Community Ecology Lab

This essay will look at beech forest ecosystems, describing the main characteristics, along with pre-human and current distribution of beech forests. Vegetation structure and native fauna associated with the ecosystem will be looked at with examples of species given.

Herbivores make up the second trophic level. Predators that eat herbivores comprise the third trophic level; if larger predators are present they are then represent a higher trophic level. Organisms that feed at several trophic levels are classified at the highest of trophic levels at which they feed. Decomposers breakdown wastes and dead organisms and return nutrients back to the soil. (Future Direction International,

Ecology is defined as the scientific study of the interaction of individuals in a population of different species given it is at the same time and location. It is composed of many species whose interactions are influence by biotic and abiotic factors. These factors play a key role on the abundance and distribution which contributes to the structure of an ecological community (Kerb 2009). Having a better understanding of these ecological disciplines can provide insight to understanding a Permaculture Living Lab and its

Ecology has been the study of different interactions amongst organisms with the abiotic environment (Pimm and Smith, 2007), examining how ecosystems have thrived upon these relations. Ecosystems have depended on the continued availability of energy supplied ultimately by plants through the process of photosynthesis. Plants have lived in association with each other from having occupied the same niche in nature (Khan and Hussain, 1999). Numerous plants have

Which organisms (producers, herbivores, carnivores, or omnivore) would be the least numerous in this food web? Explain

An ecosystem consists of both all the populations of organisms and all of the non-living factors in that given area. Ecosystems are affected by both abiotic and biotic factors. These factors include pH, temperature, nitrate, phosphate, gas exchange, and light intensity (Wischusen). The ecosystem studied in this experiment was the LSU Lake System, in particular, the LSU University Lake. Two experiments were conducted involving the population ecology and community ecology of the LSU University Lake. Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the environment (Campbell and Reece 2011). Specifically, growth of the organism Chlamydomonas was studied and observed. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is the scientific name for a type of unicellular

Uncommon species usually constitute significant extents of the community. (Saether 2013) Since we learned that a community is group of population of diverse organisms living together at the same place and same time. However, a diverse occasion over time that disrupts community, stem and changes physical environment is called community diversity. Every community has its own physical structure like, size or shape, vertical or horizontal. There is many factors that can affect community diversity, for instance environmental complexity, species interactions, disturbance, etc... A Forest experience change over time and tolerate with different stages through a process called succession. After this trip, students are able to explain the process of succession and how it can develop over time. Also, we predicted that abiotic conditions and biotic conditions influence the change of a community. (Ecology Lecture notes.) We need to determine by collection all these data if the LaBagh Woods is stable or in

The living and nonliving components of this ecosystem are either biotic; which includes factors such as plants, animals, and microorganisms. Then you have abiotic components such as air, temperature, sunlight, wind, water and soil. Both abiotic and biotic components are necessary for balance in this ecosystem and rely on each other in the food chain of producers and consumers. Producers are at the beginning in the food chain, also known as biotic components, which rely on an abiotic such as the sun to produce their food during photosynthesis. Then there are the consumers (biotics) that rely on the producers as their primary food source, such as herbivores. Predatory omnivores are considered secondary consumers because they eat primary

The planet is made of up different ecosystems that encompass the animals, vegetation, and nonliving factors. The environmental conditions are dependent on the location and type of ecosystem. There are a large number of ecosystems, ranging from conditions found in the tundra to conditions found in the desert. Each of these types of ecosystem relies on a delicate balance maintained by the symbiotic relationships within its organisms and nonliving components. These symbiotic relationships are a result of the benefits provided by the organisms of the ecosystem. These benefits exist because of the biodiversity within the organisms. Therefore, biodiversity is responsible for the balance of ecosystems and the planet. However, biodiversity and the

The food chain is what animals eat and the cycle of what eats what. And the food cycle is in the carnivore starts at the toad eats the beetles and worms. Then the bobcat eats the elk,roe,deer. Then the short-eared owl eats rodents. But the wolf comes in and eats the przewalski's, horses,elk,moose. Then to the lynx which also eats roe,deer,rodents,and birds. Next is the omnivore cycle it starts at the stag beetles and they eat leaves,fruit,flower,and smaller bugs,and dying wood.

Make sure you know what each of these trophic categories or food web terms are:

1.) When taking the organism, population, community and ecosystem approaches to study ecology one needs consider that there are levels that layout the specific details of what each approach is. For organism approach, the processes look at the way an individual live in an environment and how this individual behaves and adaption within its surrounding. The population approach concerns over a group of organisms, the number of female and male, the differences within organisms, the similarity that they share, and their genetic makeup within a whole population. The processes and structures to understand the community deal with understanding of the diversity and different groups of organisms living in the same place. The ecosystem approach looks at the overall chemical reaction which is the transfer of energy and matter to make life possible. The processes occur in the atmosphere, aquatic, and on land.

I hypothesize that the forest woodlot will have moderate density, size, and diversity. Before measuring the characteristics of the woodlot, I observed that the forest was not densely populated and the organisms were spaced apart evenly throughout the forest. However, I predicted that the transects deeper into the forest, 50 feet, would show more diversity than the transects at 25 feet because the forest centralizes deeper into the forest and is less disturbed, which results in a wider diversity of the

To answer question 3, in the typical ecosystem there are usually 4-5 trophic levels, the higher the level the less energy and less organisms. The first level is made up of autotrophs, made up of plants and only organisms that create their own energy and nutrients via sunlight. The second level is made up of 1st order heterotrophs, herbivores only as they feed off of the autotrophs only. The next level is made of 2nd order heterotrophs, most commonly they are omnivores, feeding off of both autotrophs and 1st order heterotrophs. The next are 3rd order heterotrophs, most commonly carnivores choosing to prey upon 1st and 2nd order heterotrophs. These 3rd order heterotrophs usually conclude the trophic levels in one particular ecosystem but they may have a 4th order heterotroph either a carnivore or a decomposer.

The purpose of this investigation is to thoroughly study an ecosystem, to expand the knowledge of many who wish to further understand the environment and its components. By completing this investigation it allows for people to understand the importance and needs for having and maintaining healthy ecosystems. For example, ‘Ecosystems provide food both in their natural state...in the form of managed landscapes’ (International Water Management Institute 2011, p. 11). The investigations of ecosystems are vital in today’s society because people can learn how to better treat and take care of them so they are more efficient and sustainable.