Ecology Chapter 17 What is Ecology Ecology is

Ecology Chapter 17

What is Ecology? • Ecology is the study of plants and animals in relation to their environment. • The place where a plant or animal lives is known as a habitat. • Examples of habitats: woodland, seashore, pond, garden and Hedgerow. • The habitat together with plants and animals that live there make up the ecosystem.

Interdependence • Inter-relationships are the relationships between organisms. • Plants depend on animals to transfer pollen and to scatter seeds. • Animals depend on plants for food and shelter. Therefore plants and animals are interdependent.

Feeding patterns in a habitat • Green plants are producers as they are the only organism in a habitat that can carry out photosynthesis. • Organisms that feed on plants or on other animals are known as consumers. • Organisms that break down dead plant and animal material are known as decomposers.

The Cycle of Life • Producers e. g. plants • Consumers e. g. Caterpillers, rabbits • Decomposers=bacteria and fungi

Types of consumers • • Herbivore-eat plants only. Carnivore-Eat other animals. Omnivore-Eat plants and animals. Decomposers- feed on dead plant and animal material.

Herbivores Cows are herbivores

Carnivores Spiders are carnivores

Omnivores Humans are omnivores

Decomposers Fungi break down the remains of dead plants and animals Earthworms in a compost bin help decompose organic waste

Food Chains • The feeding relationship between plants and animals is known as a food chain. • grass Rabbit fox • Rose greenfly ladybird Oak leaf Caterpillar Robin

Food Web • When many food chains are interconnected a food web is formed.

Energy transfer • The feeding level is the position that an organism has in the food chain. • Green plants are at the 1 st feeding level.