Ecology

Ecology - the study of interactions

between organisms and the living and
nonliving components of their
environment.
Interdependence – a key theme in
ecology

Everything is connected even if we do

not always see the connection.

So, any change in the environment can

affect things far away.

For example, What is the connection

between a huge crop of acorns and
an increase in Lyme disease in
people?
More
acorns feed
more deer
and deer
mice
More deer &
deer mice
provide more
homes for deer
ticks

More ticks
can bite
people &
spread Lyme
Disease
 Levels of Organization

Ecologists subdivide the environment into

smaller units to make it easier to study.

1. Biosphere
- This is the most inclusive level of
organization

- it is the thin outer portion of the earth and

the surrounding atmosphere that supports
life (~20 km thick)

- includes all living things

 Levels of Organization cont.

2. Ecosystems
- all organisms & non-living components in
a particular place

- some examples of ecosystems are:

* ponds
* sandy beaches
* tide pools
*desert
What are some of
the differences in
the non-living
components of
these
ecosystems?
- Name some of the living and non-living
components of a pond ecosystem

Living (Biotic) Non-living (Abiotic)

 Levels of Organization cont.

3. Communities
- all of the interacting organisms in an
area

- there can still be hundreds of species

living in a community but this level does
not include the abiotic factors

4. Populations
- all the members of a single species that
live in the same place at the same time (can
interbreed)
 Ecosystem Components
Ecosystems can be broken down into smaller
habitats.

Habitats are the places where an organism

lives.

Why do certain organisms (for example, a

trout) live where they do?

They need the correct habitat which depends

on what else is living there (biotic factors)
and what the physical & chemical
characteristics of the area are (abiotic
factors)
 Ecosystem Components cont..

Because the environment is constantly

changing, organisms must be able to
survive in a range of conditions.

How well it survives in different conditions

(like temperature or pH) can be shown on a
graph called a tolerance curve.
Tolerance Curve for Cutthroat Trout –
Shows they can tolerate temps between
5 and 23°C)
Acclimation
– some organisms can change their
tolerance to abiotic factors by becoming
acclimated to the new condition

- for example, if you raised the temperature

of a goldfish bowl a degree every week, your
fish might be able to tolerate higher
temperatures than other goldfish

This is not the same as adaptation!

Adaptation is a change in a species over
time. Acclimation occurs in the lifetime of the
individual organism.
How do organisms deal with change in
their physical environment?

Strategy 1 – Conformers
- these organisms do not control their internal
conditions and change as their external
environment changes
example: reptiles are temperature
conformers

Strategy 2 – Regulators
- these organisms do control their internal
conditions and maintain within their optimum
range in spite of external conditions
ex. Mammals maintain constant body temp
What if conditions change too drastically?
How does an organism survive?

Some species become dormant (a state of

reduced activity) when the environmental
conditions aren't suitable (like too cold, not
enough food, too dry)

Some species migrate (move to a more

favorable habitat) when conditions become
unbearable
The Niche (or what am I doing here?)

- a niche is a role or way of life of a species

in its environment

examples include: food choices, how it gets

resources, number of offspring it has
Some species are generalists & tolerate a
wide variety of conditions. An example of
this is the rat which can feed on almost
anything.

Some species are specialists. They have

a narrow niche (ie: they are picky).
Example: Koala bear that only
feeds on certain kinds of
Eucalyptus leaves