CH 2 Ecology

The Biosphere
Chapter 3
Objectives
Distinguish
between the biotic and a biotic

factors in the environment.
Compare the different levels of biological
organization
Explain the difference between niche and
habitat.
What is Ecology?
Ecology
is a scientific study of
interactions among organisms and
between organisms and their
environment
Biosphere
Biosphere-
part of the earth that supports life.

Combined portions of the planet in which all of
life exists, including land, water and air or
atmosphere
Extends from 8 kilometers above Earths
surface to 11 kilometers below the surface of
the ocean
What shapes an ecosystem?

Abiotic
Factors physical, or
nonliving factors that affect organisms
bullfrog
affected by availability of water

and temperature of air
What shapes an ecosystem?

Biotic
and Abiotic Factors
Biotic Factors living things that

affect an organism
biotic
factors affecting bullfrog: plants it

eats, birds that might eat it, other species
that compete for food or space
Interactions and Interdependence

Interactions
within the biosphere produce a

web of interdependence between organisms
and the environment in which they live
Biotic and Abiotic Factors
Abiotic Factors
Biotic Factors
ECOSYSTEM
Levels of Organization
Individual
or Organism: interactions between an

organism and its surroundings
cottontail rabbit
Population: groups of Organism that belong to the
same species and live in the same area
group of cottontail rabbits
Communities:
different populations that live

together in a defined area
rabbits, coyotes, ravens, lizard
Ecosystem: collection of all the organisms that live
in a particular place, together with their nonliving,
or physical, environment
rabbits, coyotes, ravens, lizard, rocks, dirt,
climate, water
Biome:
group of ecosystems that have the same

climate and dominant communities
desert, tundra, tropical rain forest
Biosphere: planet Earth
Where animal live

Habitat a place where an organism lives
out its life. It includes both biotic and
abiotic factors.
Niche is all strategies and adaptations a
species uses in its environment.
Niche
An
organisms niche includes:
Place
in food web
Range of temperatures organism needs to survive
Type of food it eats
How it obtains food
Other species that use it as food
Physical conditions necessary for survival
When and how it reproduces
Niche
Two
species cannot share the same niche in the

same habitat.
Different species can occupy similar niches.
Ex
- three species of warblers live in the same spruce

trees but feed at different elevations and in different
part of the trees
Warbler Niches
Cape May Warbler

Feeds at the tips of branches
near the top of the tree
Bay-Breasted Warbler
Feeds in the middle
part of the tree
Spruce tree
If
you were to turn over a log in the woods you

would see centipedes, worm, ants and millipedes.
They all look similar and they have similar niches.
But they all feed on different things.
Centipede eats beetles
Worms eat organic material
Ants eat dead insects
Millipedes eat decaying leaves
Symbiosis
When
two species live close together.

Three types:
Parasitism
one is harmed (host), one benefits
(parasite)
Mutualism both benefit
Commensalism one is neutral, one benefits
Mutualism
Parasitism
Commensalism
Homework
Pg
45
1-5
Read 2.2
Nutrition and Energy Flow 2.2

Objectives
Compare
how organism satisfy their nutritional
needs
Trace the path of energy and matter in an
ecosystem
Analyze how matter is cycled in the abiotic and
biotic parts of a biosphere
Producers
Autotrophs
an organism that uses light energy or

energy stored in chemical form to make energy
rich compounds
self feed
Use sunlight to create carbohydrates via
photosynthesis
Ex Plants, algae and some bacteria
Producers
Consumers
Heterotroph
organism that cannot make their

own food and feeds on others.
Must eat to obtain energy.
Ex animals, fungi, some protists
Types of Heterotrophs
Herbivore
eats plants
Carnivore eats animals
Omnivore eats plants and animals
Scavengers eats plant and animal remains
Ex-
snails, crabs, earthworms, vultures
Decomposer
Ex
breaks down organic matter
bacteria and fungi
Feeding Relationships
Energy
flows through an ecosystem in one

direction,
from the sun or inorganic compounds
autotrophs (producers) various heterotrophs
(consumers).
Food Chain
Food
Chain is a simple model that shows how

energy and matter move throughout an
ecosystem.
A series of steps in which organisms transfer
energy by eating and being eaten.
i.e. Wheat mouse snake hawk
Food Chain Example
Food Web
Food
wed a model that showed all the

possible feeding relationships at each trophic
level.
Network of complex interactions formed by
the feeding relationship among the various
organisms in an ecosystem.
Trophic Levels
Trophic
Levels each step in a food chain or food
web
1st
level = producers
2nd,
3rd, or higher levels = consumers

Usually no more than 5 levels because 90% of
energy is lost at each level.
Ecological Pyramid
A diagram
that shows the relative amounts of

energy or matter contained within each
trophic level in a food chain or food web.
Energy, biomass, and population numbers
can all be represented by a pyramid.
Ecological Pyramid
Cycles of Matter
Recycling
in the Biosphere
Matter is recycled within and between
ecosystems.
Matter moves through an ecosystem in
biogeochemical cycles.
Water Cycle
Carbon
Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
N2 in Atmosphere
NH3
NO3and NO2-
Nitrogen Cycle
78%
of Earths atmosphere is Nitrogen gas = N2
Nitrogen
containing products:
Ammonia (NH3)
Nitrate
ions (NO3-)
Nitrite
ions (NO2-)
Nitrogen
synthesis
is needed for protein and nucleic acid
Nitrogen Cycle
Converting
nitrogen gas into ammonia is called

nitrogen fixation.
Only certain types of bacteria can do this.
Plants use the converted products (NH3, NO3- ,&
NO2-) to make plant proteins.
Some
bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen gas

(denitrification).
Phosphorus Cycle
Phosphorus Cycle
Phosphorus
is important for the formation of

DNA and RNA molecules.
Phosphorus is not very common and does not
enter the atmosphere, instead it is found mostly
on land in rock and soil.
Primary Productivity
The
rate at which producers create organic matter.

Determines the size of the community.
Limited by availability of nutrients.
Land
phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), potassium (K)

Marine nitrogen
Fresh water - phosphorus
Algal Bloom
Interactions and Interdependence

Interactions
within the biosphere produce a

web of interdependence between organisms
and the environment in which they live
Energy Flow
Energy
flows from the sun or inorganic

compounds to producers.
Consumers eat producers to get energy.
The primary source of energy on Earth is the sun!!

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The Biosphere

between the biotic and a biotic

part of the earth that supports life.

What shapes an ecosystem?

affected by availability of water

What shapes an ecosystem?

and Abiotic Factors

Biotic Factors living things that

factors affecting bullfrog: plants it

Interactions and Interdependence

within the biosphere produce a

Biotic and Abiotic Factors

or Organism: interactions between an

different populations that live

group of ecosystems that have the same

Where animal live

organisms niche includes:

species cannot share the same niche in the

- three species of warblers live in the same spruce

Cape May Warbler

you were to turn over a log in the woods you

two species live close together.

one is harmed (host), one benefits

Nutrition and Energy Flow 2.2

how organism satisfy their nutritional

an organism that uses light energy or

organism that cannot make their

snails, crabs, earthworms, vultures

breaks down organic matter

bacteria and fungi

flows through an ecosystem in one

Chain is a simple model that shows how

Food Chain Example

wed a model that showed all the

Levels each step in a food chain or food

3rd, or higher levels = consumers

that shows the relative amounts of

of Earths atmosphere is Nitrogen gas = N2

is needed for protein and nucleic acid

nitrogen gas into ammonia is called

bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen gas

is important for the formation of

rate at which producers create organic matter.

phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), potassium (K)

Interactions and Interdependence

within the biosphere produce a

flows from the sun or inorganic

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