Ecology Food Chains Food Webs and the Transfer

Ecology Food Chains, Food Webs, and the Transfer of Energy

Autotrophs • A groups of organisms that can use the energy in sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into Glucose (food) • Autotrophs are also called Producers because they produce all of the food that heterotrophs use • Without autotrophs, there would be no life on this planet • Ex. Plants and Algae

Autotrophs

Autotrophs • Chemotrophs – Autotrophs that get their energy from inorganic substances, such as salt – Live deep down in the ocean where there is no sunlight – Ex. Bacteria and Deep Sea Worms

Heterotrophs • Organisms that do not make their own food • Another term for Heterotroph is consumer because they consume other organisms in order to live • Ex. Rabbits, Deer, Mushrooms

Heterotrophs

Heterotrophs • Consumers – 1. Scavengers/Detritivores – feed on the tissue of dead organisms (both plans and animals) • Ex. – Vultures, Crows, and Shrimp http: //viewpure. com/v. SVe. Xaox 2 Zk? start=0&end=0

Heterotrophs • Consumers – 2. Herbivores – eat ONLY plants • Ex. – Cows, Elephants, Giraffes

Heterotrophs • Consumers – 3. Carnivores – eat ONLY meat • Ex. – Lions, Tigers, Sharks

Heterotrophs • Consumers – 4. Omnivores – eat BOTH plants and animals • Ex. – Bears and Humans

Heterotrophs • Consumers – 5. Decomposers – absorb any dead material and break it down into simple nutrients or fertilizers • Ex. – Bacteria and Mushrooms

Transfer of Energy • When a zebra eats the grass, it does not obtain all of the energy the grass has (much of it is not eaten) • When a lion eats a zebra, it does not get all of the energy from the zebra (much of it is lost as heat)

Transfer of Energy • The two (2) previous examples of energy transfer show that no organism EVER receives all of the energy from the organism they just ate • Only 10% of the energy from one trophic level is transferred to the next – this is called the 10% law

Trophic Levels • Energy moves from one organisms to another when it is eaten • Each step in this transfer of energy is know as a trophic level – The main trophic levels are producers, consumers, and decomposers

Food Chains • The energy flow from one trophic level to the other is know as a food chain • A food chain is simple and direct • It involves one organism at each trophic level – – Primary Consumers – eat autotrophs (producers) Secondary Consumers – eat the primary consumers Tertiary Consumers – eat the secondary consumers Decomposers – bacteria and fungi that break down dead organisms and recycle the material back into the environment

Food Chain

Food Web • Most organisms eat more the JUST one organism • When more organism are involved it is know as a FOOD WEB • Food webs are more complex and involve lots of organisms

Food Web

Food Web • Notice that the direction the arrow points in the direction of the energy transfer, NOT “what ate what”

Food Web

Biomass • The total mass of the organic matter at each trophic level is called biomass • Biomass is just another term for potential energy – energy that is to be eaten and used. • The transfer of energy from one level to another is very inefficient (10% Law)

Biomass

Ecological Pyramid • An ecological pyramid shows the relationship between consumers and producers at different trophic levels in an ecosystem • Shows the relative amounts of energy or matter contained at each trophic level • The Pyramid shows which level has the most energy and the highest number of organisms

Ecological Pyramid

Ecological Pyramid

Ecological Pyramid • • Which level has has the the most energy? most organisms? least energy?

Part 2

A. Interactions and interdependence a. Ecology is the scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment. b. Ecosystem is a collection of all the organisms that live in a particular place, together with their nonliving, or physical, environment. c. The Biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems, extending from approximately 8 kilometers above Earth’s surface to as far as 11 kilometers below the surface of the ocean. i. All organisms within Earth’s biosphere are interconnected producing a web of interdependence.

B. Levels of organization a. There are six levels of organization i. Species (or individuals) a group of organisms, similar to each other and capable of breeding and producing fertile offspring. ii. Population a group of individuals of a single species inhabiting a specific area iii. Community an association of interacting species living in a particular area; also defined as all of the organisms living in a particular area iv. Ecosystem a biological community plus all the abiotic factors influencing that community v. Biome all of the ecosystems in a given area combined (i. e. the North American region) or geographical regions vi. Biosphere largest spatial scale and highest level of ecological organization; global

C. Climate and Habitat a. What is the difference between weather and climate? i. Weather is the day-to-day condition of the Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place ii. Climate refers to the average, year-after-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region b. Because of the shape of the Earth and the tilt of the Earth, the suns radiation varies depending on the latitude. i. As a result of differences in latitude and thus the angle of heating, Earth has three main climate zones: 1. Polar zone– are cold areas where the sun’s rays strike Earth at a very low angle 2. Temperate zone– between the polar region and the tropical region. These regions have more temperature ranges from hot to cold throughout the year. 3. Tropical Zone– near to the equator, they receive direct or nearly direct sunlight year round making the climate almost always warm.

c. Biotic and Abiotic factors i. Biotic factors are the biological influences on organisms within an ecosystem ii. Abiotic factors are the physical or nonliving influences that shape ecosystems iii. Together, biotic and abiotic factors determine the survival and growth of an organism and the productivity of the ecosystem in which the organism lives. d. Habitat i. The area where an organism lives is called its habitat, a habitat includes both biotic and abiotic factors. e. Niche i. A niche is the full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions.

f. Community Interactions i. Competition occurs when organisms of the same or different species attempt to use an ecological resource in the same place at the same time. ii. Predation is an interaction in which one organism captures and feeds on another organism. iii. Symbiosis is any relationship in which multiple species live closely together. There are three classes of symbiotic relationships in nature. 1. Mutualism is when all species in the relationship benefit. 2. Commensalism is when one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed. 3. Parasitism is when one species benefits and the other is harmed, typically with one species living inside or on the other.

D. Land Biomes a. Ecologists recognize at least ten different major biomes. i. Tropical Rain Forest 1. Home to more species than all other land biomes combined. Where rainfall is year round and trees do not have to conserve water. 2. Abiotic factors: hot and wet year round; thin, nutrient poor soils 3. Geographic distribution: parts of South and Central America, Southeast Asia, parts of Africa, southern India and northeastern Australia

ii. Tropical Dry Forest 1. Grow in places where rainfall is highly seasonal rather than yearround. During the dry season, nearly all trees drop their leaves to conserve water. 2. Abiotic factors: generally warm year-round; alternating wet and dry seasons; rich soils subject to erosion 3. Geographic distribution: parts of Africa, South and Central America , Mexico, India, Australia, and tropical islands

iii. Tropical Savanna 1. Receives more seasonal rainfall than deserts but less than tropical dry forests. Tropical savannas or grasslands are characterized by a cover of grasses. Savannas are spotted with isolated trees and small groves of trees and shrubs. 2. Abiotic factors: warm temperatures; seasonal rainfall; compact soil; frequent fires set by lighting 3. Geographic distributions: large parts of eastern Africa, southern Brazil, northern Australia

iv. Desert 1. All deserts are dry – defined as having annual precipitation of less than 25 centimeters. 2. Abiotic factors: low precipitation; variable temperatures; soils rich in minerals but poor in organic material 3. Geographic distribution: Africa, Asia, the Middle East, United States, Mexico, South America, and Australia

v. Temperate Grassland 1. Characterized by a rich mix of grasses and under laid by some of the world’s most fertile soils, temperate grasslands – such as plains and prairies – once covered vast areas of the Midwestern United States. 2. Abiotic factors: warm to hot summers; cold winters; moderate, seasonal precipitation; fertile soils; occasional fires 3. Geographic distribution: central Asia, North America, Australia, central Europe, and upland plateaus of South America

vi. Temperate Woodland Shrubland 1. This biome is characterized by a semiarid climate and a mix of shrub communities and open woodlands. The growth of dense, low plants that contain flammable oils makes fires a constant threat. 2. Abiotic factors: hot, dry summers; cool, moist winters; thin, nutrient-poor soils; periodic fires 3. Geographic distribution: western coasts of North and South America, areas around the Mediterranean Sea, South Africa, and Australia

vii. Temperate Forest 1. Temperate forests contain a mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees. These forests have cold winters that halt plant growth for several months. 2. Abiotic factors: cold to moderate winters; warm summers; yearround precipitation; fertile soils 3. Geographic distribution: eastern United States; southeastern Canada; most of Europe; and parts of Japan, China and Australia

viii. Northwestern Coniferous Forest 1. Mild, moist air from the Pacific Ocean provides abundant rainfall to this biome. 2. Abiotic factors: mild temperatures; abundant precipitation during fall, winter, and spring; relatively cool, dry summer; rocky, acidic soils 3. Geographic distribution: Pacific coast of northwestern United States and Canada, from northern California to Alaska

ix. Boreal Forest 1. Along the northern edge of the temperate zone are dense evergreen forests of coniferous trees. These biomes are called boreal forest, or taiga. Winters are bitterly cold, but summers are mild and long enough to allow the ground to thaw. 2. Abiotic factors: long, cold winters; short, mild summers; moderate precipitation, high humidity; acidic, nutrient-poor soils 3. Geographic distribution: North America, Asia, and northern Europe

x. Tundra 1. The tundra is characterized by permafrost, a layer of permanently frozen subsoil. During the short, cool summer, the ground thaws to a depth of a few centimeters and becomes soggy and wet. In winter, the topsoil freezes again. 2. Abiotic factors: strong winds; low precipitation; short and soggy summers; long, cold, and dark winters; poorly developed soils; permafrost 3. Geographic distribution: northern North America, Asia, and Europe

xi. Other land areas 1. Mountain Rages a. Found on all continents b. As you move up from the bottom of the mountain to the top, temperature decreases and precipitation increases 2. Polar Ice Caps a. North Polar Region, the Arctic Ocean is covered with sea ice, and a thick ice cap covers most of Greenland. Polar bears, seals, insects and mites are the dominant animals. b. South Polar Region, the continent of Antarctica is covered by a layer of ice that is nearly 5 kilometers thick. The dominant wildlife includes penguins and marine mammals.

E. Aquatic Ecosystems a. Freshwater Ecosystems i. Only 3% of the water on Earth’s surface is fresh water ii. 2 main types of freshwater ecosystems 1. Flowing-Water ecosystems a. Rivers, streams, creeks, and brooks are all freshwater ecosystems that flow over the land. b. Organisms that live there are well adapted to the rate of flow

2. Standing-Water ecosystems a. Lakes and ponds are the most common standing-water ecosystems. b. There is usually water circulating within besides the net flow of water in and out. c. The relatively still waters of lakes and ponds provides habitats for many organisms that would be washed away in flowingwater systems like plankton. 3. Freshwater Wetlands a. A wetland is an ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at or near the surface of the soil for at least part of the year. b. Can be either flowing or standing water c. Breeding grounds for insects, fishes and other aquatic animals, amphibians, and migratory birds

http: //viewpure. com/ysa 5 OBh. Xz-Q Wolves https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=M 18 Hx. Xve 3 CM Whales

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