Overarching Theme Interactions

INTERCONNECTEDNESS Ecology studies the connections between all living

things and their environments. What are population dynamics? How do
Fungi and Viruses affect populations?
Big Idea All living things are limited by factors in the
environment. Kingdom Fungi is extremely diverse and plays a vital
role in the environment as decomposers and recyclers of organic
material while viruses are non-living microscopic agents found
everywhere that invade cells and have a profound impact on the
living world.
First off What is Ecology? from the Greek work Oikos = house

-study of all relationships and interactions that occur amongst living things and also
between living things and their non-living environment
Flow of Energy
Sun is the _____________ source of energy. _____________, which are
(usually)_________________ organisms that make their own food from __________________
substances. Whereas, _________________ get their energy directly or indirectly from
________________.
Primary consumers are _______________, which eat only ______________. Examples are:
____________________________________________.
Secondary consumers feed on herbivores and are called _____________________.
Examples are:
_______________________________________________________.
There may be tertiary (third level) or ________________ consumers (fourth level) as well.
__________________ are responsible for recycling the energy from non-living organic
matter (i.e. dead things).

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Each step in the series of organisms eating each other is called a ______________ level.
Trophic levels can be represented by foods or by food pyramids (which we will see
later).
Interactions
A.__________________Factors- non-_________________ environment
i. CO2: required by _______________ and _________________________
ii.
___________: required by _______________________
Affected by: altitude (higher up, less O2)
iii.
______________: all organisms rely on sunlight for energy, but only autotrophs
have the ability to convert solar energy into chemical energy.
light intensity varies with: altitude (higher up, __________light), atmospheric
filters (ozone, clouds, smog, rain)
iv.
Geographic formations:
Mountains, valleys
v. ____________________:
Dependent on: Altitude (higher up, colder), latitude (warmest at equator)
vi.
Humidity
vii.
Salinity
B. _______________________ Factors- living environment
e.g. ferns, grass, trees, predators, prey, competitorsetc
Vocabulary
1. ________________: group that _________________ and produces ________________
offspring
2. Population: group of interacting and interbreeding individuals in a
_______________ area
3. _____________________: all the populations of organisms ____________ in a
____________ area. This is the level at which ecology is studied and analyzed.
4. Ecosystem- all the ________________ that _______________ __________________ in
an area including the water, soil and climate.
Types of Organisms
Producerorganism that makes its __________ food and are the _____________ of a
food chain
Autotrophorganism that makes _______________ compounds from inorganic
substances in the environment (producer)
Consumerorganism that obtains energy by ________________ other living things
e.g animals)
___________________ - animal that eats only other animals ( consumer)
Herbivore______________- eating animal (consumer)
__________________- plant and animal- eating animal (consumer)
_________________ - agent that breaks down the bodies of ________________ organisms
and
_______________(consumer)
Symbiotic Relationships
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- an on-going relationship that exists between two different species = symbiosis

a) Mutualism organisms that live closely together and benefit each other
b) Commensalism one organism benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped.
c) Parasitism one organism benefits at the expense of another.
Energy Transfer
The transfer of energy through an ecosystem can be shown in food chains, food webs
and pyramids of energy.
A. Food Chain
Nature often works in a ____________. Plants and animals live, die, are decomposed and
________________ again. Plants/producers make the food, animals, eat the producers,
and decomposers break down leftovers.
Eg.
_______________ _________________Consumer ______________ Consumer
_______________ Consumer
Example: grass cow humans
B. Food Webs
Most animals eat more than _________ food so they belong to more than one food chain.
When two or more food chains overlap this is called a food _____________.
C. Food Pyramids
A food pyramid shows many _____________ if read from the __________ of the pyramid
( 1st ________________ level) to the _________.
1. The amount of _______________ decreases as it moves up
2. The amount of __________________ decreases
3. The number of _____________________ decreases

__________ Percent Rule: only 10% of the energy from one ________________ level is
stored in the next. 90% of the energy is _____________ to:
i) __________________
ii) ________________________
iii) __________________
iv) ____________________ food
Learning Activity
Put the following organisms into a logical food chain. Arrow points to the thing doing
the consuming.
Ex. Fern, moth, weasel, mouse
1. clam, killer whale, plankton, otter
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fern moth mouse weasel

2. trees, shrew, owl, mites

3. hawk, acorn, squirrel, owl
4. shark, fish, plankton, shrimp
5. coyote, hillbilly, garbage, raccoon
6. cats, spider, grass, birds, grasshopper

Food Webs
Food webs show all possible relationship between organisms living in the same
ecosystem.
Draw a possible food web for the following organisms:
Hawk
Bear

Eagle

Cat

Wolf

Fish

Mouse
Nut

Squirrel
Grains/Berries

QUESTIONS
1. What will happen to the food web if the squirrel were removed?

2. What reasons are there for a sudden or gradual disappearance of a species?

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3. What do we call it when a species permanently disappears from the planet?

From one area?
4. What would happen to the ecosystem if there was a new species such as a
goat introduced?

5. Based on your own knowledge describe the impact of humans on natural

ecosystems.

Population Dynamics Populations of species are affected by density, spatial

distribution and growth rate
Population Density
Population = the number of one kind of organism in a defined area
Population Density = number of organisms per unit area, e.g. Three egrets per square
metre
Population Limiting Factors
-keeps population levels in check (no extinction; doesnt take over the world!)
1) Density- ____________________ Factors
- the _____________ dense the population, the _________________ the effect of these
factors
-includes the following:
o ___________________/__________________
o Predation/parasitism/_________________________
o _________________________
o _________________________/ emigration
o Crowding/_________________
2) Density-________________________ Factors
-not influenced by population density
-includes the following:
o __________________________
o Rainfall
o Humidity
o ______________________ disaster

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Types of Population Growth

A. ____________________ Growth ( Linear Growth = _____________ line)
- Increase in population size by a ______________ percentage of the
population of each generation
- e.g. population of 100 that grows at a rate of 50%. In two years
population will be
____________________, ________________
Diagram

-seen in ____________________ conditions (has proper

___________________________, _____________________, ________, no
___________________________, parasites)
-_____________________________ rate is high and mortality is ______________
B. Growth with Limits ( _______________- shaped Curve)
- ___________________ area with proper conditions; population will increase
____________
- Eventually, the conditions are _____________ and _____________ build up &
become _________________.
- Population will _______________, _________________, and eventually die out
Diagram

C. Exponential Growth
- Often seen in _______________ populations ( binary fission)
- Population __________________ every generation under ________________
conditions
Diagram
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D. S-Shaped Curve (Logistic Growth)

-nature is an _______________ system- energy & nutrients are constantly inputted
from outside the area
- population increases ____________________
-then ____________ out at the __________________ ___________________ (number of
individuals of a species an environment can support for an indefinite time
period)
Diagram

E. Boom and Bust

- Similar to exponential growth, but only occurs in special circumstances
- Rapid population ____________________, followed by massive
____________________
- Only occurs in ____________________, rapidly reproducing species such as
algae, lemmings, locusts, etc, - i.e. organisms with short lifespan and lots
of offspring
- Can be related to seasonal cycles related to rainfall, nutrient availability,
temperature and also to predator-prey interactions
Diagram

Confirm Your Learning Population Growth Curves and Regulation Sheet

Kingdom Fungi Fungus is Latin for mushroom
General Characteristics
multicellular (except yeast), eukaryotic, heterotrophic
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includes the mushrooms, yeasts, mildews, rusts, smuts and most molds (not all
fungi are mushrooms!)
all parts of fungus are composed of long, thread-like extensions called hyphae
in turn, the hyphae form a dense mat called a mycelium
the fungus you see above ground is called the fruiting body, this is the
reproductive structure
hyphae provide evolutionary advantage by increasing surface area and thus,
absorptive capability
have cell walls composed of chitin (also saw this protein in exoskeletons of
arthropods)
they lack chlorophyll, so are not photosynthetic, instead they produce enzymes
that breakdown material in their surroundings (are all decomposers)
most reproduce sexually as well as asexually, very complex reproductive strategies
three main ways to get nutrients, but all digest food before they absorb it

Saprophytic
=fungi that
absorb food
from dead and
decaying
matter (e.g.
bracket fungi)

Parasitic=abso
rb food from
living hosts
(e.g. nematode
destroying
fungus.
Nematode
caught in rings
of fungus)

Mutualistic =
live in
mutually
beneficial
relationship
with another
organism (e.g.
mycelia on
plant root)

Taxonomy
fungi are divided into 4 phyla (plus one extra!) based on their reproductive
structures

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1)
2)
-

Phylum Chytridiomycetes (Algal or Protist-like fungi)

Known as water molds since they do not normally exist on land
However, if the right conditions exist (lots of moisture, high humidity) they can
grow on land and when they do can cause serious crop diseases, including potato
blight
Are the only fungi that produce motile spores that can swim through dew and
raindrops to get to new sources of food
Phylum Zygomycetes (Common Molds)
includes common bread molds (Rhizopus spp.)
produces billions of spores that exist on the surface of just about everything!
Once conditions are favourable (think bacteria - warmth, moisture and food
available), these spores grow
The root-like hyphae that penetrate the surface of the food they absorb are called
rhizoids, these anchor the fungus to the food, release digestive enzymes and absorb
digested organic material
Stem-like hyphae that run along the surface of bread are called stolons

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3)
4)
-

Phylum Ascomycetes (Sac Fungi)

largest phylum of fungi, 30,000 + species
produce spores in a sac-like container called an ascus
main group includes yeasts and morels
when yeast are actively growing they need to eat a high carbohydrate diet, they
tend to eat sugar and starch, the by-product of their feasting is carbon dioxide gas
it is this CO2 that makes a yeast bread rise
reproduction of yeasts is mainly by budding, morels undergo sexual reproduction
and produce a spore-bearing fruiting body
Phylum Basidiomycetes (Club Fungi)
Has both saprophytic and parasitic members
This phyla contains the common fungi that you are familiar with (mushrooms!)
The phyla name is from a structure called the basidia, a club-shaped reproductive
structure on which there are usually four spores suspended

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Plus One!! Phylum Deuteromycetes (Imperfect Fungi)

have no visible sexual phase
cause ringworm and athletes foot
this type of fungus is the source of penicillin, an important antibiotic (used to kill
bacteria)

Confirm Your Learning Fungus Sheet

Learning Activity Mold Lab
Connection to Biological Theme - So, how do Fungi affect Populations? Why are they
important to ecosystems?
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________________________________

Viruses from the Latin word meaning ____________

General Characteristics
submicroscopic (only discovered in 1944 with the invention of the____________
microscope)
are potentially ____________ (disease causing)
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A) Classification: Alive or Not?

- dont fit into 5 kingdom system, not classified as living things, but do have some
characteristics of living things
LivinLiving Characteristics
-

NonNon-Living Characteristics
-

So, are they alive or not?

B) Viral Anatomy 101
very small, between 20-400 ____________
can only be seen with electron microscope

C) Who Attacks Whom?

Viruses depend on other cells for ____________
Large scale reproduction within an individual causes diseases that are specific to
specific viruses
Diseases include

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A virus is usually ____________ to a certain host, or range of hosts. i.e. can only
infect certain organisms
o Ex. Rabies, may infect many species including dogs, people, bats,
raccoons
o Colds, only infect respiratory tract in humans
o Host specificity occurs because viruses have specific ____________
configurations on their capsid that match specific receptors on the host
cells membrane, like a ____________ and ____________

D) Reproduction in 5 steps
1. ____________ Virus attaches to a cell wall or membrane of the host at specific
____________ cells
2. ____________ The cells wall or membrane is weakened by viral ____________ and the
____________of the virus is injected into the host cell.
3. ____________ the DNA of the host cell is ____________ and the viral DNA takes over,
making viral proteins and viral nucleic acid.
4. ____________ Viral protein coats (capsids) are assembled with the nucleic acids
filling the cell. The host cells ____________ systems are used for this.
5. ____________ Enzymes dissolve the host cell from within. The cell ____________
(cell________) and the newly formed virus particles are released, free to infect other host
cells.
This can happen in two ways
1)
The ____________ Cycle (see handout)
-exactly as above, very fast (as little as 25 minutes for some viruses)
-causes lysis (bursting of the host cell)
-this type of virus is ____________ (able to cause disease)
2)
The ____________ Cycle (see handout)
- does not immediately cause cell ____________
- viral nucleic acid is incorporated into hosts own DNA
- it reproduces inside the hosts genetic code every time a cell replicates
-virus can remain ____________ in a cell for years
- a ____________ (such as radiation, chemicals, emotional stress) makes virus become
active again
E) How Can I Stop/Treat a Virus?
1. First line of defense = ____________!
- intact skin and mucus membranes keep most viruses out
- the stomachs ____________ juices kill many pathogens
2. Defense #2 = ____________
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Once the virus has been in your body for about 10 days, WBCs start making
____________.These circulate through bloodstream and have 2 effects
i)
____________ WBCs to sites of infection
ii) ____________ pathogens so they no longer function
3. What about drugs?
i) ____________ = injections of fake viruses that stimulate the body to produce
antibodies
ii) ____________ inhibition = use enzymes to destroy receptors and prevent infection
iii) ____________ = a chemical warning (naturally produced ____________ proteins) from an
infected cell to surrounding cells to shut down
- ends up reducing ____________production so that not enough is present to
replicate virus particles
Connection to Biological Theme - So, how do viruses affect populations?
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Learning Activity - You will be given a specific ecosystem to research and explain what
role fungi and viruses play in it. You will need to name at least one species of fungi and
one virus type/strain that lives in this ecosystem. Hand this assignment in on
_________________________________.

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