Aim: How Can We Describe Ecology and the terms used

in the unit.

Do Now: Explain how Genetic engineering can help a person with diabetes.

H.W.: Read Pages 684 – 687 Do Questions 1-5

Ecology

The study of the relationships

between organisms and

their environments.

What is Ecology?• Ecology is the study of

organisms and their environments.

• An Environment is the surroundings of an organism.

• An Organism is any living thing

What do organisms get from their environment?• Organisms need Food, Gases, Water,

Shelter, and proper Temperature.

What is an Ecosystem?• An ecosystem is a group of organisms and

their environment.

• Examples of an ecosystem are: Pond, forest, fish tank, desert.

What are the two types of Factors in an ecosystem?

• An Abiotic Factor is any non-living part of an environment.

• Examples are: Light, water, air, soil, and rocks.

• A Biotic Factors is any Living part of an environment.

• Examples are: Animals, plants, fungi, protists and bacteria.

What is a Community?• A community is all of the biotic factors in an

ecosystem.

• What is a population?• A Population is the number of One species in

an ecosystem.

• Examples are: # of bald

eagles.

What is a Habitat?• A Habitat is an organisms home.• Examples are: Under a rock, a nest, hole in

a tree.

• What does a habitat provide?• All the things the organisms

need to survive.• Ex: Shelter, food, water.

What is a Niche?• A Niche is the role an organism plays in an ecosystem

and its environment – How it obtains food and shelter, finds a mate, cares for young, and avoids danger.

• Examples are: Decomposer, herbavore in a field and herbavore in a tree are separate niches.

• What are limiting factors?• Limiting factors are things that control the size of the

populations of a species.• Examples are: Predators/prey, food, water, disease,

weather.

Aim: How can we describe how organisms affect each other?

• Do Now: Explain the difference between an Ecosystem, a

community and population?

• H.W.: Read 696 – 700 do questions 1-4.

How do Organisms affect each other?

• Competition:• Competition is when two different species

need the same resources from the environment.

• Examples are: deer and Elk in

the same forest.

Mutualism• Mutualism is when two different species

help each other out.

• Examples are: Sea anemone and clown fish; butterfly and flower.

Parasitism• Parasitism is when one organism takes

advantage of another.

• Examples are: Fleas and ticks on dogs.

Commensalism• Commensalism is when one organism lives

on another but does not hurt the other organism.

• Examples are: Moss on a tree.

Aim: How can we describe the different Biomes of Earth?

• Do Now: 1. Hand in H.W.

2. Compare and contrast Mutualism,

Commensalism and Parasitism.

• H.W.: Read Pages 744 – 751 do questions 1-5

BiomesThere are 6 major biomes on Earth.

What is a Biome?• A biome is an environment with a specific

climate (weather) and ecological community (organisms).

1. Deciduous Forest

• Four seasons – warm summer + cool winters.• Trees lose leaves in fall.• Very fertile soil. • Oak, elm, maple, beech• Deer, squirrels, birds, fox• Deforestation (cutting down the forest) is a

problem.

2. Coniferous Forest

• Cold and Moist.

• Conifer trees (have needles + produce cones).

• Poor soil

• Bear, lynx, owls, mouse, beaver.

• Found in mountains.

• Deforestation is a problem.

3. Rain Forest• Hot and wet – lots of rain.• Tropical – near equator.• Trees grow all year.• Large variety of organisms

(biodiversity)• Parrots, lizards, monkeys, frogs• Animals live in trees.• Deforestation is a problem.

4. Desert• Hot and very dry.

• Plants store water in leaves and trunks.

• Cactus and shrubs.

• Lizards, rodents, camels.

• Many animals are nocturnal.

• Irrigation for farming is a problem.

5. Grassland/Savanna• Mostly grasses – not enough rain for trees.

• USA – bison, mice, snakes, hawks.

• Africa – lions, zebra, antelope.

• Overuse by farmers and cattle is a problem.

6. Tundra• Cold and dry.

• Frozen soil called permafrost.

• Small plants, grasses, lichens, moss.

• Caribou, wolves, oxen, fox.

Have thick fur to stay warm.

• Oil drilling can be a problem here.

Aim: How can we describe the different Biomes of Earth?

• Do Now: 1. Hand in H.W. 2. Describe the major factor that

determines a biome and the nature of that factor for

each biome.• H.W.: Write a paragraph – Which biome

would you want to live in most? Why might you not want to live there?

Aim: How can we describe Energy roles and Energy Flow in an ecosystem?

• Do Now: 1. Take out H.W.

• 2.

• H.W.:

Energy Roles and Energy Flow in an Ecosystem.

All Energy enters an ecosystem from the sun and is cycled in the

ecosystem through the organisms which Live there.

Producer• A producer is an organism which makes its

own food.

• Ex: Plants.

Consumer• A consumer is an organism which eats other

organisms.• There are 5 types of consumers:

– Herbivore.– Carnivore.– Omnivore.– Scavenger.– Decomposer.

Herbivores• A Herbivore is an animal that eats Only

plants.

• Examples are: deer, cow, horse, rabbit.

Carnivores• A carnivore is an animal that eats Only

animals.

• Examples are: Snake, owl, lion, shark.

Omnivores• An Omnivore is an animal that eats both

plants and animals.

• Examples are: Rat, raccoon, bear, human.

                                                              

                            

Scavengers• A Scavenger is an animal that eats dead

organisms.

• Examples are: Vulture, hyena,

ants.

Decomposers• A Decomposer is an organism which breaks

down dead organisms and wastes into simple substances and returns them to the soil.

• Examples are: Bacteria, fungi.

Food Chains• Food chains show ONE path of ENERGY

() from one organism to another.

• Example of a food chain is as follows:

Grain Grasshopper Mouse Owl

Producer Consumer Consumer Consumer

Autotroph Herbivore Carnivore CarnivoreGreen Plant Primary Consumer Secondary Consumer Tertiary Consumer

Producer 1st order consumer

2nd order consumer

3rd order consumer

Food Pyramids• Food Pyramids show relationships between

these organisms in a balanced ecosystem.

Owl .1%

Mouse 1%

Grasshopper 10%

Grain 100% Suns Energy

Sun

As Energy Flows through the Food Pyramid from bottom to top…

1. Size of the organism Increases. (Predators are larger than prey).

2. Number of the organisms decrease. (more prey than predators).

3. Mass of the organisms decreases. (fewer organisms on top).

4. Energy available decreases. (energy is lost from life process).

What is a Food Web?• A Food Web shows many paths of energy

in a community.Organism Role Food

Carrot Producer Sunlight, CO2, H2O

Grass Producer Sunlight, CO2, H2O

Grain Producer Sunlight, CO2, H2O

Rabbit Herbavore Carrot, grass

Grasshopper Herbavore Grass, Grains

Mouse Omnivore Grasshopper, grains

Bird Omnivore Grasshopper, grains

Fox Carnivore Rabbit, mouse, bird

Owl Carnivore Mouse, grasshopper

What is a food web?• A food web shows how energy flows

through an ecosystem.

Food Chains and Webs• Identify the parts of the food web.

A. Source of energy – Sun.

B. Producers – Pine tree, grass, algae, green plants.

C. Consumers – Deer, hawk, rabbit, dragonfly, frog, turtle, worm, fish, tadpole, human.

D. Decomposers – bacteria and worm

E. Abiotic factors – mud, sand, water, rock, air, sun, cloud.

Give Examples of a Food Chain from the Food Web.

A. Grass Rabbit hawk

B. Algae Fish human.

The Water Cycle1. Water is heated and evaporates (turns to gas)2. As the water rises, it cools and condenses (turns to liquid)3. This forms into clouds4. The water falls back to

Earth as precipitation (rain, snow)

The Carbon Dioxide – Oxygen Cycle1. Animals take in O2 for respiration and release CO2

as a waste product2. Plants take in CO2 for photosynthesis and release

O2 as a waste product

3. CO2 is alsoreleased duringdecay

The Nitrogen Cycle

1. Plants take in nitrogen to make proteins. 2. Animals eat plants and other animals to get

proteins.3. When animals die

or release wastes the nitrogen is decomposed by bacteria and is returned to the soil for plants to use again.

Succession

Def: A gradual change in an ecosystem over time. Changes in the abiotic environment cause changes in the biotic life.

Primary Succession – First growth on bare rock (rock, lava, cement). There is no soil. Small plants (moss, lichen) and no animals.

Secondary Succession – Plant life begins to change as soil develops. Animals are present and change as plant life changes. Ex: overgrown field, forest fire, pond filling in

Climax Community – A stable community which remains unchanged for 100 - 1000 years. Ex: Rainforest, desert

Life Cycles

The changes in an organism from birth to adulthood

Incomplete metamorphosis: Young looks like smaller version of parents.

Complete metamorphosis: Young do not look like parents.