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Ecology
A. Ecological Organization
Organism
________
Community
Biome (Ecosystem)
________
 Successful Ecosystems must have:
1. A constant flow of ________ (________ is the primary source of energy for
_________ ecosystem)
2. __________ of resources.
*________ (__________ and limiting factors): pH, soil, temperature range, water,
gases, light
*________ (_________ factors and nutritional relationships between organisms):
animals, plants
Nutritional Relationships: transfer of _______ from one organism to ___________
-______________: can use energy form the environment to make food
Chemosynthetic: ____________
Photosynthetic: _______
-______________: cannot synthesize their own food
o Saprophytes: obtain food from _________ organisms
o Herbivores: feed on __________
o Carnivores: feed on other ____________ (include predators and scavengers)
o Omnivores: consume both _________ and ___________
B. Symbiotic Relationships
 Commensalism: nutritional relationship in which ________________, the other is
__________ harmed. Ex: barnacles on a whale
 Mutualism: both organisms ____________ Ex: lichens – algae (food) and fungus
(anchorage/water); e. coli – human digestive system; nitrogen-fixing-bacteria in legumes
 Parasitism: one organism is _________, the other __________________. Ex:
tapeworms in animals; heart worms in animals; athlete’s foot fungus
Predator/Prey relationships/Density Dependent Factors: population of one organism
___________ on the ______ (can lead to ____________)
 Co-evolution: the evolution of ________ depends in part on the _________ of the
other.
 As ________ evolve more efficient ways of capturing or consuming _______, the
__________________ to _____________________
 Carrying Capacity=______________ of organisms
_____________________________
Density Independent Factors: ______ dependent on the ___________ of individuals. Ex:
floods, tsunami


Food Chains (_________________) vs. Food Webs
(________________________________________)
Food Pyramid
Energy Pyramid
_______________ from food is used by organism for ____________ and some given
off as heat energy. _____________ is _______________ to the next
_____________ level
C. Cycles:
 Water Cycle: the main __________ of the water cycle is to ____________ the supply
of ____________ through the environment.
o Water is an ______________ (limiting factor)
o Processes are : ____________, __________________, _______________,
_________________ (plants only), _________________ (plants and animals)
 Carbon cycle: ___________________________________ are ____________
through the environment through ________________________ and
______________________
 Nitrogen cycle: ___________________ are the most _________________ organisms!
o _________ get nitrogen from the ______ (nitrates) and ________ get nitrogen
from ________
o Nitrogen is ____________ for proteins and nucleic acids (_________)

D. Succession: _______________________ through time of changes in community
___________________
 Usually described in terms of _____________; unless interrupted (disturbed)
succession passes through intermediate stages from pioneer to climax community
 Primary succession: usually begins with __________ organism such as lichens, algae
o Pioneer species – __________ organism to _______________ an area

Secondary succession: follows a _____________ that __________ community not
the soil
o Ex: Catastrophic Event such as forest _________, flooding
E. Niche vs. Habitat:
 _______ – is an animal’s ___________; the fundamental _______ of an organism
 _______ – is an animal’s ________; the __________________________________
of an organism
 Some organisms _____ the same _________ but ___________________; Ex: owl
and hawk
F. Biomes:
 Terrestrial Biomes:
o ________: very cold, low biotic diversity (mosses, polar bear), permafrost
o ________: average temperature below freezing for 6 months; confers, moose
o ___________________________: cold winters and hot summer; maple, oak
o ________: extreme heat and extreme dryness; cacti, snakes
o ______________: half of worlds plant and animal, high temperatures & rainfall
o ________: terrains of grasses, fires prevent large forest; sunflowers & turkey
 ________ Biomes: Most _______ because of _____ fluctuations of ____________
G. Humans and the Biosphere
 Human Population Growth – due to the _________ in medicine and technology;
increase due to __________________ and _______________________
 Species __________: the sum total of the _________ of organisms in the biosphere
o _______________ to Biodiversity: over-hunting; habitat destruction;
pollutions; deforestation
H. Green house Effect:
 ________________ is the _________________ – produced from the burning of
fossil fuels; also called _________________ due to trapping of ____________ on
earth’s surface
I. _________ Depletion (O3): ________ the earth from ______ radiation;
_______________ is due to CFC’s
J. Biomagnification and Bioaccumulation: is the _________ in concentration of a substance
along the _____________; accumulate or magnified ___________ in higher organisms
 _______________ lead awareness concerning pesticide accumulation
_________________Aspects by Human: Population control, consideration of resources;
Pollution Control; species preservation; biological controls