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Unit V
Chapter 50
Ecology and the Biosphere
1.- Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and their
environments, at the levels of individuals organisms, populations,
communities, and whole ecosystems.
a) Environment
1) Abiotic (Nonliving)
2) Biotic (living)
b) Ecological Interactions affect how organism evolve, and evolutionary
change in urn affects ecological relationships.
2.- Biosphere is an environmental mosaic in which several abiotic factors affect
the distribution and abundance of organism of organism: Temperature, water
quality and availability, light intensity, wind, soil, characteristics, and less
predictable disturbances such as fire.
a) Major Terrestrial Biomes
Desert
Coniferous Forest
Temperate deciduous forest
Temperate grassland
Tropical Forest
Tundra
b) Aquatic Biomes occupy the largest part of the biosphere. Oceans,
covering nearly 75% of earth’s surface, have a major effect on climate,
and marine organisms supply a substantial part of the word’s oxygen.
Chapter 52
Population Ecology is the study of the growth, abundance, and distribution of
populations. Populations abundance and distribution are described by the fallowing
terms:
a) Size
b) density
c) Dispersion
d) Age Structure
e) Survivorship curves
1) Type I (Human)
2) Type II (Hydra)
3) Type III (oyster)
1.- The biotic potential is the maximum growth rate of a population under ideal
conditions, with unlimited resources and without any growth restrictions. The fallowing
factors contribute to the biotic potential of a species:
a) Age at reproductive maturity
b) Clutch size ( # of offspring produced at each reproductive event)
c) Frequency of reproduction
d) Reproductive Lifetime
e) Survivorship of offspring to reproductive maturity
2.- Carrying Capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a population that can
be sustained by a particular habitat.
3.- Limiting factors are those elements that prevent a population from attaining its biotic
potential. Limiting factors are categorized into
a)Density-dependent factors are those agents whose limiting effect becomes
more intense as the population density increases.
b)Density- independent factors occur independently of the density of the
population.
4.- Population growth population ecologist describe two general patterns of population
growth, as follows:
a) Exponential Growth occurs whenever the reproductive rate is grater than zero
b) Logistic Growth occurs when limiting factors restrict the size of the population
to the carrying capacity of the habitat
5.- Population Cycles are fluctuations in population size in response to varying effects of
limiting factors.
Chapter 53
1.- Community Ecology is concerned with the interaction of populations.
a) Interspecific competition competition between different species.
2.- Different ways in which competition is resolved:
a) Competitive exclusion principle ( Gause’s principle)
b) Resource Partitioning
c) Characteristics displacement (niche shift)
d) Realized Niche ( the niche of an organism describes all the biotic “living” and
abiotic “ nonliving” resources in the environment used by an organism)
3.- Predation is another form of community interaction. More specifically. Predators can
be categorized as fallows:
a) True predator
b) Parasite
c) Parasitoid
d) Herbivore
4.- Symbiosis is a term applied to two species the live together in close contact during a
portion(or all) of their lives.
a) Mutualism is a relationship in which both species benefit
b) Commensalisms, one species benefits, while the second species is neither
helped nor by the presence of the nests.
c) Parasitism, the parasite benefits from the living arrangement, while the host is
harmed.
5.- Coevolution reciprocal interactions between two species that result in a series of
adaptations and counter adaptations
a) Secondary compounds toxic chemicals produced in plants to discourage
herbivores
b) Camouflage enables an animal to blend with its surroundings
c) Aposematic Coloration conspicuous pattern that warns predators
d) Mimicry an animal bears superficial resemblance to n unpalatable or harmful
model.
1.- Mullerian Mimicry several animals
2.- Batesian Mimicry a defenseless animal
Chapter 54
1.- Ecosystems
a) Primary Procedures “ Support all the levels”
1.- Photosynthetic
a) use light energy to synthesize sugars
b) use organic compounds to use fuel for cellular respiration
2.- Tropic Levels
a) Primary Consumers
1.- Herbivore “terrestrial”
2.- Zooplankton “Marine”
b) Secondary Consumers
1.- Carnivores “Eaten by other carnivores”
c) Tertiary Consumers
1.-Carnivores “Eaten by other carnivores”
d) Other Consumers
1.- Detrivores “ Carrie dead organism from all tropic levels”
3.- Ecological Pyramids
a) Eco efficiency
1.- Food chain is a linear flow chart of who eats whom
Grass  Zebra  Lion  Vulture
2.- Food web is an expanded, more complete version of a food chain.
4.- Biochemical Cycles describe the flow of essential elements from the environment to
living things and back to the environment.
a) Hydrologic Cycle (water cycle)
b) Carbon Cycle. Carbon is required for the building of all organic compounds.
c) Nitrogen Cycle. Nitrogen is required for the manufacture of all amino acids
and nucleic acids
d)Phosphorus cycle. Phosphorous is required for the manufacture of ATP and all
nucleic acids. Biochemical cycles of other minerals, such as calcium and
magnesium, are similar to the phosphorus cycle.