Download Chapter 3 and 4 Study Guide Ecology is the study of interactions

Chapter 3 and 4 Study Guide
Ecology is the study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their physical environment
This includes both biotic and abiotic factors- biotic factors are living and include prey, predators, offspring, etc. abiotic
(without life) would include temperature, water, climate, rocks, nutrients
Define and know the levels or organization – species through biosphere.
SpeciesPopulationCommunityEcology- (what is added here?)
BiomeBiosphereName two biomes:
Food Web
Vocabulary to understand
Primary producers- are the first producers of energy-rich compounds that are later used by other organisms.
- they have to be autotrophs (self=auto) (feeding=troph). Meaning they can synthesize (make) their
carbohydrates from either sun or chemical energy.
-photosynthesis- using the sun to create carbohydrates – which then can be consumed by primary consumers.
-chemosynthesis- bacteria using chemical energy to create carbohydrates- provides energy for the food web in low light
conditions.
List of examples of primary producers/autotrophs
Consumers- must obtain energy from other organisms – primary, secondary, tertiary and fourth level.
Consumers can be carnivores (meat-eating), herbivores (plant-eating), omnivores (both plant and meat), decomposers
(feed by ch emically breaking down organic matter) – examples-mushrooms, other fungi and bacteria, detritivores (eat
detritus – earthworms), or scavengers (consume carcasses of other animals that have been killed by predators)
Look at the columns to the left. The arrows will let you
know which are primary producers, secondary, tertiary
and fourth level.
Organisms do not always stay in the same trophic level. I
am a primary consumer, herbivore when eating a salad,
but a secondary consumer, carnivore if I eat a burger.
Primary consumers are always herbivores.
Label each trophic level below – primary producer (PP), primary consumer (PC), secondary consumer (SC), tertiary
consumer (TC), and quaternary consumer (qc). Label consumers with omnivore, herbivore, and carnivore. THE ANSWER
KEY IS AT THE END OF THE DOCUMENT
Which organisms are autotrophs?
Which organisms are heterotrophs?
ANSWER KEY
The oak tree is the primary producer. The primary consumers (organisms that eat primary producers) include the
insect, mouse, and raccoon. The insect and the mouse are both herbivores and the raccoon is an omnivore because
they eat the tree nuts and the mouse.
The secondary consumers (those eating primary consumers) include the snake, bird, raccoon, owl, fox, and hawks. All
are carnivores except for the raccoon. The raccoon fits in both primary consumer (plant eating) and secondary (mouse
eating). All the other organism are carnivores. The tertiary consumers include the owl and the hawk- they both eat
secondary consumers. The autotroph is the oak tree and the heterotrophs are all the others.
Label each trophic level on the next page– primary producer (PP), primary consumer (PC), secondary consumer (SC),
tertiary consumer (TC), and quaternary consumer (qc). Label consumers with omnivore, herbivore, and carnivore. THE
ANSWER KEY IS AT THE END OF THE DOCUMENT
Which organism are heterotrophs?
Which organisms are autotrophs?
The primary producer is the plants (can make their own food from energy from the sun). Also known as autotrophs.
The primary consumers include the rabbit, squirrel, mouse, seed-eating birds, and herbivorous insects. Each of these
organisms is a herbivore (eats only plants). The secondary consumers include the spider, insectivorous birds,
predaceous insects, fox, hawks and owls, and snakes. If they eat a primary consumer then they are a secondary
consumer. The tertiary consumers include the spiders (eats the predaceous insect), predaceous insects, insectivorous
birds, snakes, hawks and owls and foxes. The quaternary consumers include the owl, foxes and snake.
No omnivores are shown in this food web- the primary consumers are all herbivores. The secondary, tertiary, and
quaternary are all carnivores. All organisms beside the producers are heterotrophs.
The primary producer is the plants (can make their own food from energy from the sun). Also known as autotrophs.
The primary consumers include the rabbit, squirrel, mouse, seed-eating birds, and herbivorous insects. Each of these
organisms is a herbivore (eats only plants). The secondary consumers include the spider, insectivorous birds,
predaceous insects, fox, hawks and owls, and snakes. If they eat a primary consumer then they are a secondary
consumer. The tertiary consumers include the spiders (eats the predaceous insect), predaceous insects, insectivorous
birds, snakes, hawks and owls and foxes. The quaternary consumers include the owl, foxes and snake.
No omnivores are shown in this food web- the primary consumers are all herbivores. The secondary, tertiary, and
quaternary are all carnivores. All organisms beside the producers are heterotrophs.
Pyramids of energy, biomass and numbers
The pyramid states that 100% of the energy from producers is available for consumptions. When a primary consumer,
herbivore consumes a producer they use most of the energy for life functions. The remaining energy is lost as heat
(burning of energy). There is 10% of the original energy from producers available for consumption. If a secondary
consumer eats the primary consumer most of the energy will be used for life functions and only a small amount of
energy (10% of the primary consumer and only 1% energy from the original amount available from the producer) will be
available for third level consumers.
Because of the energy available for each level, the pyramid of numbers and biomass generally follow the pyramid shape.
-
The biomass and the numbers decrease as you move up the trophic levels. There are a lot more plants than
tiger sharks or moray eels.
Cycles of Matter- called biogeochemical cycles
-matter is cycled through the ecosystem
Relate the biological process of each cycle to our needs
The three nutrient cycles include the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles. Each of these cycles relates to the
macromolecules or organic molecules we need to consume. Amazing! We also studied the water cycle.
Water Cycle
1) Water cycle shows water moving from groundwater through plants to the atmosphere by a process called
transpiration.
Carbon Cycle
2) The carbon cycle relates to biology in using sun in a process called photosynthesis to create carbohydrates.
Autotrophs (plants) use energy to make carbohydrates. These carbohydrates are then consumed by consumers
and used in a process called cellular respiration. In cellular respiration we (and others) breathe in oxygen and
eat carbohydrates. These carbohydrates are broken down into water and carbon dioxide (we breathe out).
The equation:
Remember we can get carbon into our bodies through eating any of the organic/macro molecules- carbohydrates,
proteins, nucleic acids, or lipids
1) What are two human activities increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?
Nitrogen Cycle – know in general terms
We need nitrogen for making amino acids. Amino acids are the monomers of proteins/polypeptides. Proteins are
necessary for the body- to make muscle, enzymes for reactions (digestion, breaking down hydrogen peroxide, releasing
energy, etc. etc. ) and hormones- human growth hormone, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, insulin. Obviously,
proteins are important.
How is nitrogen incorporated into animals and plants?
78% of nitrogen in our biosphere is atmospheric, which is not usable by most living organisms. Luckily, there are
nitrogen fixing bacteria that take atmospheric nitrogen gas and convert it to ammonia. These bacteria live on the roots
of certain plants called legumes. (peanuts, beans, peas). The nitrogen is incorporated into the plants and then can move
through trophic levels through consumptions…and create all the proteins our bodies need.
The algae lab showed that when excess nitrogen and phosphorus enter the waterways (often from farming – where
they use fertilizer with these compounds and ranching (excess nutrients – and other stuff- in the feces)- This excess
will cause algae blooms- disrupting the ecosystem of the waterways – and often surrounding land ecosystems as
well.
Phosphorus Cycle
Humans need phosphorus to make DNA and RNA and for use in bones and teeth. Some phosphorus remains on land
while some is used by plants and incorporated into organic molecules in the plant. The phosphate can then move from
producers to consumers.
Chapter 4
Definition of a niche- the range of physical and biological conditions in which a species lives and the way the species
obtains what it needs to survive and reproduce. ONLY one organism per niche
Physcial factors: temperature, nutrients, camouflage, place to live, etc.
Biological factors- competition within a populations, competition within a community, prey, predators, offspring,
Competition exclusion principle states that no two species can occupy exactly the same niche in exactly the same
habitat at exactly the same time.
*understand predator- prey populations. The graph below shows how relationships are related.
As the moose population increases so does the population of
wolves. As the wolves decrease the moose population the
wolf population will also decrease.
What benefits do the wolves have from this relationship?
(food)
What benefits does the prey have from this relationship?
Population control- more available resources for the moose
and less disease.
*Similar relationship for herbivore-plant relationship?
How can the predator population influence the plant population?
What is a limiting factor?
What is carrying capacity? How does it limit population growth?
Symbiosis- where two organism live closely together. Three types: Mutalism, commensalism, and parasitism
MutualismsExample:.
Parasitism:
Example:
Commensalism:
Example:
Biomes- classification of the Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems according to abiotic factors and biotic factors. Abiotic factors
might include temperature, precipitation, soil types, climate. The biotic factors include types of animals and plants.
Succession –
Define:
Primary Succession –(generally slower): define
Possible causes:
Pioneer Species
Secondary Succession- (generally faster)---define:
Possible causes:
Pioneer Species
Populations
What is exponential growth?
What is logistic growth?
If a bacterium multiplies every 20 minutes, How many bacteria will there be in 2 hours?
What is logistic growth?
What is carrying capacity?
What are density-dependent limiting factors?- Example?
What are density-independent limiting factors? – Examples?
Sunfish study: Ecologist capture 50 sunfish and mark them. These fish are released and over the next month the
ecologist captures sunfish in the lake. When sampling, the ecologist collects a total of 400 sunfish and 60 have a mark.
What is the population of sunfish in North Long Lake?
Total sampled X Original number marked
Recaptured with mark
In Helena there are 30,000 residents. The city covers an area of 42 Km2. What is the population density of Helena
.
In San Francisco there are 740,000 residents. The city covers an area of 600 km2. What is the density of San Francisco?
.
What does a population’s age structure show?