EcologyEcology

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Ecosystems Support LifeEcosystems Support Life

Ecosystem: Ecosystem: A community of interrelated A community of interrelated plants, animals, and Abiotic (non-living) plants, animals, and Abiotic (non-living) factorsfactors

Biotic Factors interact with an Biotic Factors interact with an EcosystemEcosystem

Living things (biotic) depend Living things (biotic) depend on an ecosystem for food, on an ecosystem for food, air, water, and shelter.air, water, and shelter.

Animals also affect an Animals also affect an ecosystemecosystem a beaver building a dam a beaver building a dam

that changes the flow of a that changes the flow of a riverriver

cattle overgrazing a cattle overgrazing a grassland causing soil to grassland causing soil to erodeerode

Abiotic factors affect Abiotic factors affect ecosystemsecosystems Abiotic factors include non-Abiotic factors include non-

living chemical and physical living chemical and physical parts of an ecosystemparts of an ecosystem

Abiotic factors are things Abiotic factors are things organisms can see or feelorganisms can see or feel

TemperatureTemperature, , water, soil, water, soil, sunlightsunlight

TemperatureTemperature

Temperature affects the type of plants that Temperature affects the type of plants that will survivewill survive

The plants then determine what food or The plants then determine what food or shelter is available to the animals that live in shelter is available to the animals that live in the ecosystemthe ecosystem

Animals are also affected by temperature; a Animals are also affected by temperature; a polar bear would not survive in a desert.polar bear would not survive in a desert.

LightLight Energy from the sun supports all life on EarthEnergy from the sun supports all life on Earth

Plants need sunlight as a part of photosynthesisPlants need sunlight as a part of photosynthesis

The strength and amount of sunlight determines The strength and amount of sunlight determines the type of plants that will live in an ecosystemthe type of plants that will live in an ecosystem

Light is also important for the ocean…light is only Light is also important for the ocean…light is only available in the first hundred meters below the available in the first hundred meters below the surface of the water…which determines which surface of the water…which determines which plants and animals would survive at specific plants and animals would survive at specific depths of the oceandepths of the ocean

SoilSoil Soil is a mixture of small rock and mineral Soil is a mixture of small rock and mineral

particles.particles.

Some organisms help to break down the remains Some organisms help to break down the remains of dead plants and animals to enrich the soil with of dead plants and animals to enrich the soil with minerals and nutrientsminerals and nutrients

Types of Soils: soil with decaying plant matter Types of Soils: soil with decaying plant matter and water, sand, clay (water doesn’t move and water, sand, clay (water doesn’t move through easily)through easily)

Type of soil determines which plants will grow Type of soil determines which plants will grow and the type of plants determine which animals and the type of plants determine which animals will feed on them and live in the ecosystemwill feed on them and live in the ecosystem

WaterWater

The amount of water available to The amount of water available to organisms determines the species and organisms determines the species and quantities of animals and plants that will quantities of animals and plants that will be able to live in the ecosystembe able to live in the ecosystem

Matter Cycles Through Matter Cycles Through EcosystemsEcosystems

WaterWater, , carboncarbon, and , and nitrogennitrogen are are materials that are necessary for life. materials that are necessary for life. They move through ecosystems in They move through ecosystems in continuous cyclescontinuous cycles

Matter cycles through Matter cycles through ecosystemsecosystems

Water CycleWater Cycle

Matter Cycles Through Matter Cycles Through EcosystemsEcosystems

Carbon CycleCarbon Cycle

Matter Cycles Through Matter Cycles Through EcosystemsEcosystems

Nitrogen CycleNitrogen Cycle

Energy Flows Through Energy Flows Through EcosystemsEcosystems

Living things capture and release energyLiving things capture and release energy ProducersProducers (plants capture and store energy) (plants capture and store energy) Consumers Consumers (get energy by eating other (get energy by eating other

organisms)organisms) First-order:First-order: Organisms that eat food producersOrganisms that eat food producers

Second-order:Second-order: Eat first-order Eat first-order Third-order:Third-order: Eat second-order Eat second-order

DecomposersDecomposers (organisms that break down (organisms that break down dead plant and animal matter)dead plant and animal matter)

Energy Flows Through Energy Flows Through EcosystemsEcosystems

Food ChainFood Chain: :

feeding feeding relationship relationship between a between a producer and a producer and a single chain of single chain of consumers in an consumers in an ecosystemecosystem

Energy Flows Through Energy Flows Through EcosystemsEcosystems

Food Web:Food Web:

A model of the A model of the feeding feeding relationships relationships between many between many different different consumers and consumers and producers in an producers in an ecosystem.ecosystem.

Energy Flows Through Energy Flows Through EcosystemsEcosystems

Available energy Available energy decreases as it decreases as it moves through moves through an ecosysteman ecosystem

The amount of The amount of energy energy decreases as decreases as you go up the you go up the pyramidpyramid

Biomes Contain Many Biomes Contain Many EcosystemsEcosystems Biome: a region of earth that has a particular Biome: a region of earth that has a particular

climate and certain types of plants.climate and certain types of plants.

There are 6 major land biomesThere are 6 major land biomes TundraTundra and and TaigaTaiga: northern regions of earth, long cold : northern regions of earth, long cold

winters and short cool summerswinters and short cool summers Desert Desert and and GrasslandGrassland:: middle latitudes, warm to hot middle latitudes, warm to hot

and do not have enough water to support treesand do not have enough water to support trees Temperate ForestTemperate Forest and and Tropical ForestTropical Forest: contains : contains

enough water to support treesenough water to support trees

Water BiomesWater Biomes Freshwater: streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, estuariesFreshwater: streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, estuaries Marine: coastal, open ocean, deep oceanMarine: coastal, open ocean, deep ocean

Biomes Contain Many Biomes Contain Many EcosystemsEcosystems

Land BiomesLand Biomes Are affected by Are affected by

climateclimate Are affected by Are affected by

conditions of soilconditions of soil Are characterized by Are characterized by

types of plantstypes of plants

Water BiomesWater Biomes can be freshwater or can be freshwater or

saltwatersaltwater Are affected by Are affected by

landscape if landscape if freshwaterfreshwater

Are affected by depth Are affected by depth if marineif marine