Introduction to Ecology Notes - Producers, Consumers, and Energy

So far this year, we have focused on all the small pieces to the puzzle that

we call living organisms, starting from what atoms are and how they make up

molecules, to how those molecules make up cells, to how those cells (and

their organelles) work to create many different living organisms we find on

Earth.

This, although incredibly important, doesn’t tell us much about its place in

our world; It doesn’t explain how those organisms interact with the millions of

different species we find on Earth. For that, we need Ecology, which helps us

make sense of how all these different organisms, including us, interact with

others and their environment to help keep the world we live in going. Ecology

seeks to explain why the world looks and acts the way it does.

Ecology

Making Observations: What is happening in the following image?

A.

Making Inferences: Based on your knowledge of living things and their environment, what is the

relationship between the following two organisms?

A.

Learning Goals:

At the end of this lesson, I will be able to…

●Define “Ecology” and explain its importance in the world

●Define “Ecosystems” and identify the hierarchical organization up to

“ecosystems”

●Define biotic and abiotic factors and explain how they influence an

ecosystem

What is Ecology?

●Ecology - Study of how organisms interact with each other and their
environment

○Scientist study ecology at many different levels:

■Organism (Species)

■Population

■Community

■Ecosystem

■Biome

■Biosphere

Levels of Organization:

Organism - 1 single species within an environment.

Population - Group of the same organisms living in the same area

Levels of Organization:

Community - Groups of populations living in the same area

Ecosystem - Community of organisms AND the environment they live in

Biome - Group of ecosystems sharing, sharing similar climates and organisms

●DO NOT always have to be next to each other

●Ex. Tropical Rainforests, Tundras, Deserts...

Match

Match the following terms with the correct definition/description:

• Organism

• Population

• Community

• Ecosystem

A singular individual (Such as a squirrel or bird)

A group of rabbits in the same neighborhood

Multiplespecies that are foundat LAke St. Clair

Groups of populations AND the envrionment they live in

• A singular individual (Such as a squirrel or bird)

• A group of rabbits in the same neighborhood

• Multiplespecies that are foundat LAke St. Clair

• Groups of populations AND the envrionment they live in

Dropdown

A ​

Select answer

is defined as organisms of the same species that live in the same area.

Open Ended

What is the difference between a population and a community?

Why is an Ecosystem Important?

●Ecosystem - Community of organisms and the environment they live in

○Biotic Factors - All living things (Bio = Life)

■INCLUDES dead organisms

■Ex. Deer, Fish, Plants, Birds...

○Abiotic Factors - All nonliving things (A- = Not/Without; Abio = Without life)

■Ex. Water sources, rocks, sunlight, nutrients...

Both biotic and abiotic factor impact the organisms in their ecosystem in some way

Why are Abiotic Factors Important..?

In Evolution, we said Evolution was driven by Natural Selection, or the

“Survival of the Fittest”, and how “Fitness” is simply the ability for an organism
to survive and reproduce. For an organism to survive, it needs certain
molecules, like (water and food), and shelter to survive, which is what an
environment’s abiotic factors provide.

What does the term biotic factors refer to? What does abiotic factors refer to?

Create a T-Chart in your notes and name 3 biotic factors and 2 abiotic factors you see in this picture.

Dropdown

T/F: A rocks, water, and soil are all examples of biotic factors - ​​

Select answer

How are abiotic and biotic factors related?

Why is water important to us..? What about plants..?

If a plant can’t get access to sunlight, what happens to the plant?

What does it mean when you are a producer? What about a consumer?

Producers

Consumers

Producers and Consumers:

Producer - Organisms that make their own food; Gets energy from the SUN

What about in the open ocean?

What organisms do you know that make their own food?

Land Plants

Bacteria

Aquatic Plants (Algae)

Producers and Consumers:

Producer - Organisms that make their own food; Gets energy from the SUN

Ex) Plants, Bacteria, Aquatic Plants (algae)

Consumers - Organisms that get their food from eating other organisms

●Herbivore -

●Carnivore -

●Omnivore -

Plant-eating organisms

Animal-eating organisms

Organism that eats both plants and animals

Autotrophs:

Autotroph “Primary Producer” - Converts unusable energy into usable energy

Types:

○Photoautotrophs - Gets energy from sun through photosynthesis

■H2O + CO2 + Sunlight → O2 + Glucose (Sugar)

■Ex. Trees, Flowers, Algae, Cyanobacteria

○Chemoautotrophs - Gets energy from inorganic molecules from chemosynthesis

■H2O + CO2 + Inorganic Molecules → Glucose (Sugar) + Sulfur

■Inorganic Supply

■Ex. Bacteria

Heterotroph:

Heterotroph “Consumer” - Eats other organisms for energy

●Herbivores

●Carnivores

●Omnivores

●Decomposer

●Detritivores

What are these and why are
they important..?

Decomposers and Detritivores:

Decomposer - Organism that eats dead organisms/materials

●Decompose their food & return the nutrients back to plants

●Ex. Fungi, Bacteria

Detritivore - Organisms that eats detritus (Fecal matter)

●Breaks down organic matter into smaller pieces

○Makes it easier for decomposers to break nutrients down

●Ex. Dung Beetle, Millipede

Importance - Recycles nutrients in environment for organisms to use
again

Answer the following questions:

1.

Which organisms are

considered Autotrophs? What

about Heterotrophs?

2.

What type of heterotrophs, or

consumers, are there in this

picture? How do you know

this?

3.

Why is the sun an important

factor in this picture?

What we know so far...

●Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with each other and the

environment

●Ecology can be broken down and studied into different ecological levels

●An Ecosystem looks at both the organisms within it AND the physical

environment (Biotic and Abiotic factors)

●Organisms within an ecosystem can be divided into to two main

categories: Autotrophs & Heterotrophs (Which can be broken further

down as well)

Dropdown

The study of the interactions between organisms and their environment is called ​

Select answer

Multiple Choice

Organisms of the same species living in the same area

• Population

• Community

• Habitat

• Ecosystem

Multiple Choice

The living or once living organisms in an ecosystem

• Species

• Abiotic

• Environment

• Biotic

Multiple Select

Temperature, light, air, water, and soil are all  _____  parts of the environment

• Organic

• abiotic

• Ecosystemic

• Biotic

Multiple Choice

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY: Which of the following are BIOTIC factors found in this picture?

• Trees

• Water

• Rabbits

• Eel

• Mountain

Reorder

Reorder the following from the SMALLEST to LARGEST levels of organization in Ecology:

• Organism

• Population

• Community

• Ecosystem

• Biome

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Multiple Choice

A certain plant needs moisture, carbon dioxide, oxygen, light, and minerals to survive. This scenario shows that this particular living organism depends on 

• Biotic and Abiotc Factors

• Biotic Factors 

• Abiotic Factors

Multiple Choice

Abby is walking to school with her best friend Jaylyn. They talk about the ash trees, grass, weeds, ants, and people. They also notice how cold it is, the amount of gravel and the puffy clouds out. What level of organization are they discussing?

• Community

• Biome

• Ecosystem

• Population

Multiple Choice

Organisms that make their own food that are found at the bottom of the food chain are considered...

• Autotrophs

• Heterotrophs

• Consumers