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Ecology – the study of how
Organisms interact with their
Environment.
Environment – set of surroundings
an Organism is in, includes living
and Non living things.
Ecosystem – a portion of the
Environment that consists of
Living things that interact.
Biotic factors – all the living things
In the environment.
Abiotic factors – nonliving things,
Ex=gasses, minerals, water.
Habitat – specific environment a
Species lives in. Ex=fields, forest,
Desert.
Population = all the organisms of a
Species that live in a specific area
Ex= all the black ants in an anthill.
Community = all the populations.
Biosphere – the part of earth on
Which life exists, includes land,
Water and air
Competition – the struggle for
Resources ( food, living space etc)
Between organisms.
Competition limits populations and
The size of organisms.
Limiting factors = limit size of
Populations, some are biotic and
Some abiotic.
Abiotic limiting factors = amount
Of O2 in pond or water, temperature
, minerals, sunlight intensity, pH
Biotic limiting factors = numbers
Of predators and prey.
Carrying capacity =the number of
A species the ecosystem can
Support.
Niche = specific role an organism
Plays in the ecosystem. Only one
Organism can occupy that niche or
Competition results.
Producers = Autotrophs – make
Their own food – photosynthesisAll the green plants – they provide
All the energy for most other
Organisms in a food chain – they
Are the most numerous
Consumers = heterotrophs – must
Go out and eat.
Herbivores = eat only plants
Carnivores = eat other animals
(meat eaters)
Omnivores – eat both plants and
Meat.
Decomposers – break down the
Remains of dead organisms.
Ex.= mushrooms, bacteria, molds,
Most fungi.
Other feeding relationships =
Scavengers and parasites
Scavengers = eat dead stuff, road
Kill, natures clean up crew.ex=
Vultures, crows eat carion
Parasites = live on or in another
Organism (host). Ex=tapeworm,
Tick.
Food Webs = show more complex
Feeding relationships than a food
Chain. Most organisms have more
Than one food source.
Energy flow – all organisms use
The energy from the sun(solar)
For life processes and convert it
To ATP.
Energy is constantly lost in
Organisms and as you move up
Through the food chain .
Energy is lost as you move up the
Food chain, the energy is lost as
Living things use it for metabolism
(life processes – breathing, heartBeat etc.
Energy Pyramid – shows the
Transfer of energy through a
Food chain or food web.
Producers – largest amount of
Energy.
Recycling of materials – things
Like water, gasses(O2, CO2 and
Nitrogen) must be recycled in
Order for an ecosystem to
Function. Decomposers like
Fungi and nitrogen fixing
Bacteria play important roles in
Doing this.
Water Cycle – Evaporation 
Condensation Precipitation
Ecological Succession = the
Change of an environment over
Time naturally - Ex. = a pond
Fills in with sediment over time
And becomes a swamp, then
Grasses and shrubs grow and
150 years later a forest grows
There.
Biodiversity = measures how much
Species differ within the same
Ecosystem.
Ex. Some trees are resistant to a
Disease and others die off.
This biodiversity allows an
Ecosystem to remain stable for long
Periods of time if no interruptions
Occur ( 100’s or 1000’s of years)
Usually humans interfere with this
Or natural disasters like an earthQuake occur.
Human interruptions to biodiversity
Deforestation, pollution, clearing
Land for farming, over hunting
Human Impact on ecosystems –
As our need for more resources
Grows due to expanding population
And technologies we may change
And or harm our environments.
We must make everyone aware of
The impacts and become
Environmentally literate.
Resources –
Nonrenewable resources – can not
Be replaced once used, ex. = oil,
Natural gas, coal (fossil fuels),
Minerals ( silicon – computer chips
Aluminum etc.
We must conserve and or;
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
Renewable resources – can be
Replaced, ex. = sun, water, gasses
Food, But they can be polluted or
Over harvested ( food).
Direct harvesting = destruction,
Removal, extinction of a species
Usually by mans actions.
Example = Deforestation of rain
Forests reduces a source of
Oxygen production, CO2 intake
Animal habitats
Passenger Pigeon – extinct due to
Over hunting = direct harvesting
Imported species – non-native
Species takes over, usually a pest
Or problem.
Ex. = Japanese beetle, gypsy moth
Purple Loostrife, Zebra Mussell
Technologies impact on
Industrialization – created the
Need for many more resources
Which impact the ecosystem.
Ex.= energy – fossil fuels,
Must be burnt – greenhouse
Gasses=global warming.
Nuclear fuels – radioactive
Water pollution, overpopulation.
Greenhouse effect – burning
Things like fossil fuels builds up
Layers of greenhouse gasses(CO 2)
Around earth. These gasses let
Heat in but not out = global
Warming.
Acid Rain – caused by burning
Fossil fuels – changes the pH
Of bodies of water, soil
forests etc. so
Many organisms can no longer
Live in their habitat.
The main source of acid rain is
SO2 (sulfur dioxide) from
Burning coal.
Ozone depletion = many gasses,
Like chlorofluorocarbons (used in
Spray propellants) CFC’S
attack ozone
(O3). Ozone filters out many of
The high levels of harmful
Radiation from the sun.Holes in
Ozone allow more heat in, trapped
By greenhouse gasses= warming.
Ozone Layer Depletion
1.Numbers of persons
suffering from skin cancer
and cataract has increased.
2.Quality and quantity of
agricultural products are
falling.
3.Growth of plankton is
adversely affected.
4.Photochemical smog
pollution increases.