SCIENCE 1206 – UNIT 1 – INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY

SCIENCE 1206 – UNIT 1 –

INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY

ECOLOGY

 _{The study of the interrelationships between} organisms , and between those organisms and their environment.

What are some natural resources, both RENEWABLE and NON-RENEWABLE, that are found on Earth?  _{___________________________________}  _{___________________________________}  _{___________________________________}  _{___________________________________}  ___________________________________  ___________________________________  _{___________________________________}  _{___________________________________}  _{___________________________________}  _{___________________________________}

Let’s pick one of these resources,

the FISHERIES:

 _{How did people view the fisheries resource in} the past?

 It was believed that fish was an UNLIMITED

resource that could be EXPLOITED (i.e., take as much as you want).

 _{What HAPPENED historically to change the} view?

 1.Fish stocks depleted with overfishing

 2.Advancements in Fishing Technology (ex: fishfinders, dragnets, big trawlers)

 3.Scientific research led to greater understanding

 _{What FACTORS do people consider when} managing the fisheries industry TODAY?

 _{Social Factors – culture, politics, values, needs}  _{Economic Factors – industry, jobs}

SUSTAINABILITY

 _{It means living WITHIN the EARTH’s LIMITS.}  _{It means meeting the needs of the PRESENT}

without compromising the ability of the FUTURE to meet their needs.

 _{Another name:}

Blue Man Group – Earth to

America

Paradigm and Paradigm Shift

 _PARADIGM

 The way humans view the world.

 _{PARADIGM SHIFT}

 _{A rare and significant change in the way humans}

Paradigm Shifts . . .

 _Diagram:

 _Examples:

 _{IDEA: SHAPE OF THE EARTH}

 PAST: The Earth is FLAT.

 PRESENT: The Earth is ROUND.

 _{IDEA: ORBITING OF PLANETS}

 PAST: The Sun revolves around the Earth.

 PRESENT: The EARTH revolves around the Sun.

 _{IDEA: SANTA CLAUS}

 PAST (children): Santa Claus brings us presents!

THE ECOLOGY PARADIGM SHIFT

 _{PAST: EXPLOITATION}

 _{It was believed that resources were UNLIMITED}

and put on the Earth for the SOLE benefit of

HUMANS. Humans can take as much as we want as often as we want.

 _{PRESENT: SUSTAINABILITY}

 Earth’s Resources are in LIMITED SUPPLY.

Humans are CARETAKERS of the Earth and need to practice SUSTAINABILITY in our management of resources.

HOMEWORK:

 _{How is Earth like a spaceship? List at least 3 ways}

that Earth and a spaceship are similar.

 _{Is clear-cutting a forest a sustainable practice?}

Explain.

 _{Is damming off a river permanently a sustainable}

practice? Explain.

 _{Give an example of ONE paradigm shift in}

Ecosystem

 _{A community of organisms and the physical} environment in which they live.

Habitat

 _{The place where an organism lives.}

Abiotic Factors

 _{The NON-LIVING FACTORS which affect life} in an ecosystem.  _{Examples include:}  _{___________________________}  ___________________________  _{___________________________}  ___________________________  _{___________________________}  ___________________________  _{___________________________}

Biotic Factors

 _{The LIVING factors in an environment.}  _{Biotic factors include both:}

 the ORGANISMS AND

 _{the interactive RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN}

organisms  _{Examples include:}  _{______________________________________}  ______________________________________  _{______________________________________}  ______________________________________  _{______________________________________}  ______________________________________  _{______________________________________}

Symbiotic Relationship

 _{Relationships in which TWO ORGANISMS} LIVE in CLOSE ASSOCIATION such that at LEAST ONE BENEFITS.

5 Types of Symbiotic Relationships

1. Mutualism

 _{BOTH organisms BENEFIT.}  _Examples:

 _{Polyp and hermit crab}  _Pollination

2. Commensalism

 _{ONE organism benefits, ONE organism is} neither benefited nor harmed

 _Examples:

 _{Beaver and fish}

 _{Trees and nesting birds}  Clown fish/anemone

3. Parasitism

 _{One organism, the PARASITE, benefits.}  _{One organism, the HOST, is harmed.}  _Examples:

4. Parasitoidism

 _{One organism benefits, one organism is killed} a slow death

 _Example:

 _{Parasitic wasp and other insects}

 _{http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player}

/animals/bugs-animals/bees-and-wasps/wasp_attacks_spider.html

5. Predator-Prey

 _{One organism benefits, one organism is} harmed/killed quickly

 _Example:

 _{Lion and zebra}

 _{Lynx and snowshoe hare}

 _{http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxVMnJX}

FEEDING RELATIONSHIPS in

ECOSYSTEMS

 _{Food Chain VS. Food Web}  Pyramid of Energy

 Population VS. Community

 _Ecotone

TROPHIC STRUCTURE

 _{Feeding relationships within an ecosystem}

 _{Types of Feeders}

 PRODUCER

 CONSUMER

PRODUCERS

 _{Also known as AUTOTROPHS} (“self-feeders”)

 _{Organisms that CAN produce their own food} and oxygen through PHOTOSYNTHESIS.  _Examples:

 Plants

CONSUMERS:

 _{Also known as HETEROTROPHS} (“other-feeders”)

 _{Organisms that CANNOT produce their own} food and feed on OTHER organisms to

survive.

 _{Organisms that get oxygen through} CELLULAR RESPIRATION.

TYPES OF CONSUMERS:

 Types based on WHAT the organism eats  _{Different types:}

 _HERBIVORE  Eats plants

 Ex: __________________________  CARNIVORE

 Eats other consumers

 Can be either a PREDATOR or a SCAVENGER (or both)  Ex: __________________________

 http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/animals/fish-animals/other-fish/invertebrates_caribbean.html

 _OMNIVORE

 Eats plants AND animals

CATEGORIES OF CONSUMERS:

 Category based on where organism is LOCATED in food chain

 Categories:

 PRIMARY (10₎

 Also known as FIRST ORDER consumers

 Feed on PRODUCERS

 Considered the SECOND trophic level.

 SECONDARY (20₎

 Also known as SECOND ORDER consumers

 Feed on PRIMARY CONSUMERS

 Considered the THIRD trophic level.

 TERTIARY (30₎

 Also known as THIRD ORDER consumers

 Feed on SECONDARY CONSUMERS

DECOMPOSERS:

 _{Also known as DETRITIVORES or} SAPROBES

 _{Organisms that get their nutrients by} breaking down DETRITUS

FEEDING RELATIONSHIP DIAGRAMS

 _{FOOD CHAIN}  _{FOOD WEB}

FOOD CHAIN

 _{A diagram that defines ONE SINGLE CHAIN of} feeding relationships in an ecosystem

 _{Starts with PRODUCERS and connects with} arrows up to the TOP CARNIVORES

 _{Ex: Hawk}

Downy Woodpecker Spruce budworm Black spruce tree

FOOD CHAIN...

 Why do food chains usually only go up as high as the third order, or tertiary consumer?

 _{Energy decreases as it is passed up the food chain, and} the top levels have the least energy, so they are

FOOD WEB

 _{A diagram that defines ALL OF THE}

POSSIBLE FOOD CHAINS in an ecosystem.  _Ex:

PYRAMID OF ENERGY

 A diagram that defines the passage of ENERGY though a food chain.

 _{Energy is measured in Joules, symbol J.}

 _{PRODUCERS always have the most energy}

(bottom of pyramid).

 _{TOP CARNIVORES always have the least energy}

(top of pyramid).

 _{About 10 % of the total energy is passed on}

from one trophic level to the next.

 _{That is, 90% is lost due to processes such as:}

_________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________

PYRAMID OF ENERGY...

 _Example:

POPULATION

 _{Describes members of the SAME SPECIES} living in the same ecosystem or habitat

 _Examples:

 _{Caribou population in Labrador}

COMMUNITY

 _{Describes ALL POPULATIONS of the variety} of species in the same ecosystem or habitat.  _Examples:

 _{George’s Lake Community}

 ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________

ECOTONE

 _{The transition zone BETWEEN two different} ecosystems

 _{“Border ecosystems”}  _{Ex: area between:}

 _______________________  _______________________  _______________________

 _{Because they have species from TWO}

ecosystems, they have a high variety of life  _{BIODIVERSITY: The variety of life .}

ECOTONE...

 _{Why is biodiversity important to an}

ecosystem?

 The higher the level of biodiversity, the more STABLE that ecosystem is in the long-term.

MICROECOSYSTEM

 _A very small ecosystem

 _Example:

 _{The ecosystem in a decaying fallen log.}  _{The ecosystem in a puddle of water.}

HOMEWORK!!!

 _{Do questions 2, 4, and 5 on page 23.}  _{Read CORE LAB on page 30-31.}