Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Ecology Basics
Document related concepts
Toxicodynamics wikipedia , lookup
Photosynthesis wikipedia , lookup
Ecosystem services wikipedia , lookup
Restoration ecology wikipedia , lookup
Renewable resource wikipedia , lookup
Ecological fitting wikipedia , lookup
Natural environment wikipedia , lookup
Triclocarban wikipedia , lookup
Lake ecosystem wikipedia , lookup
Transcript
Ecology Basics Definition All organisms living in a specific area and the physical environment itself No clear boundaries Organism One individual living thing Species Group of organisms that share common genes, look similar and are able to reproduce together Population Amount of a species living in a particular area –Deer population in Rothrock State Park Communities Interacting populations of different species Biosphere Many interacting communities How Ecosystems Work Producer/Autotroph Makes Most Some its own food autotrophs use sunlight for food (photosynthetic) absorb chemicals (chemosynthetic) Ex. Plants, algae, bacteria Photosynthesis Plants absorb sunlight and convert it to stored energy 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy =>C6H12O6 + 6O2 Forms of sugar Cellulose, Lactose, Maltose, Sucrose, Glucose, etc. Deep Sea Vents An ecosystem that does not require sunlight Bacteria use chemicals from underwater volcanoes for food and are the basis of a complex ecosystem Consumer Eat producers and/or other consumers Get energy from eating other things indirect sunlight Cellular Respiration Process of breaking down food to get energy C6H12O6 + 6O2 => 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy Basically just photosynthesis in reverse Herbivores Plant eaters Carnivores Meat eaters Omnivores Mixed diet, eat every thing (plants & flesh) Types of Consumers Primary Consumers –Herbivore Secondary Consumers –Small carnivore Tertiary –Larger Consumers Carnivore Primary –Deer Consumers Mouse Secondary Consumers –Rattle Snake Tertiary –Red Consumers Tailed Hawk Decomposers Break down material Factors that Affect Ecosystems Biotic Factors Living parts of the ecosystem Abiotic Factors Non-living parts of the ecosystem Where does it all fit? Habitat Place where organisms live, “address” Living and non-living parts Niche Organisms How way of life, “profession” what it does fits into the ecosystem What does it do & why it is important How Species Interact Predation One organism kills and eats another organism Prey Organism that gets eaten Ex. Cow, mouse, corn, etc Predator Organism that does the eating limit the size of prey populations & the size of the prey Feed on old and weak (easiest to catch & most likely to die) Ex. Hawks, lions, humans, etc Competition Often Relationship between species in which the different species compete for the same resources Parasitism Relationship between host and parasite organism feeds off of another living organism Ex. Fleas and rats, mistletoe and trees, etc Parasite One Organism that lives in or on another organism without killing it immediately Ex. Fleas, mistletoe, etc Host Organism that is used as food by another organism they do not lose the parasite they usually die of a disease brought about by the parasite If Ex. Rats, humans, elm trees Mutualism Cooperative relationship between organism where both organisms benefit Ex. Eyebrow mites and humans, bacteria and termites, birds and crocs Commensalism Relationship where one animal benefits and the other isn’t harmed Ex. Remoras and shark Human Effect on Ecosystems User’s Guide to Planet Earth
