Addu High School Hithadhoo/ Addu

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE BIOLOGY

Population: is a group or organism of the same species living and breeding together in a habitat. Habitat: is the place where an organism lives such as a tropical rainforest. Niche: the role of an organism in a community Abiotic factors: are the non- living elements of the habitat of the organism. E.g. sunlight, temperature, rainfall, pH of soil. Biotic factors: the living elements of a habitat which affect the ability of a group organism to survive there. E.g. The presence of suitable prey species will affect the numbers of predator in a habitat. Energy flow through ecosystem All organisms in an ecosystem depend on an adequate supply of energy for their survival. Energy from the sun trapped by photosynthesis provides the source of energy for all living organisms. Food chains

Topic: 5.2: Ecology-interdependence of organism & environment

Objectives

Calculate the efficiency of energy transfers between trophic levels. Discuss how understanding the carbon cycle can lead to methods to reduce atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (including the use of biofuels and reforestation). Explain that the numbers and distribution of organisms in a habitat are controlled by biotic and abiotic factors. Describe how to carry out a study on the ecology of a habitat to produce valid and reliable data (including the use of quadrats and transects to assess abundance and distribution of organisms and the measurement of abiotic factors, eg solar energy input, climate, topography, oxygen availability and edaphic factors). Explain how the concept of niche accounts for distribution and abundance of organisms in a habitat. Describe the concept of succession to a climax community.

Terminologies and their meaning Ecology: the study of the relationships of living organisms with each other and their non-living or physical surroundings. Ecosystem: Ecosystem is a community of organisms in a habitat and their physical environment interacting as an ecological unit. Community: all the populations of the different species of organism living in a habitat at one time. A food chain is a sequence of organisms, starting with a photosynthesizing organism (usually a green plant), through which energy is passed as one organism is eaten by the next in the sequence. In a food chain the direction of the arrow indicates the direction of energy transfer. The level at which an organism feeds in a food chain is called its trophic level.

Department of Science- Biology- Notes-Ecology, Semester 3, Grade 12 2012

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A food chain

Energy transfer within and between trophic levels Green plants transfer light energy to the chemical energy of sugars, in photosynthesis. Of this, while some is transferred in the reactions of respiration that drive metabolism (and is then lost as heat energy), much is transferred to essential metabolites used in the growth and development of the plant. In these reactions, energy is locked up in the organic molecules of the plant body.

When parts of the plant are consumed by herbivores (or parasites), energy is transferred to other organisms. Finally, on death of the plant, the remaining energy passes to detritivores and saprotrophs when dead plant matter is broken down and decayed. 2 of 6

Department of Science- Biology- Notes-Ecology, Semester 3, Grade 12 2012

Similarly, energy is transferred in the consumer when it eats, digests and then absorbs nutrients. The consumer transfers energy in muscular movements by which it hunts and feeds, and as it seeks to escape from predators (and is then lost as heat energy). Some of the food eaten remains undigested, and is lost in the faeces. Also, heat energy a waste product of the reactions of respiration and of the animals metabolism is continuously lost as the consumer grows and develops, and forms body tissues. If the consumer itself is caught and consumed by another, larger consumer, energy is again transferred. Finally, on death of the consumer, the remaining energy passes to detritivores and saprotrophs when dead matter is broken down and decayed.

Efficiency of energy transfer

Calculate the percentage energy transfer between (a) Producer and primary consumer First we have to find out how much energy is available to primary consumers: Energy trapped (GPP) energy plant use in respiration (R)= NPP 87402 50303 = 37099KJm-2 year-1. The transfer efficiency from producer to primary consumer is the amount transferred to the primary consumers. 37099KJm-2 year-1 divided by the amount potentially available to them Department of Science- Biology- Notes-Ecology, Semester 3, Grade 12 2012 3 of 6

 Not all organisms at each trophic level are eaten. Some escape predation. (b) Primary consumer and secondary consumer (c) Secondary consumer and tertiary consumer. Distribution and abundance In any habitat a species occupies a specific niche determined by environmental conditions (biotic and abiotic factors) and the way that the Pyramid of energy species uses the habitat (food, shelter, sites, feeding times, etc). The distribution (where they are) and abundance (how many) are determined by these conditions. Changes in these conditions can therefore lead to changes in distribution and abundance. Abiotic factors The physical and chemical components of an ecosystem more-or-less decide the physical conditions in which populations live. Abiotic factors of a terrestrial habitat are of three types, relating to: _ climate factors such as solar radiation, temperature, rainfall and wind _ soil factors such as the parent rock, soil water and soil chemistry, and the mineral nutrients available (edaphic factors) _ topography factors such as slope and aspect of the land, and altitude.

Only energy taken in at one trophic level and then built in as chemical energy in the molecules making up the cells and tissues is available to the next trophic level. This is about 10% of the energy. The reasons are as follows. Much energy is used for cell respiration to provide energy for growth, movement, feeding, and all other essential life processes. Not all food eaten can be digested. Some passes out with the faeces. Indigestible matter includes bones, hair, feathers, and lignified fibres in plants. Department of Science- Biology- Notes-Ecology, Semester 3, Grade 12 2012 4 of 6

Abiotic factors and their measurements

Department of Science- Biology- Notes-Ecology, Semester 3, Grade 12 2012

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Department of Science- Biology- Notes-Ecology, Semester 3, Grade 12 2012

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