ECOLOGY

 Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with

their environments.
 The environment will determine where an organism lives.

ENVIRONMENT

Abiotic Biotic

Abiotic environment:

 This is the non living aspect of an environment.

 It includes all natural, physical features in the
environment.

Examples of abiotic environments:

a) habitat i) humidity
b) atmospheric pressure j) water availability
c) light k) wave currents
d) temperature l) pollution
e) pH of the soil
f) amount of minerals in soil
g) wind
h) amount of rain
Biotic environment:

 The living aspect of the environment.

 All the relationships that organisms have with other
organisms.

Examples of biotic environments:

a) Predator – Prey relationship
b) Symbiotic relationship
c) Looking for mate
d) Social animals (ex: bees)
e) Parasite – Host relationship
f) Humans are the most powerful biotic factor
 Ecological Terms

Biosphere: Places on Earth where organisms can be found:

sea, land, soil, air.

Hydrosphere: Aquatic environment: sea, lake, rivers, ponds.

Habitat: The exact location where an organism lives:

Ex: Habitat of crab: crevices in rock pools

Population: A group of organisms

a) of the same species
b) living in the same place
c) at the same time
Ex: A group of crabs in the same rock pool

Community: A group of organisms

a) of different species
b) living in the same place
c) same time
Ex: crab, limpet, starfish, seaweed  community

Ecosystem: An area composed of living organisms interacting

with their biotic and abiotic environments
Ex: rock pool ecosystem

Niche: “Job” of every organism in an ecosystem (way of life):

Ex: niche of plants  to perform photosynthesis
Ex: niche of saprophytes  to renew elements in nature and
to remove dead bodies.
 Trophic Levels

Way of classifying organisms according to how and what

they eat.

1) Producers: Bring energy into every ecosystem by

performing photosynthesis:
Ex: Autotrophs (plants and some protests [chlorella]).

2. Primary consumers: Organisms that feed on producers:

Ex: Herbivores (sheep, caterpillars, grasshoppers)

3. Secondary consumers: Organisms that feed on primary

consumers:
Ex: Carnivores (dog, cat)

4. Tertiary consumers: Top Carnivores

Ex: lions, tigers, sharks, eagles
OMNIVORES: humans and pigs

5. Decomposers: Feed on dead bodies of all organism

Ex: Saprophytes (some bacteria, some fungi, maggots).
 Food Chains and Food Webs

Food Chains:

A food chain is the feeding relationships between organisms

in an ecosystem.

Grassland Ecosystem: (always write ecosystem)

Sun  LIGHT  Grass  Grasshopper  Lizard  Snake

*Decomposers are present (always written)

Sun: Source of energy

Grasshoppers: Primary Consumers
Lizards: Secondary Consumers
Snake: Tertiary Consumers

Note:

Grass: Grasshoppers
Ants
Locusts
Caterpillar

There is more than one predator to a prey. Food chains do

not show real picture
Food Webs:

Food webs contain all the possible food chains in an

ecosystem (linked together).

Ex: Rockpool Ecosystem

1. Seaweed  Shrimp  Crab  Humans

2. Seaweed  Human
3. Seaweed  Shrimp  Human
4. Seaweed  Chiton  Crab  Birds
5. Seaweed  Shrimp  Sea Anemone
6. Seaweed  Limpet  Human

Birds Humans

Sea-Anemone Crab

Chiton Limpets Shrimp

Seaweed

*Decomposers are present

 Ecological Pyramids

Pyramid of Numbers Pyramid of Biomass

We try to estimate the We try to estimate the

total number of organisms total mass of organisms
in each trophic level. in each trophic level.

How to construct the pyramid:

a) Choose an ecosystem
b) Classify the organisms in their respective trophic levels.
c) Count the number of organisms / the total mass of the
organisms.
d) Represent the results graphically.
 Pyramid of Numbers

In a balanced ecosystem, the number of:

Producers > 1° consumers > 2° consumers > 3° consumers

This is because the energy demands of the organisms in the

higher trophic levels are great.

Plot a pyramid of numbers for the following:

Tree  Grasshopper  Lizard  Snake

ALWAYS IN THE SAME ORDER

 Pyramid of Biomass

In a balanced ecosystem:

Mass Producers > 1° consumers > 2° consumers > 3° consumers

Flow of Energy in an Ecosystem
Why is only 10% energy transferred from producers to
primary consumers?

a) A herbivores can egest parts of the plant.

b) The herbivore loses energy when searching for the food.
c) Not all plants are palatable (edible).
d) Not all parts are eaten.
e) Not all plant parts can be reached.
Water Cycle
Carbon Cycle
 Carbon Cycle

CO2 is removed from the atmosphere only by

photosynthesis.

CO2 is put back in the environment by three processes:

a) Respiration
b) Decomposition
c) Combustion

If CO2 is to stay at a balance, the rate of

photosynthesis should be equal to the rate of respiration,
combustion and decomposition.

Rate of Photosynthesis = Rate of combustion, decomposition

and respiration.

This is not the present situation due to deforestation and

the increase in the burning of fossil fuels.
Nitrogen Cycle
 Nitrogen Cycle

Bacteria

Beneficial Harmful

 Nitrifying bacteria Denitrifiers

 Nitrogen fixing bacteria
 Decomposers

Aerobic organisms Anaerobic organisms

Live in well aerated soil Live in water logged soil

 SOIL

When acted upon by rain, wind and snow, rocks break

down very slowly into small pieces. Since this comes about by
weather, it is known as weathering.
Soil is derived from weathered rocks. The particles
which make up the soil have different sizes and weights. The
largest particles are found at the very bottom and the
smallest ones settle on top.
Humus consists of rotting plants and animal wastes in
the soil. Humus makes the soil more fertile.
There are three types of soil; sandy, clayey and loam.
 Sandy Clayey Loam

Made up of large Made up of small Made up of a

particles. particles. mixture of clay
and sand

Large spaces Small spaces Medium size

between particles between particles spaces between
particles.

Water is easily Water accumulates Water circulates

lost. (water logged soil) easily.

Minerals are Minerals accumulate Minerals circulate

easily lost. making the soil easily.
acidic.

Easy to work. Hard to work. Ideal to work.

 Loam is the ideal soil.

 Sandy soils are improved by adding manure and fertilizers

 Clayey soils are improved by adding lime (CaO) which

neutralizes the soil.
 Components of fertile soil

a) Inorganic matter: sand / silt / clay  aerate the soil and

allow circulation of water.

b) Organic matter: Humus  dead remains of organisms that

increase NO3 content.

c) Air: Aerobic respiration

d) Water: Transport medium in soil (transports substances).

e) Beneficial organisms: Bacteria, Fungi, Earthworms

Earthworms:
i) Plough the soil
ii) Make the soil finer  increases surface area for better
aeration and drainage.
iii) Fertilize the soil  Drag leaves, hide them in soil,
decomposers act upon them.

Earthworms are not decomposers.

 Soil Experiments (4 experiments)

Experiment 1: To find out the different components of soil:

1. Soil was put in a beaker

2. Water was added

3. The mixture was stirred and left to settle.

4. The large particles settle at the bottom whilst the small

particles settle at the top.
Experiment 2: To find the percentage of water in a soil
sample.

1. Take a soil sample and put it in a crucible. Weigh it; this is

reading A

2. Heat it in an oven at 200°C for 30 minutes. Water

evaporates.

3. Let it cool and weigh again. This is reading B.

4. Reading A – Reading B = weight of water

5. Weight of water X 100 = %water (15% - 20% normally)

Reading A
Experiment 3: To find the percentage humus in a soil sample.

1. Take a sample of DRY soil and put it in a crucible. Weigh it;

this is reading A

2. Heat it over a Bunsen flame for 5 minutes. The humus

decomposes into CO2 and H2O.

3. Let it cool and weigh again. This is reading B.

4. Reading A – Reading B = weight of humus

5. Weight of humus X 100 = %humus (7% normally)

Reading A
 Experiment 3: To find out the permeability of soil

1. Pour a known volume of water through the three soil

samples.
2. Note:
(i) How much water passes through.
(ii) How long it takes.

Sandy soil is the most permeable.

Clayey soil is the least permeable.

End of Form III Syllabus