Chapter 3

Ecology, ecosystems
and food webs
Ecology

 Groupings
 Organism – single living thing
 Species – several of same type of organism
 Population – several of same species
interacting
 Community – several populations interacting in
a certain area
 Ecosystem – community interacting with each
other and the environment
 Biosphere

Ecosystems

Communities

Populations

Organisms
Fig. 4.2, p. 72
Parts of the planet

 Planet as a solid – inner/outer core, mantle,

crust
 Lithosphere is the crust and asthenosphere
 Hydrosphere is the water regions
 Atmosphere is the 5 layers of air
– Troposphere (11 miles) 78% N2, 21% O2, 1% Ar
– Stratosphere (11 – 30 mi) O3, blocks UV
 Atmosphere

Biosphere
Vegetation and animals
Soil
Rock Crust

core

Lithosphere Mantle Crust

(soil and rock)
Crust

Biosphere
(Living and dead
organisms)

Atmosphere
Hydrosphere (air)
Lithosphere (water)
Fig. 4.6, p. 74
(crust, top of upper mantle)
Incoming solar energy

 34% reflected by clouds

 42% heats earth and atmosphere
 23% evaporates water
 1% creates wind
 <1% photosynthesis
 Solar Energy in = Energy out
radiation
Reflected by
atmosphere (34%)

UV radiation Radiated by
atmosphere
as heat (66%)
Lower Stratosphere
(ozone layer)
Visible
light Greenhouse
Absorbed Troposphere effect
by ozone
Heat
Absorbed
by the earth
Heat radiated
by the earth

Earth
Fig. 4.8, p. 75
Greenhouse effect

 Solar energy (light) that reaches the earth is

converted into short wave radiation (heat)
infrared.
 This infrared radiation has a hard time passing
through the gasses in our atmosphere thereby
trapping heat and keep the planet about 30
degrees (Celsius) warmer
 Important gasses – H2O, CO2, CH4, N2O, O3
Biomes

 Large regions characterized by a distinct

climate and adapted vegetation

Remember climate is weather patterns over a

long period of time, usually several decades

Because certain plants are adapted to a

particular biome, so too are certain animals
which depend on those plants for food
Biomes

 There are not distinct boundaries between

biomes, rather there are ecotones.

 An ecotone is a blending of biomes and

generally carries a greater quantity and variety
of species
Components of Ecosystems

 Abiotic – nonliving
– Sunlight
– Temperature
– Precipitation
– Wind
– Latitude
– Soil
– Salinity (aquatic)
 Terrestrial Ecosystems Aquatic Life Zones

• Sunlight • Light penetration

• Temperature • Water currents
• Precipitation • Dissolved nutrient
• Wind concentrations
(especially N and P)
• Latitude (distance from
equator) • Suspended solids
• Altitude (distance above
sea level)
• Fire frequency
• Soil
Fig. 4.13, p. 79
Components of Ecosystems

 Range of tolerance – how much of an abiotic

factor can an organism withstand
 Limiting factor – the one factor that is holding
back a population from reaching its biotic
potential (max growth)
 Important limiting factors in aquatic systems
– Dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, light,
nutrients, etc.
 Lower limit Upper limit
of tolerance of tolerance

No Few Few No
organisms organisms Abundance of organisms organisms organisms
Population size

Zone of Zone of Optimum range Zone of Zone of

intolerance physiological stress physiological stress intolerance

Low Temperature High

Fig. 4.14, p. 79
Food webs (chains)

 Producers (autotrophs) plants

– Using chemosynthesis (some bacteria)
– Using photosynthesis (plants)

6 CO2 + 6 H2O + sun (yields) C6H12O6 + 6 O2

Plants convert only about 1-5% of the light they absorb

into chemical energy, and absorb only about half the
light that strikes them
Herbivores

 Primary consumers – eat producers (oh the

humanity)
– Teeth designed for grinding
Carnivores

 Secondary consumers – meat eaters only

 Feed on primary consumers (herbivores)

 Teeth designed for tearing (large canines and

sharp molars) cats for example
Omnivore

 Tertiary consumer – eat anything, feeding on

other carnivores makes them tertiary

 We are omnivores, just look at our teeth,

– but we really should eat more veggies and less
meat (in my opinion)
The other consumers
 Scavengers – feed on dead organism they did not kill,
but found dead

 Detritivores – feed on parts of dead organisms

 Decomposers – bacteria and fungi, break down small

detritus into raw nutrients

 Biodegradable means can be broken down by

decomposers
Aerobic respiration

 Normal cellular process for most organisms

 Convert sugar and oxygen into energy leaving

water and carbon dioxide as products

 C6H12O6 + 6O2 yields 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + energy

Anaerobic Respiration

 Also called fermentation

 The breakdown of glucose without oxygen
present

 Produces: methane, ethyl alcohol, acetic acid,

and hydrogen sulfide
Food chains
 Trophic level – feeding level
 First trophic level – plants
 Second trophic level – primary consumers
 Third trophic level – secondary consumers
 Fourth trophic level – tertiary consumers

 Remember heat is lost in every transfer

between trophic levels
Pyramid of energy flow

 Only about 10% of the usable energy transfers

between trophic levels (5-20%)

 For this reason we must rely on the transfer of

solar energy from producers to consumers
 This is why it is so important to care for the
plants of this planet
Biomass

 Organic matter produced by producers

(photosynthesis)

 Total dry weight of organic matter in plants and

animals in an ecosystem
Biomass Productivity

 Highest net biomass productivity per square

meter is in wetlands, estuaries, and rain forests

 Highest gross (but lowest per sq. meter) is the

open ocean. Because of its size it has a lot of
algae that add up to high productivity
Nutrient cycles

 Atmospheric – Carbon and Nitrogen

 Sedimentary – Phosphorus and Sulfur

 Hydrologic cycle – water cycle helps to

transport many nutrients
Hydrologic cycle

 Evaporation/transpiration
 Condensation
 Precipitation
 Infiltration
 Percolation
 Runoff

 Powered by the Sun and gravity

Carbon cycle

 Atmosphere

 Photosynthesis/respiration

 Fossil fuels
 Limestone
 Dissolved in the ocean
Nitrogen cycle (very important)
 Nitrogen in the air
 Nitrogen fixation by bacteria to ammonia
 Nitrification by bacteria to nitrite NO2-
 Nitrification by bacteria to nitrate NO3-
 Assimilation by plants
 Ammonification of dead organic material by
bacteria and fungi
 Denitrification of nitrate by bacteria back to
atmosphere
Phosphorus cycle

 Very slow
 Limited amount found in the soil
 Limiting factor for plant growth
 Excess causes prolific plant growth (algal
blooms in water)

 We add phosphates to detergents/fertilizers

Sulfur cycle

 Passed as sulfates (salts) mostly

 Hydrogen sulfide (swamps/volcanoes)
 Sulfur dioxide (volcanoes)
 Ammonium sulfate (sea spray)

 Reacts in atmosphere to create hydrogen

sulfate (H2SO4) sulfuric acid (acid rain)
Ecosystem services

 Waste removal pest control

 Soil formation biodiversity
 Water purification matter resources
 Air purification aesthetic pleasure
 Climate control
 Recycling vital chemicals
 Renewable energy
Achieve sustainability

 Use renewable energy (especially solar)

 Recycle chemical matter

 REALIZE WE LIVE IN A CLOSED SYSTEM!

The END!!!