ecology ecology- science of the interactions between organisms and their environment
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Ecology
• Ecology- Science of the interactions between organisms and their environment
Principles of EnergyEnergy- The ability to do work
•Matter- Everything that takes up space and has mass–Conservation of matter: matter can be transformed, but never destroyed
•Thermodynamics- Study of how energy is transferred
Laws of Thermodynamics
• First Law- Energy is conserved– Energy cannot be destroyed, only moved
around
• Second Law- With each transfer of energy, less energy is available for work– Entropy: all natural systems move from a
state of order to one of disorder
Energy and Ecosystems
• Ecosystem- Organisms interacting with environment and each other through a food chain
• Biomass: Matter contained in living organisms. Represents both matter and energy
Energy moves through ecosystems while matter is cycled.
Biomass
Photosynthesis and Respiration
• Photosynthesis: Producers (plants) use sunlight to build biomass out of water, CO2,, and nutrients (ammonia, nitrate, phosphate)– Used for growth, reproduction and energy
storage
• Respiration: Consumers (animals) break down biomass to release energy– Used for growth and reproduction
Decomposers and Detritivores
• Decomposers break down non-living matter and release nutrients that can be used by plants to make biomass– Ex: Fungi, bacteria
• Detritivores eat the waste productsor dead bodies of other organisms– Ex: Worms
Decomposers and Detritivores
Food Chains
• Food Chain- Energy and matter move from one organism to another as each eats a lower member and, in turn, is eaten by a higher member
Trophic Levels
• Each ‘link’ in the food chain is called a trophic level. (troph means food) – 1st =Primary Producer
• Ex: plants, algae
– 2nd = Primary Consumer• Ex: Grazer, herbivores
– 3rd = Secondary Consumer• Ex: Carnivores
– 4th = Tertiary Consumer, etc…
• At each level, detrivores and decomposers are turning biomass into nutrients
• Because organisms consume at various trophic levels, it is really more like a web, not a chain.
Food Web
Ecological Efficiency and Ecological Pyramids
• About 90% of biomass is lost when transferred from between trophic levels– Ecological efficiency= 10%
• As trophic levels increase, biomass decreases– Why there are more squirrels than wolves in
the world
Ecological Pyramid
2° Consumers
3° Cons.
1000 g Biomass
100 g
10 g
1 g
Primary ProducersPrim
ary Consumers
Biogeochemical Cycles
• Hydrological Cycle: the path of water through the environment
• Carbon Cycle: carbon is used to make all biomass. It is a structure component for molecules and also stores energy
Hydrological Cycle
Carbon Cycle
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