Ecology

1
Ecology

• Natures Levels of Organization

2
THE NATURE OF ECOLOGY

• Ecology is a study of connections in nature.
• How organisms interact with one another and with
  the nonliving components of the environment.

Figure 3-2
3
Earths 4 Interacting Spheres

• 1) Atmosphere
• Breathable air for all animals
• Contains the ozone layer that blocks UV radiation
  from the sun and makes life on the surface
  possible.
• Drives climate, wind, ocean currents.
• Greenhouse Effect makes the temperature of the
  surface habitable.

4
Earths 4 Spheres continued

• 2) Hydrosphere (earths surface water)
• Provides freshwater for animals and plants.
• Causes erosion, exposing the nutrients in rock
  and soil.
• Transports nutrients.
• Evaporation leads to climate patterns.

5
Earths 4 Spheres continued

• 3) Geosphere (the earths crust and upper
  mantle.)
• Soil and rock contain nutrients for plants.
• Volcanoes affect the atmosphere and climate.
• Plate tectonics causes changes in all
  environments.
• Mountains alter climate patterns.

6
Earths 4 Spheres continued

• 4) Biosphere
• All living things on earth in all their
  locations, from the bottom of the ocean and up
  high in the mountains.
• Living things biggest effect on the earth is in
  their physical footprint on the land and the
  addition of CO2 to the air through respiration.

7
What is a biome?

• A biome is a large region of the Earth, such as
  the deserts or rain forest, characterized by a
  particular climate.

8
Solar radiation
Energy in Energy out
Reflected by atmosphere (34 )
Radiated by atmosphere as heat (66)
UV radiation
Lower Stratosphere (ozone layer)
Absorbed by ozone
Greenhouse effect
Troposphere
Visible Light
Heat
Absorbed by the earth
Heat radiated by the earth
Fig. 3-8, p. 55
9
Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems

• Members of a species interact in groups called
  populations.
• Populations of different species living and
  interacting in an area form a community.
• A community interacting with its physical
  environment of matter and energy is an ecosystem.

10
Nonliving and Living Components of Ecosystems

• Ecosystems consist of nonliving (abiotic) and
  living (biotic) components.

Figure 3-10
11
07_06a.jpg
12
Abiotic chemicals (carbon dioxide, oxygen,
nitrogen, minerals)
Heat
Solar energy
Heat
Heat
Producers (plants)
Decomposers (bacteria, fungi)
Consumers (herbivores, carnivores)
Heat
Heat
Fig. 3-14, p. 61
13
Biosphere
Nitrogen cycle
Phosphorus cycle
Carbon cycle
Oxygen cycle
Water cycle
Heat in the environment
Heat
Heat
Heat
Fig. 3-7, p. 55
14
Productivity of Producers The Rate Is Crucial

• Gross primary productivity (GPP)
• Rate at which an ecosystems producers convert
  solar energy into food molecules and biomass.

Figure 3-20
15
Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

• NPP GPP R
• Rate at which producers use photosynthesis to
  store energy minus the rate at which they use
  some of this energy through respiration (R).

Figure 3-21
16
Net Primary Productivity

• Net Primary Productivity is represented by the
  bodies of organisms that are available as a
  source of food for the next trophic level.

17
ECOLOGICAL PRODUCTIVITY  Gross
Primary Productivity - Respiratory needs of
organisms Net Primary Productivity
GPP
ENERGY LOSS
NPP Total amount of energy obtained
All organisms must use energy The amount
of chemical energy by an ecosystem.
to stay alive.
stored in plant
biomass and

and available
to consumers as

a source
of food.  The Production of Biochemicals
? 90 Heat Loss Organic
Matter
18
Food Chains

• Food chains show how energy is transferred from
  one organism to the next.
• Each level of a food chain is known as a trophic
  level.

19
First Trophic Level
Second Trophic Level
Third Trophic Level
Fourth Trophic Level
Tertiary consumers (top carnivores)
Producers (plants)
Secondary consumers (carnivores)
Primary consumers (herbivores)
Heat
Heat
Heat
Solar energy
Heat
Heat
Heat
Heat
Detritivores (decomposers and detritus feeders)
Heat
Fig. 3-17, p. 64
20
06_10.JPG
21
Food Webs

• When you have several interconnected food chains
  in an ecosystem, you create a food web

22
A Simple Food Web
23
Humans
Blue whale
Sperm whale
Crabeater seal
Elephant seal
Killer whale
Leopard seal
Adelie penguins
Emperor penguin
Squid
Petrel
Fish
Carnivorous plankton
Krill
Herbivorous plankton
Phytoplankton
Fig. 3-18, p. 65
24
Energy Flow in an Ecosystem Losing Energy in
Food Chains and Webs

• In accordance with the 2nd law of thermodynamics,
  there is a decrease in the amount of energy
  available to each succeeding organism in a food
  chain or web.

25
Energy Loss in a Food Chain

• As you move up from one trophic level to the
  next, you lose about 90 of the energy as heat

26
Energy Flow in an Ecosystem Losing Energy in
Food Chains and Webs

• Ecological efficiency percentage of useable
  energy transferred as biomass from one trophic
  level to the next.

Figure 3-19
27
(No Transcript)
28
Ocean Food Pyramid
29
06_11.JPG
30
Biomass Pyramid
31
(No Transcript)
32
Have a great day everyone!
33
The End