ECOLOGY

Ecology – the study of living things and how they react with their environment.

Biotic Factors• Living thingsEx. Plants, animals,fungi, protists, bacteria.

Abiotic Factors• Non-living thingsEx. Temperature, water,sunlight, wind, climate,natural disasters, pollution …

Levels of Ecology1. Organism Ex. 1 stork

2. Population* 2or more of the

samespecies.Ex. 2+ storks

3. Community• All of the living

thingsin an area.Ex. Storks, trees,

insects,fish, worms …

4. Ecosystem • All the living & non-

living things in an area.Ex. Community +

temperature, water, sunlight, rocks, etc.

5. Biosphere• All the ecosystems ofthe world.

(Ecosystem)

POPULATION INTERACTIONS

1. Predator – prey* one species (predator) hunts

and feeds on another species (prey).

* displayed as a “Saw-Tooth” graph. * the population of one species is dependent on the population of another species.

Predator adaptations include:•Acute senses – ex. Heat sensing pits of rattlesnakes, sense of smell in

sharks, hearing, etc.•Structures such as claws, teeth, fangs, stingers, poisons …•Speed and agility

Prey adaptations include:•Plants – thorns, poisons, •Animals – ability to hide, escape, coloration, poisons, mimicry

Why is predation important?•Helps preserve biodiversity by reducing competition. Ex. Starfish keep the mussel population in check so that the mussels don’t crowd out other species.

2. Competition • Organisms will compete for limiting resources.

• Inter-specific competition – within the same species.

• Intra-specific competition – among different species.Habitat – the place where an organism lives.

Niche – the functional role of a species in the ecosystem. Ie. Its’ job or way of life.

*NO TWO SPECIES CAN OCCUPY THE SAME HABITAT AND NICHE *

Ex. Loons, Kingfishers, and Herons all live on lakes and eat fish. However, they each hunt fish in a different way.

3. Symbiotic Relationships• Symbiosis – two or more species living in a close, long-term

relationship.

• There are 3 types of symbiosis:

I. Mutualism - both species benefit from this relationship.

Ex. Alligator and the egret.

•Gets groomed. * Gets food.

Ex. Clown fish and sea anemone, shark and cleaner fish, lichen (an algae and a fungus)

2. Commensalism – one species is helped while the other is unaffected.

Ex. Barnacles on a whale.

Place to live. Don’t care, doesn’t bother whale.

Ex. Mites on eyelashes, Spanish moss on trees, poison ivy on trees.

3. Parasitism – one species is helped, the other is harmed.

Ex. Mosquito and human. (parasite) (host)

Food Slowly eaten

Ex. Tapeworms, athlete’s foot, blow flies …