Upload
zaria-leng
View
218
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Ecosystems and Energy
Honors Biology
Ms. Leyda
2012-2013
What is Ecology ?
The study of how
organisms interact with one another
and their non-living
environment
So Then What is an Ecosystem ?
Looking at the chart to the right..
BiosphereBiosphere
Ecosystems
Communities
Populations
Organisms
Our BIOSPHERE is the part of the Earth where
the organisms exist
And an ECOSYSTEM is that area where the living
and non-living things interact.
So Then What is an Ecosystem ?
Looking at the chart to the right..
BiosphereBiosphere
Ecosystems
Communities
Populations
Organisms
A COMMUNITY is different populations that live together in a defined
area
And an POPULATION is a group of individuals of
the same species that live in the same area
Parts of an EcosystemAn Ecosystem is made of BIOTIC and ABIOTIC parts
BIOTIC components are the living parts of the ecosystem
Examples are:
• Plants
• Animals
• Fungi
• Bacteria
Parts of an EcosystemAn Ecosystem is made of BIOTIC and ABIOTIC Components
ABIOTIC components are the NON-living parts of the ecosystem
Examples are:
• Water
• Air
• Temperature
• Sunlight
Energy for the Ecosystems
Every ecosystem on Earth gets its energy from the same source:
The SUN !!!
Looking closely at Ecosystems
All Ecosystems are made of four components linked by the flow of energy.
These components are:
• Primary Producers• Consumers
• Decomposers• Abiotic Environment
Looking closely at Ecosystems
External energy source
PRIMARYPRODUCERS
CONSUMERS DECOMPOSERS
ABIOTIC ENVIRONMENT
Primary Producers
Producers make their own food, from abiotic factors, such as sunlight or
heat from chemical reactions.
Primary Producers
Producers are also known as Autotrophs
Some examples are:
• Plants
• Algae
• Bacteria
Consumers
Consumers are organisms that get their energy by eating other organisms
Consumers
Consumers are also known as Heterotrophs
Consumers can be:
• Herbivores
• Carnivores
• Omnivores
• Detritivores (Decomposers)
Consumers
Herbivores eat only plants.
Herbivore Examples:
• Large Mammals (Such as cattle & deer)
• Some Insects
Consumers
Carnivores eat other animals
Carnivore Examples:
• Lions, Tigers
• Wolves
• Sharks
• Snakes
Consumers
Omnivores eat both plants and animals
Omnivore Examples:
• Humans
• Bears
• Mice
• Pigs
Consumers
Detritivores eat dead plants and animals (also called decomposers)
Detritivore Examples:
• Worms
• Beetles
• Bacteria
• Fungi
Food Chain
A Food Chain tells us what eats what in an ecosystem. It shows the series of
organisms through which food energy is passed.
Food Chain
The arrow means “is eaten by”
In this case the dragonfly is eaten
by the frog.
Food Chain
Remember…
ALL food chains begin with a Producer
( Also known as an Autotroph)
Food Web
In an ecosystem, there are many producers and
consumers.
Instead of a food chain, we can
use a food web.
Food Web
A food web shows the complex
relationship formed by the overlapping
and interconnecting food chains.
Humans
Blue whaleSperm whale
Crabeater seal
Killerwhale Elephant
seal
Leopardseal
Adéliepenguins Petrel
Fish
Squid
Carnivorous plankton
Krill
Phytoplankton
Herbivorouszooplankton
Emperorpenguin
Food Web
To better understand a food web, we can look at an energy pyramid.
An energy pyramid is a way to graph how much energy is passed up the food
chain from one organism to the next.
Energy Pyramid
Let’s look at the energy pyramid closer.
Each layer of the pyramid is called a Trophic Level.
A Trophic Level is a level of
nourishment in a food chain.
Energy Pyramid
Let’s look at the energy pyramid closer.
The pyramid first shows us the Producers.
Remember… Producers get their energy from the sun.
Producers are the first and largest Trophic
Level. Producers
Energy Pyramid
Let’s look at the energy pyramid closer.
Second, we see the Primary Consumers
The Primary Consumers get their
energy from eating the Producers.
Primary Consumers can be either Herbivores or Omnivores. Primary Consumers
Energy Pyramid
Let’s look at the energy pyramid closer.
Third, we see the Secondary Consumers
The Secondary Consumers get their
energy from eating the Primary Consumers
Secondary Consumers are Carnivores or
Omnivores Secondary Consumers
Energy Pyramid
Let’s look at the energy pyramid closer.
Fourth, we see the Tertiary Consumers
The Tertiary Consumers get their
energy from eating the Secondary Consumers
Tertiary Consumers are Carnivores or
Omnivores Tertiary Consumers
Energy Pyramid
Let’s look at the energy pyramid closer.
Some energy pyramids can have a fifth Trophic
Level.
Usually this fifth level is humans.
Energy Pyramid
Let’s look at the energy pyramid closer.
Biomass is the total amount of
living tissue within each trophic level.
Energy Pyramid
Let’s look at the energy pyramid closer.
Only 10% of the energy from the
prior trophic level is passed on.
This is because energy is lost to the environment
as heat
Energy Pyramid
If an energy pyramid consists of plants that contain 500,000 calories of food energy, how many calories of energy would be available to consumers at each of the next three trophic
levels?
Trophic level
Primary producers
Tertiary consumers
Secondary consumers
Primary consumers
Energy Pyramid
Primary Consumers:
Trophic level
Primary producers
Tertiary consumers
Secondary consumers
Primary consumers
Secondary Consumers:
Tertiary Consumers:
500,000 cal x .1 = 50,000 calories
50,000 cal x .1 = 5,000 calories
5,000 cal x .1 = 500 calories
Food WebWhat does these energy numbers tell us??
Trophic level
Primary producers
Tertiary consumers
Secondary consumers
Primary consumers
1) There are very few Tertiary consumers, because it takes a HUGE amount of food energy to support them.
2) For a large population to exist, it needs to feed from the LOWEST trophic level possible, because there is more food energy available.
Other Pyramid typesBesides the energy pyramid, we can also have pyramids of:
1)Numbers2)Biomass
Pyramid of NumbersA pyramid of numbers reflects the number of species at each
trophic level.
For example: if we look at a forest, there may be few rose bushes, but many insects that feed on
the tree, with a pyramid like the one below.
Pyramid of BiomassA pyramid of biomass reflects the total amount of living tissue
at each trophic level.
For example: Looking at the same forest, the biomass is great.