ECOLOGY UNIT Describing Ecosystems Layers of the Atmosphere
ECOLOGY UNIT: * Describing Ecosystems*
Layers of the Atmosphere Biosphere: part of the planet including water, land air where LIFE exists Atmosphere: layer of gases that surrounds earth. Ex: H 2 O, CO 2, O 3 Lithosphere: Earth’s solid outer layer, including crust, mantle. Extends 100 km down from surface and includes soil Hydrosphere: all the water on Earth. 97% is salt water in earth’s oceans. 3% is freshwater in lakes and streams.
What is an Ecosystem? A set of complex interactions between living and nonliving things within a certain physical environment of the biosphere.
WHAT DO ECOSYSTEMS CONSIST OF? • BIOTIC factors • ABIOTIC factors
BIOTIC FACTORS • • “living” components of ecosystems Have the 5 characteristics of Life For ex: Plants Animals Fungi Bacteria Viruses
BIOTIC COMPONENTS 1) AUTOTROPHS (also known as PRODUCERS) – Organisms that get their energy from nonliving sources (sun, organic matter) – can make their own food. – Plants, some types of bacteria
BIOTIC COMPONENTS continued… 2)HETEROTROPHS (also known as CONSUMERS) – Organisms that get their energy from other living things – Animals, insects, fungi, bacteria
FIVE main Types of Consumers: Carnivore Omnivore Herbivore Scavenger Decomposer
EXAMPLES OF CONSUMERS • Carnivore: An organism that only eats other ANIMALS • Omnivore: An organism that eats plants AND animals. • Herbivore: An organism that only eats only PLANTS. • Scavenger: An organism that feeds on dead prey killed by other animals. • Decomposer: An organism that breaks down decaying organisms or wastes from organisms into elements such as carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, etc.
ABIOTIC FACTORS never living factors examples: • • • rocks water air sunlight nutrients weather patterns temperature soil humidity salt concentration
YOUR TASK! • Draw a VENN DIAGRAM • In one circle list abiotic factors and in the other list biotic factors
ITEMS for your VENN DIAGRAM • • • • Snail Steak Pork Chops Salad Bread Plant Hair Matter Finger Nails Pipe Cotton Fabric Wool Gold Plastic Grapes Air • • • • Whale Digital Clock Energy Water Fish Paper Glass Aluminum Wooden Ruler Sand Clouds Corpse Molecules and Atoms
ITEMS for your VENN DIAGRAM • • • • Snail B Steak B Pork Chops B Salad B Bread B Plant B Hair B Matter BOTH Finger Nails B Pipe AB Cotton Fabric B Wool B Gold AB Plastic AB Grapes B Air AB • • • • Whale B Digital Clock AB Energy AB Water AB Fish B Paper B Glass AB Aluminum AB Wooden Ruler B Sand AB Clouds AB Corpse B Molecules and Atoms BOTH
ECOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION 1. Individual/organism 2. Species 3. Population 4. Community 5. Ecosystem 6. Biome
1) Individual/Organism: - Anything that can independently carry out life processes (Ex: a flower, a person, a dog, etc) 2) Species: - A group of SIMILAR organisms in an ecosystem that can reproduce with each other AND their offspring can reproduce Ex: grey squirrels mate can not mate with red squirrels
3) Population: A group of members of the same species that live in the same physical environment or habitat Ex: A group of grey squirrels living in the same forest
4) Community: A group of populations of different species that live and interact in an area. Ex: A park contains populations of squirrels, robins, trees and shrubs
5) Ecosystem: The interactions of different populations with the non-living factors in the environment. Ex: A park contains squirrels, robins, trees, shrubs, sunlight, air, a pond
What are examples of Ecosystems? Swamps
Forests
Mountain Valleys
Ecosystem in a Jar
6) BIOMES • A large geographic area that contains MANY similar types of ecosystems. • Biomes are usually known by the types of vegetation that grows in them. • There are two types of biomes: • 1. TERRESTRIAL on land; there are 5 in Canada • 2. AQUATIC in water; there are 2 in Canada
Terrestrial Biomes 1) Deciduous forests: made up of trees that lose their leaves in winter. - Found mostly in Eastern and Central Canada
Terrestrial Biomes 2) Boreal forests: Biomes that are dominated by conifers (trees with needle-shaped leaves, ex: pine trees). -Found in every province and make up about 80% of the forested areas of Canada
Terrestrial Biomes 3) Grasslands: areas that are covered with different grasses, they have a rich, fertile soil. - Extends from eastern Manitoba to the Rocky mountains
Terrestrial Biomes 4) Tundra: a biome that has no trees, only small shrubs, grass, moss and lichen. - Tundras exist in northern Canada
Terrestrial Biomes 5) Temperate coniferous forests: - In most temperate coniferous forests, evergreen conifers predominate - There are some that have a mix of conifers and evergreen and/or deciduous trees
Aquatic Biomes 1) Marine: found in oceans. Ex: Coral reefs, ocean floor, open ocean
Aquatic Biomes 2) Freshwater: areas that have lakes, rivers or streams.
- Slides: 30