Ecology: The Silence of the Frogs

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EcologyThe Silence of the Frogs

• Lesson 1

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• Frogs live two lives, they live on land in the
  water
• Hence the name Amphibian
• Amphi (on both sides) Bios (life)

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• Frogs and their relatives have adapted to the ice
  age and global warming and can be found just
  about every ecosystem.
• They can live in Swamps, mountains and even
  cities.
• Almost any ecosystem that has water.

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• ECOSYSTEM is a term used to describe the
  relationships among the many species living in an
  environment and the relationship among those
  organisms and the non-living components of the
  environment.
• Examples Wetlands, marshes, deserts, lakes,
  oceans, forests.
• Abiotic (non-living)
• Biotic (living) component

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Why are Scientists Concerned

• Scientists are concerned about the health of
  amphibians because they indicate the health of
  the ecosystem that they live in. they are
  considered to be excellent BIOINDICATORS due to
  the following reasons

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Why are Scientists Concerned

• Frogs and toads have survived during times on
  earth when many other living things did not
• They are extremely adaptable
• Found in many ecosystems that include water
• They have two life-cycles which means they are
  part of 2 ecosystems and 2 food chains
• Breathe through their skin

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• Frogs occupy two different ecosystems
• Tadpoles water ecosystem
• Adult Frogs Land and Forest

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• Since they are in two ecosystems, they are also
  in two FOOD CHAINS.
• FOOD CHAIN Is a step-by-step sequence linking
  organisms that feed on each other, starting with
  a food source such as a plants (producers), and
  continuing with animals and other living things
  that feed on plants and on each other (consumers)

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FOOD CHAINS
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Parts of a Food Chain All Food Chains start with
the sun as its source of energy!

• PRODUCER an organism that can make their own
  food to give themselves energy.
• EXAMPLE Plants, algae
• CONSUMERS an organism that must get its energy
  by eating another organism ( cannot make their
  own food )
• EXAMPLE animals

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FROGS IN THEIR ECOSYSTEMS

• What do adult frogs eat?
• Insects ( mostly )
• Small fish ( limited )
• What animals eat frogs?
• Large fish
• Predatory birds
• Reptiles
• Small mammals

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• The adult frog is part of a food chain that
  includes PRODUCERS, HERBIVORES , CARNIVORES ,
  OMNIVORES.
• HERBIVORE Organism that eat only plants
• EXAMPLE Deer, Cow
• CARNIVORE Organism that eats only animals
• EXAMPLE Hawk, Tiger

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• OMNIVORE Organism that eats both plants and
  animals.
• EXAMPLE Bears, Humans
• What do tadpoles eat?
• Algae ( small plant-like organisms)
• Both living and dead

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• The Tadpole is a Herbivore, where the adult frog
  is a Carnivore.
• Therefore, the Tadpole is in a different food
  chain.
• The Tadpole has two food sources
• 1. producers ( algae )
• 2. Detritus
• DETRITUS Waste from plants and animals,
  including their dead remains

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• Detritus food chains are critical in the
  recycling of matter in ecosystems.
• Decomposers are in a Detritus food chain which
  helps release nutrients to the soil and water.
  Plants and algae use those nutrients to grow.
• DECOMPOSERS An organism that gets its energy by
  consuming and breaking down detritus.
• EXAMPLES Bacteria, fungus

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WHY ARE FROGS DISAPPEARING?

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There are 4 reasons why frogs are disappearing

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1. LOSS OF HABITAT

• Wetlands, ponds, and lakes with clean water are
  disappearing or being polluted
• Forests are being cut down
• Growth with cities and farming takes this away as
  we build roads between woodlots and ponds and cut
  down trees used for camouflage

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2. AIR AND WATER QUALITY (pollution)

• Frog skin is thin and has no protection from the
  sun
• Frogs breath through their skin (acid rain can
  affect this) and through their lungs
• Acidity affects frogs ability to reproduce

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3. ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION

• Thin skin makes the frogs susceptible to UV
  radiation causing cell damage (ozone layer
  breaking down)

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4. CLIMATE CHANGES

• Human activities are causing changes in the
  climate.
• Increase use of fossil fuels ( coal, oil, gas)
• Climate changes affect the local ecosystems.