ecology

• Transfer of energy


  The movement of energy from one part of an ecosystem to another, typically through food webs and energy cycles
• Energy source


  The sun is the primary source of energy for most ecosystems
• Photosynthesis


  Plants (producers) convert solar energy into chemical energy
• Trophic levels


  • Producers
  • Primary consumers (herbivores)
  • Secondary consumers (carnivores)
  • Tertiary consumers
  • Decomposers
• Approximately 90% of energy is lost as heat at each trophic level due to metabolism and other life processes; only about 10% is transferred to the next level (10% rule)
• Food chain


  A linear sequence of energy transfer
• Food web


  A more complex and interconnected pathway of energy transfer
• High biodiversity


  • Ecosystem stability
  • Resource availability
  • Ecological services
  • Genetic diversity
  • Economic value
• Low biodiversity


  • Ecosystem vulnerability
  • Reduced resilience
  • Resource scarcity
  • Loss of ecological services
  • Economic impact
• Producers (Autotrophs)


  Convert inorganic materials into organic matter using sunlight (photosynthesis) or chemical energy (chemosynthesis)
• Producers


  • Plants
  • Algae
  • Cyanobacteria
• Primary consumers (Herbivores)


  Organisms that feed on producers
• Primary consumers


  • Deer
  • Caterpillars
• Secondary consumers (Carnivores)


  Organisms that feed on primary consumers
• Secondary consumers


  • Wolves
  • Birds of prey
• Tertiary consumers


  Top predators that feed on secondary consumers
• Tertiary consumers


  • Lions
  • Eagles
• Taxonomic Hierarchy


  Organizes and classifies organisms based on their evolutionary relationships and shared characteristics
• Omnivores


  Organisms that consume both plant and animal matter
• Levels of Classification (from broad to specific)

  • Domain
  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species
• Omnivores


  • Humans
  • Bears
• Decomposers (Detritivores and Saprotrophs)


  Break down dead organisms and organic waste, returning nutrients to the soil and atmosphere
• Bacteria


  • Single-celled prokaryotic organisms without a nucleus
  • Includes common bacteria
• Decomposers


  • Bacteria
  • Fungi
  • Earthworms
• Archaea


  • Single-celled prokaryotes distinct from bacteria
  • Often found in extreme environments
• Carbon cycle


  1. Producers absorb CO2 during photosynthesis

  2. Consumers release CO2 through respiration

  3. Decomposers break down organic matter, returning carbon to the soil and atmosphere
• Eukarya


  • Organisms with eukaryotic cells (nucleus and organelles)
  • Includes plants, animals, fungi, and protists
• Animalia


  • Multicellular, heterotrophic organisms
  • No cell walls
  • Examples: mammals, birds, insects
• Nitrogen cycle


  1. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms for plants

  2. Decomposers return nitrogen to the soil through the breakdown of organic matter
• Plantae


  • Multicellular, autotrophic organisms
  • Cell walls made of cellulose
  • Examples: trees, flowers, ferns
• Fungi


  • Mostly multicellular, heterotrophic organisms
  • Cell walls made of chitin
  • Examples: mushrooms, molds, yeasts
• Water cycle


  1. Plants contribute to transpiration

  2. All organisms participate in evaporation and precipitation processes
• Protista


  • Diverse group, mostly single-celled eukaryotes
  • Examples: amoebas, algae, paramecia
• Phylum


  Groups organisms based on major body plans and physical structures
• Phyla


  • Chordata: Animals with a notochord (e.g., mammals, birds, fish)
  • Arthropoda: Joint-legged invertebrates (e.g., insects, spiders, crustaceans)
• Class

  Further divides phyla based on more specific common traits
• Classes


  • Mammalia: Warm-blooded, have hair or fur, produce milk
  • Insecta: Exoskeleton, three-part body (head, thorax, abdomen), three pairs of legs
• Order


  Class is divided into orders based on additional similarities
• Orders


  • Carnivora: Meat-eating mammals (e.g., lions, bears)
  • Lepidoptera: Insects with scaled wings (e.g., butterflies, moths)
• Family


  Orders are divided into families, grouping organisms that share very close similarities