Ecology

The study of how

organisms interact
with one another
and with the
environment.

Population

A group of
individuals of the
same species that
live in the same
place.

 Species

Includes
organisms that
are closely
related and can
mate to
produce fertile
offspring.

Community

Made up of all
the species that
live and interact
in an area.

 Biotic Factor

A living part
of the
environment.

Abiotic Factor

A nonliving
part of an
environment.

ENERGY FLOW IN AN ECOSYSTEM

LAW OF CONSERVATION OF
ENERGY

The flow of energy in

an ecosystem must
follow this law.
Energy in an
ecosystem is
Captured
Eaten
Used
Passed Along

ECOSYSTEM

A community of
organisms and their
nonliving
environment.
A place where
organisms live is a
Habitat. It could
be
Pond
Backyard
Your Stomach
???

Put the following in order.

WARM-UP, REVISITED

Oak Tree
Rattlesnake

Squirrel
Hawk

*Notice how the arrows

show the flow of
BUT WAIT!
energy between organisms NOT who eats
who.

THE LAW OF CONSERVATION OF ENERGY SAYS THAT

ENERGY CANNOT BE CREATED OUT OF NOTHING SO
WHERE DOES ALL OF THIS ENERGY IN AN ECOSYSTEM
COME FROM?

Where does all of that

energy in the ecosystem
come from?
A. Plants
B. The Sun
C. Food
D. Batteries
B. The Sun

Put the following in order.

WARM-UP, A REVISITED REVISITATION

Sun
Oak Tree
Squirrel
Rattlesnake Hawk
BUT WAIT!

THE LAW OF CONSERVATION OF ENERGY SAYS

THAT ENERGY CANNOT BE DESTROYED SO
WHERE DOES ALL OF THIS ENERGY IN AN
ECOSYSTEM GO?

WHERE DOES THE ENERGY GO?

ELECTRICAL
ENERGY

Nerves
and Brain
Signals

MECHANICAL
ENERGY

Lets the
squirrel
move.

CHEMICAL
ENERGY

Stores
food for
later
(like fat)

HEAT ENERGY

Keeps the
squirrel
warm.

WHERE DOES THE ENERGY GO?

CHEMICAL
ENERGY
The squirrels
energy (stored in
its body) becomes
used by the snake.

FOOD WEBS: LINKING THE FOOD CHAINS

Sun
Oak Tree
Squirrel
RattlesnakeBUTHawk
WAIT!
COULDNT THIS ALSO BE TRUE?

Sun

Oak Tree

Squirrel

FOOD WEBS: LINKING THE FOOD CHAINS

Hawk

Sun
Rattlesnake

Squirrel

Oak Tree

FOOD WEB ROLES

PRODUCER - (P) An organism that captures energy
________________
and turns it into food (chemical energy).
CONSUMER - (C#) An organism that cannot make
________________
its own food, so it has to eat the chemical energy of
others.
PRIMARY
CONSUMER
_________________ _______________ - (C1) A
CONSUMER
SECONDARY
consumer
one energy arrow
away from a producer.
_________________ _______________ - (C2) A
CONSUMER
consumerTERTIARY
two energy arrows
away from a producer.
_________________ _______________ - (C3) A
consumer three energy arrows away from a producer.
DECOMPOSER
________________ - (D) An organism that breaks down
dead organisms and waste products to get energy.

LABEL THE ORGANISMS IN THE FOOD

WEB WITH THE PROPER CODE: P, C1, C2,
C3, D

 Herbivore

A consumer that
eats only plants.

Carnivore

A consumer that
eats other animals.

 Omnivore

A consumer that
eats both plants
and animals.

Native Vs. Intrusive

Native Species: An organism that
has spent a long time fitting into an
ecosystem. Alligator

Intrusive Species: An organism

that is new to an ecosystem and
throws it off balance. Lion fish.

What did we learn?

Energy comes from the Sun. It powers
the entire food web.
An Ecosystem is a community of
organisms and their nonliving
environment.
A food web can be made up of many
food chains.
A Producer (grass, corn) makes its own
food
A consumer (man, whale) consumes
the producers for food.

Essential Questions

Pick one of the following

questions and write the
number and the answer
at the bottom of the
back of your notes.

1. How is energy transferred

from the Sun, then cycled
through all living organisms
in an ecosystem?
2. How will the population of
a species be impacted based
on its interaction with other
organisms?