Ecology—the scientific study of

interactions between different

organisms and between
organisms and their environment
or surroundings
Components of Ecosystem:
Components:
-Biotic (Living)
-Abiotic (Non-living)
Biotic—living factors that influence an
ecosystem

Abiotic—non-living factors that influence an ecosystem

 Ecology
Autotrophs
- Producers, can do photosynthesis e.g plants
Heterotrophs
- Consumer e.g humans
Saprotrophs
- Feeds on decaying matter e.g Fungi
 Energy in the Ecosystem

• 1st law – Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can

only be transformed into another type
• 2nd law – there is no 100% efficiency in the transformation of
energy as a portion of energy will be transformed into
unavailable form which is heat.

The primary source of energy is the SUN

 10% rule
Introduced by Raymond Lindeman
(1942)
Trophic Levels—each step in a food chain or
food web

1. Level 1—Producers (autotrophs)

2. Level 2—Primary Consumers (herbivores)

3. Level 3—Secondary Consumers

(carnivores or omnivores)

4. Level 4—Tertiary Consumers

(carnivore—usually top carnivore)
 Sunlight

Producers absorb light

energy and transform it into
chemical energy.

Chemical
energy

Chemical energy in
food is transferred
from plants to
consumers.

(a) Energy flow from sunlight to

producers to consumers
• Energy flows through an ecosystem
• Entering as light and exiting as heat

Tertiary
consumers

Microorganisms
and other
detritivores Secondary
consumers

Detritus Primary consumers

Primary producers

Heat
Key

Chemical cycling Sun

Energy flow

Figure 54.2
ENERGY PYRAMID BIOMASS PYRAMID
• In biological magnification
• Toxins concentrate at higher trophic levels because at
these levels biomass tends to be lower

Herring
gull eggs
124 ppm

Concentration of PCBs
Lake trout
4.83 ppm

Smelt
1.04 ppm

Zooplankton Phytoplankton
Figure 54.23 0.123 ppm 0.025 ppm
Photosynthesis
- a redox reaction
- harnessing energy from the sun to create glucose/sugar
- oxygen as a waste product
LIGHT DEPENDENT REACTION
DARK REACTION
Biome
Ecosystem
Community
Population
Organism
Organ System Levels of Biological Organization Biosphere
Organs
Tissues
Cells
Organelles
Molecules
Atoms
 Species Interaction
• Mutualism (+/+)
• Parasitism (+/-)
• Commensalism (+/0)
• Competition (-/-)
• Ammensalism (-/0)
• Predation (W/ Act of Killing)
• Grazing (Only a Part is Eaten)
ARCTIC = POLAR
TUNDRA
TAIGA
TEMPERATE
TROPICAL
BIODIVERSITY
EQUATOR

ANTARTIC = POLAR Biome

 Biome
• A climatically and geographically contiguous area with
similar climatic conditions
1. Polar
Arctic (north), Antartic (south)
animals: polar bears, penguins, walrus
2. Tundra
-permafrost
3. Taiga
-Coniferous forest dominated by cone-bearing trees such
as spruce, fir and pine
 Biome
4. Temperate
- moderate climate and relatively high rainfall
- Dominated by Deciduous trees such as oak, beech and
maple
5. Tropical Rain Forest
-highest degree of biodiversity
- Philippine lowland forest: Dipterocarp trees
 Biome
6. Grassland
-dominated by grasses, US: Prairie
-Dry grassland and shrubs: Chapparal
-Mongolia: Steppe
-Africa: Savanna
7. Deserts
-arid conditions
-hot and cold
 Ecological Succession
- the gradual process by which ecosystems change and
develop over time from simple to complex.
- Primary succession is the series of community changes which occur
on an entirely new habitat which has never been colonized before.

- Secondary succession is the series of community changes which

take place on a previously colonized, but disturbed or damaged
habitat. For example, after felling trees in a woodland, land
clearance or a fire.
Nitrogen

• Nitrogen (N) is an essential constituent of protein, DNA,

RNA, and chlorophyll.
• Nitrogen is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere.
• Nitrogen must be fixed or converted into a usable form.
Phosphorus
•Component of DNA, RNA, ATP, proteins and enzymes
•Cycles in a sedimentary cycle
•The source of Phosphorus (P) is rock.
•Phosphorus is released into the cycle through erosion or
mining.
•Phosphorus is soluble in H2O as phosphate (PO4)
•Phosphorus is taken up by plant roots, then travels through
food chains.
•It is returned to sediment
Sulfur
•Component of protein
•Cycles in both a gas and sedimentary cycle.
•The source of Sulfur is the lithosphere (earth's
crust)
•Sulfur in soluble form is taken up by plant roots
and incorporated into amino acids such as
cysteine. It then travels through the food chain
and is eventually released through
decomposition.