EcologyEnergy Flow

What is Ecology?• Ecology is the study of

interactions that take place between organisms and their environment.

Levels of Ecology

Organism

Ecosystem

Community

Population

Biome

How Do Organisms Interact?

• Producers (Autotrophs)–organisms that produce

their own energy, and are food for other organisms.

• Consumers (Heterotrophs)–organisms that have to eat

other organisms for their energy

Consumers Come in a Wide Variety

• Herbivores– Organisms that eat only plant material.

• Carnivores– Organisms that eat only other animals.

• Omnivores– Organisms that eat both plant and animal.

• Detritivores– Organisms that eat “dead matter”

(buzzards and vultures)• Decomposer– Organisms that break down organic

matter (fungi and bacteria)

Who eats who?Food Chain- a series of steps showing

which organisms eat which. (transfer energy)

Producer (trapped sunlight & stored food)

1st order Consumer

2nd Order Consumer

3rd Order consumer 4th Order

Consumer

A Food Web -a chart linking all food chains in a particular area

How to Read a Food Web• The purpose of a food web is to

track the flow of energy.• The arrow points the direction the

energy is going• Is the energy being transferred

from the burger to you or you to the burger?

Trophic LevelsEach Level In A Food Chain or Food Web is a

Trophic Level.

Energy in an ecosystem flows from one trophic level to the next as one

organism consumes another.

Tropic Levels• Producers–Always The First Trophic Level–How Energy Enters The System

• Herbivores (Primary consumer)

–Second Trophic Level

Tropic Levels• Carnivores/Omnivores(Secondary & Tertiary Consumers)–Make Up The Remaining Trophic Levels

* Each level depends on the one below it for energy.

Knowledge Check

1. Who are the producers?

2. Who are the tertiary consumers?

3. Where does the shrew get its energy?

Marsh Grass, Algae and Pickleweed

Marsh Hawk and Heron

Grasshopper

Ecological Pyramids

There are 3 types of ecological

pyramids

Biomass Pyramids

Numbers Pyramids

Energy Pyramids

1.

2.

3.

Ecological PyramidsBiomass Pyramid

–each level in the pyramid shows the total amount of organisms in the level by mass (kg).

Ecological PyramidsNumbers pyramid

–each level shows the numbers of individuals in the pyramid

Ecological Pyramids

90% of energy is lost in

the form of heat from one

level to the next.

Energy pyramid– each transition shows the

amount of energy that is lost from one level to the next.

10% Rule: Only 10% of your food is actually incorporated into making you!

100% Energy

10% Energy

1% Energy

.1% Energy

Ecology Vocabulary• Ecology• Bioshpere• Abiotic Factors• Biotic Factors• Population• Biological Community• Ecosystem• Habitat• Niche• Symbiosis• Mutualism

• Commensalism• Parasitism• Autotroph• Heterotroph• Decomposers• Food Chain• Trophic Level• Food Web• Biomass