Capacity Slide 30 What happens as we approach the carrying capacity?