What is Ecology?
Garden Food Chain
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If you break the word ecology down, 'eco' means house and 'logos' means to study. So, essentially we are studying about our house in the biggest sense, which is Planet Earth!
The biotic, or living, things in an environment include plants, animals (this includes people), bacteria, fungi and all other living things.
The abiotic or nonliving parts of the environment include things like sunlight, the soil, atmosphere, climate, nutrients and water.
The abiotic or nonliving parts of the environment include things like sunlight, the soil, atmosphere, climate, nutrients and water.
Abiotic vs. Biotic
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Analyze the images to determine the biotic and abiotic factors.
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LET'S REVIEW !
Biotic – Living or once living
Abiotic – Nonliving parts that living parts need to survive
Ecosystem – The biotic and abiotic parts of an environment.
Biome – A geographic area on Earth that contains ecosystems with similar biotic and abiotic features.
Abiotic – Nonliving parts that living parts need to survive
Ecosystem – The biotic and abiotic parts of an environment.
Biome – A geographic area on Earth that contains ecosystems with similar biotic and abiotic features.
Food Chains and Food Webs
Food Web
Common Terms
- Ecology - the study of the interrelationships of living organisms and their environment
- Environment - all the living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic or physical) conditions that act on an organism and affect its chances of survival
- Abiotic Factors - non-living or physical factors e.g. temperature, amount of water, amount of oxygen, amount of light
- Biotic Factors - living factors e.g. amount of food, predators, parasites, competitors
- Community - all the organisms in a particular area at a given time
- Population - the number of a particular species in an area at a specific time
- Habitat - the area in which an organism lives
- Ecosystem - a natural unit of living and non-living parts that interact to produce a stable system in which the exchange of materials between living and non-living parts cycles
- Biome - A biome is a large, easily differentiated community unit arising as a result of complex interactions of climate, other physical factors and biotic factors. Examples of Biomes are tundra, temperate grassland, desert and tropical rainforest.
- Biosphere - The Biosphere is the collective interaction of all the biomes on the Earth.
Relationships in the Environment
- Symbiosis - a relationship in which two organisms of different species 'live together' for a period of time
- Parasitism - a form of symbiosis in which one organism derives nutrients from the second organism which suffers some harm but is usually not killed (e.g. A tick is the parasite that feeds off a dog which is the host.)
- Mutualism - a form of symbiosis in which both organisms help each other (e.g. A remora fish eats the algae and barnacles from the skin of a shark which, in turn, protects the remora.)
- Commensalism - a form of symbiosis in which one organism helps the other organism, but there is no benefit or harm done in return (e.g. A clown fish lives inside a sea anemone and is protected by it. The sea anemone derives no benefit or harm from the relationship.)
- Predator / Prey Relationships - the relationship in which one organism (predator) hunts and eats another (prey) (e.g. lion / antelope)
- Competition - a relationship where two types of organisms compete for the same resource such as food, water, nesting site (e.g. sheep and kangaroos compete for grass)
Populations
- Population - the number of individuals of the same species in a given area at a given area
- Factors affecting Populations
- Available resources (e.g. food, water, shelter)
- Activities of other organisms (e.g. predators, disease-causing parasites)
- Organism's own characteristics (e.g. gestation period, number of young produced, nurturing of young, migratory)
- Time of day or year (e.g. tides, seasons, nocturnal or diurnal)
- Weather (e.g. amount of rainfall, cyclone, drought)
Adaptations
- Adaptation - a characteristic of an organism that enables it to function more effectively or survive in its surroundings
- 5 Types of Adaptations
- Structural - related to the structure of the organism (e.g. The streamlined shape of fish enables it to swim more quickly through water.)
- Color - related to color (e.g. camouflage, warning colouration of blue-ringed octopus, mimicry of butterfly wings with 'eye spot')
- Physiological - related to the organism's metabolism (e.g. During hibernation, bears reduce their chemical processes.)
- Behavioural - related to behaviour (e.g. During the heat of the day in the desert, lizards burrow into the sand to find a cooler place.)
- Reproductive - related to courtship, mating or rearing of young (e.g. Peacocks fan their feathers to attract a mate.)
Everything is Connected!
When scientists study the ecology of certain areas, they call those areas ecosystems.Together, the living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) features in an area are called an ecosystem.
The biotic, or living, things in an environment include plants, animals (this includes people), bacteria, fungi and all other living things. The abiotic or nonliving parts of the environment include things like sunlight, the soil, atmosphere, climate, nutrients and water.
An ecosystem can be small, like a puddle in your backyard, with only a few organisms interacting with each other. Or it may be large, like a forest, with lots of organisms interacting. Ecologists are scientists who study the interactions within ecosystems.
The populations (groups) of specific plants and animals that live together in an ecosystem make up a community. Each species occupies a certain role or “niche” in the community. A species niche includes how a plant or animal uses the living and nonliving resources. No two species in a community have exactly the same niche.
Energy and the Food Web
One of the major activities of life in an ecosystem is finding energy. All living things in an ecosystem need energy to survive. The cycle of organisms eating and being eaten is one way that parts of the environment interact with each other. The main source of energy for life on Earth comes from the sun. Plants use light energy from the sun to make food. Organisms that use the sun for producing food are called producers. Algae, grass, trees, and vegetables are all producers.
Organisms that get energy by eating other organisms are called consumers. Consumers must eat producers or other consumers for their energy. This transfer of energy creates a food chain. There are four different kinds of consumers in an ecosystem:
Overlapping food chains create food webs.
Web of Life
An ecosystem is a complex system with many parts, both living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic). All parts of the system are important! If one part of the system is removed, lots of other parts can be affected.
Just imagine a car — if you didn't fill it with oil, it would still run, but not for long! An ecosystem with a part of it missing may continue for a while but in time would start falling apart. All of the parts of the ecosystem work together.
Natural Cycles and Biomes
All ecosystems depend on natural cycles. The main cycles in an ecosystem include the water cycle,the nitrogen cycle and the carbon cycle.
There are different kinds of ecosystems. Wherever you live, you are part of a large ecosystem called a biome. Biomes cover huge areas and are characterized by their climate and the types of animals and plants that are found there.
The main land-based biome types are deserts, forests, grasslands, and tundra. View a map of the world's biomes.
Constant Change
Ecosystems are constantly changing. Houses, shopping malls, and people often replace grasslands and forests. Earthquakes, lightning, and floods can also change ecosystems. Some changes to an ecosystem — like a species becoming extinct — may be hard to see, while others — like forest fires or volcanoes — are easier to see and understand. The study of ecology helps us understand these processes.
When scientists study the ecology of certain areas, they call those areas ecosystems.Together, the living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) features in an area are called an ecosystem.
The biotic, or living, things in an environment include plants, animals (this includes people), bacteria, fungi and all other living things. The abiotic or nonliving parts of the environment include things like sunlight, the soil, atmosphere, climate, nutrients and water.
An ecosystem can be small, like a puddle in your backyard, with only a few organisms interacting with each other. Or it may be large, like a forest, with lots of organisms interacting. Ecologists are scientists who study the interactions within ecosystems.
The populations (groups) of specific plants and animals that live together in an ecosystem make up a community. Each species occupies a certain role or “niche” in the community. A species niche includes how a plant or animal uses the living and nonliving resources. No two species in a community have exactly the same niche.
Energy and the Food Web
One of the major activities of life in an ecosystem is finding energy. All living things in an ecosystem need energy to survive. The cycle of organisms eating and being eaten is one way that parts of the environment interact with each other. The main source of energy for life on Earth comes from the sun. Plants use light energy from the sun to make food. Organisms that use the sun for producing food are called producers. Algae, grass, trees, and vegetables are all producers.
Organisms that get energy by eating other organisms are called consumers. Consumers must eat producers or other consumers for their energy. This transfer of energy creates a food chain. There are four different kinds of consumers in an ecosystem:
- Herbivores — organisms that eat plants
- Carnivores — organisms that eat meat
- Omnivores — organisms that eat both plants and meat
- Decomposers — organisms that break down organic material
Overlapping food chains create food webs.
Web of Life
An ecosystem is a complex system with many parts, both living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic). All parts of the system are important! If one part of the system is removed, lots of other parts can be affected.
Just imagine a car — if you didn't fill it with oil, it would still run, but not for long! An ecosystem with a part of it missing may continue for a while but in time would start falling apart. All of the parts of the ecosystem work together.
Natural Cycles and Biomes
All ecosystems depend on natural cycles. The main cycles in an ecosystem include the water cycle,the nitrogen cycle and the carbon cycle.
There are different kinds of ecosystems. Wherever you live, you are part of a large ecosystem called a biome. Biomes cover huge areas and are characterized by their climate and the types of animals and plants that are found there.
The main land-based biome types are deserts, forests, grasslands, and tundra. View a map of the world's biomes.
Constant Change
Ecosystems are constantly changing. Houses, shopping malls, and people often replace grasslands and forests. Earthquakes, lightning, and floods can also change ecosystems. Some changes to an ecosystem — like a species becoming extinct — may be hard to see, while others — like forest fires or volcanoes — are easier to see and understand. The study of ecology helps us understand these processes.
Activities
Labs
"Eco-Systems"... a Middle School Curricula about Ecosystems:http://peer.tamu.edu/curriculum_modules/Ecosystems/index.htm
- This "Biological Communities" activity uses soil samples to investigate relationships in a community.
- Probe "Deer: Predation and Starvation" in this activity.
- Identify the members of a "Food Web" and construct another web in this activity.
- Have students do this "Principles of Ecology" crossword puzzle.
- This "Food Webs" activity uses index card and colored markers to construct a Food Web on the chalk or white board.
- "Food Kerplunk" is a game designed to teach preservation of wildlife in an ecosystem.
- Do "The Principles of Ecology" wordsearch puzzle wth answners .
- Try this "Food Webs" mystery game in four different ecosystems.
- Do these Glencoe "Orangisms and Their Environment" and "Nutrition and Energy Flow" worksheets.
- In this NOVA activity, "Volcanoes of the Deep," students must use the internet to explore the symbiotic relationships between organisms found around hydrothermal vents.
- This "Predator-Prey Simulation" uses squares cut out of index card to represent predators and prey.
- A WebQuest "Exploring the Life and Ecology of Mono Lake." This WebQuest includes instructions, resources, a rubric for grading, and teacher information.
- Learn about the types of relationships found between organisms on a coral reef in PBS's "Coral Reef Connections" activity.
- View this "Carbon Cycle Diagram," read about it, and answer the questions from thisTeacher's Domainis activity (You must register for free to access).
- Watch the "Ancient Farmers of the Amazon" video about the symbiotic relationship between Leafcutter ants and the fungi on which they feed along with another surprising relationship. This is also from Teacher's Domain, and includes questions about the video.
- "Food Chain" is actually a food pyramid simulation that allows you to change the populations of organisms at various levels of the pyramid to see the results.
- Try NASA's "Chain or Web? Who Eats Whom?" classroom activity. It includes the food web cards.
- Use the "Microcosmos" guide while having your students view the movieMicroCosmos (which can be purchased for $14.99 at Amazon.com). And have them do this "Microcosmos Video Worksheet" and "Microcosmos Video Activity" from Jessica Stelzner of the NSTA Listserve.
Labs
- This NOVA "Night Creatures of the Kalahari" lab investigates the balance between preditors and prey.
- See how salt affects the germination of seeds in this "Salt Tolerance of Seeds" lab.
- "The Lynx Eats the Hare" is a classroom simulation of predator-prey interaction from Flinn Scientific, Inc.
- Dissect "Owl Pellets" to discover the other members of an owl's niche.
- Or go to the "KidWings" site to do virtual owl pellet dissections and view the flash movie that shows how owl pellets are formed.
- For an online lab, try "Let's Take a Dip" . The lab explores the organisms found in different habitats. This lab is designed more for middle school students.
- Investigate mimicry with the Ecological Society of America's "Mimicry" lab.
- In "Bottle Biology" soda bottles are used to investigate decompostion, fermentation, and the land-water connection.
- Sarah Faulkner of the NSTA Listserve provided this "Hide and Go Beak: A Study in Species Competition" lab.
"Eco-Systems"... a Middle School Curricula about Ecosystems:http://peer.tamu.edu/curriculum_modules/Ecosystems/index.htm
- A food chain as an example of a system discussion:http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/4e.html
- A video clip of trees and ecosystems:http://www.pbs.org/americanfieldguide/topics/ecosystems/index.html#
- An interactive food chain tutorial:http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/science/living/03b_act.shtml
- Discussion of interactions in an ecological community:http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange1/. . .
- Good overview of principles of ecology:http://www.fi.edu/tfi/units/life/habitat/habitat.html
- Online ecology games: http://www.gamequarium.com/ecology.html
- A very comprehensive website on "Exploring the Environment":http://www.cotf.edu/ete/
- Build your own ecosphere with this virtual ecosphere:http://www.open2.net/diyscience/ecosphere/virtual_ecosphere.html
- "Black Smokers" in the deep-sea habitat:http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/expeditions/blacksmokers/. . .
- Marine symbiosis in the Pompeii worm:http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/marinesymbiosis/pompeii.html
- The Environmental Literacy Council's site on ecosystems:http://www.enviroliteracy.org/category.php/3.html
