ECOLOGY UNIT:

* Describing Ecosystems*
 Layers of the Atmosphere
Biosphere: part of the planet including water, land
and air where LIFE exists
 
Atmosphere: layer of gases that surrounds earth.
Ex: H2O, CO2, O2, O3

Lithosphere: Earth’s solid outer layer, including

crust, mantle. Extends 100 km down from surface
and includes soil

Hydrosphere: all the water on Earth. 97% is salt

water in earth’s oceans. 3% is freshwater in lakes and
streams.
What is an Ecosystem?

A set of complex interactions between living and non-

living things within a certain physical environment of
the biosphere.
 WHAT DO ECOSYSTEMS
CONSIST OF?
 

•BIOTIC factors
•ABIOTIC factors
 BIOTIC FACTORS
• “living” components of ecosystems
• Have the 5 characteristics of Life
• For ex:
• Plants
• Animals
• Fungi
• Bacteria
• Viruses
 BIOTIC COMPONENTS
1) AUTOTROPHS (also known as
PRODUCERS)
– Organisms that get their
energy from nonliving sources
(sun, organic matter)
– can make their own food.
– Plants, some types of bacteria
 BIOTIC COMPONENTS
continued…
2)HETEROTROPHS
(also known as
CONSUMERS)
– Organisms that get
their energy from
other living things
– Animals, insects,
fungi, bacteria
FIVE main Types of Consumers:

Scavenger
 EXAMPLES OF CONSUMERS
• Carnivore: An organism that only eats
other ANIMALS
• Omnivore: An organism that eats plants
AND animals.
• Herbivore: An organism that only eats
only PLANTS.
• Scavenger:An organism that feeds on
dead prey killed by other animals.
• Decomposer: An organism that breaks
down decaying organisms or wastes
from organisms into elements such as
carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, etc.
 ABIOTIC FACTORS
never living factors examples:

• rocks
• water
• air
• sunlight
• nutrients
• weather patterns
• temperature
• soil
• humidity
• salt concentration
 YOUR TASK!
• Draw a VENN DIAGRAM

• In one circle list abiotic factors

and in the other list biotic
factors
ITEMS for your VENN DIAGRAM
• Snail • Whale
• Steak
• Pork Chops
• Digital Clock
• Salad • Energy
• Bread • Water
• Plant • Fish
• Hair • Paper
• Matter
• Finger Nails
• Glass
• Pipe • Aluminum
• Cotton Fabric • Wooden Ruler
• Wool • Sand
• Gold • Clouds
• Plastic
• Grapes
• Corpse
• Air • Molecules and Atoms
ITEMS for your VENN DIAGRAM
• Snail B • Whale B
• Steak B • Digital Clock AB
• Pork Chops B •
•
Energy AB
Salad B
• Bread B • Water AB
• Plant B • Fish B
• Hair B •
•
Paper B
Matter BOTH
• Finger Nails B • Glass AB
• Pipe AB • Aluminum AB
• Cotton Fabric B • Wooden Ruler B
• Wool B
• Gold AB • Sand AB
• Plastic AB • Clouds AB
• Grapes B • Corpse B
• Air AB
• Molecules and Atoms
BOTH
 ECOLOGICAL
ORGANIZATION

1.Individual/organism
2.Species
3.Population
4.Community
5.Ecosystem
6.Biome
1) Individual/Organism:
- Anything that can independently carry out life
processes (Ex: a flower, a person, a dog, etc)

2) Species:
- A group of SIMILAR organisms in an ecosystem
that can reproduce with each other AND their
offspring can reproduce
Ex: grey squirrels mate can not mate with red
squirrels
3) Population:
A group of members of the same species
that live in the same
physical environment or habitat

Ex: A group of grey squirrels living in the

same forest
4) Community:
A group of populations of different
species that live and interact in an area.

Ex: A park contains populations of

squirrels, robins, trees and shrubs
5) Ecosystem:
The interactions of different populations
with the non-living factors in the
environment.
Ex: A park contains squirrels, robins, trees,
shrubs, sunlight, air, a pond
What are examples of Ecosystems?

Swamps
Forests
Mountain Valleys
Ecosystem in a Jar
 6) BIOMES
• A large geographic area that contains MANY
similar types of ecosystems.

• Biomes are usually known by the types of

vegetation that grows in them.

• There are two types of biomes:

• 1. TERRESTRIAL on land; there are 5 in

Canada
• 2. AQUATIC  in water; there are 2 in Canada
 Terrestrial Biomes

1) Deciduous forests: made up of trees that

lose their leaves in winter.
- Found mostly in Eastern and Central Canada
 Terrestrial Biomes
2) Boreal forests: Biomes that are dominated by
conifers (trees with needle-shaped leaves, ex: pine
trees).
-Found in every province and make up about 80% of
the forested areas of Canada
 Terrestrial Biomes

3) Grasslands: areas that are covered with

different grasses, they have a rich, fertile soil.

- Extends from eastern Manitoba to the Rocky

mountains
 Terrestrial Biomes

4) Tundra: a biome that has no trees, only small

shrubs, grass, moss and lichen.
- Tundras exist in northern Canada
Terrestrial Biomes

5) Temperate coniferous
forests:
- In most temperate
coniferous forests,
evergreen conifers
predominate

- There are some that

have a mix of conifers and
evergreen and/or
deciduous trees
 Aquatic Biomes

1) Marine: found in oceans.

Ex: Coral reefs, ocean floor, open ocean
 Aquatic Biomes

2) Freshwater: are areas that

have lakes, rivers or streams.