Download Introduction to Ecology Notes - KEY (organisms) (physical factors

Introduction to Ecology Notes - KEY
___ECOLOGY_________: the study of interactions of organisms with one another & their environment.
Every organism has a:

____HABITAT______: where an organism lives

_____NICHE________: its role or job in the ecosystem.
BIOTIC
living things
ABIOTIC
nonliving things
(organisms)
(physical factors)
plants, animals, bacteria, fungi,
protists
temperature, soil, rainfall, etc
definition
examples
_D_
1.
Organism
a.
all of the different populations living in a given area and time.
_C_
2.
Population
b.
all of the areas on earth where organisms live.
_A_
3.
Community
c.
_E_
4.
Ecosystem
d.
the number of individuals of the same species in the same
place at the same time
a single living thing
_B_
5.
Biosphere
e.
BIOSPHERE
ECOSYSTEM
COMMUNITY
POPULATION
ORGANISM
all of the communities (biotic) and all of the physical factors
(abiotic) in an area
BIOMES NOTES: Key concept- Biomes are __landbased__, global communities of organisms.
Earth has six major biomes.
A biome is a major community of __organisms__.
1. Tropical rain forest biomes produce lush forests.
–
___warm ____ temperature
–
Abundant ___ precipitation __ all year
2. Grassland biomes are where the primary plant life is grass.
–
Temperate grasslands are _ dry __ and __ warm ___
during the summer; most precipitation falls as snow.
–
___ Tropical grasslands ____ are warm through the
year, with definite dry and rainy seasons
3. Desert biomes are characterized by a very arid climate.
–
Very __ low ____ amount of precipitation
–
__ four ___ types: hot, semi-arid, coastal, and cold
4. Temperate forest biomes include deciduous forests and rain
forests.
–
The temperate rain forests have hot summers and
cold winters
–
_ Deciduous _ trees are the dominant plant species.
–
The temperate rain forests have a long _ wet ___ season and relatively dry summer.
–
Ferns and moss cover the forest floor
5. The taiga biome is located in cooler northern climates.
–
Boreal forest
–
Long winters and __ short _ summers
–
Small __ amount ________ of precipitation
6. The tundra biome is found in the far northern latitudes with long winters.
–
Winter last ___ 10 ____ months
–
Limited __ precipitation ____
–
Permafrost
Ecological Succession Notes - KEY

Natural, gradual changes in the types of species that live in an area; can be primary or secondary

The gradual replacement of one community by another through natural processes over time.
Primary Succession:
- Begins in a place ___WITHOUT_________ any ____SOIL________.
- Like ____SIDES OF VOLCANOES_______, _____LANDSLIDES_________,
_____FLOODING_________
- Starts with living things that don’t need soil, like ____LICHENS______.
These are called ____PIONEER SPECIES_____________________________
New soil is formed:
- Erosion breaks down rock into _____SMALLER PIECES_______
- Decomposed ___LICHENS_______ add to the soil
•
Simple plants like ____MOSSES_________ and _____FERNS__________ can grow in the new soil
•
The soil layer ____THICKENS________, and grasses, wildflowers, and other plants begin to take over
•
These plants ___DIE__, and they add more ____NUTRIENTS_______ to the soil
•
Shrubs and ___TREES_______can survive now
•
_____INSECTS_______, small birds, and ____MAMMALS_______ begin to move in
•
What was once bare rock now supports a ____VARIETY_____ of life
Secondary Succession:
•
Begins in a place that already has __SOIL___ and was once the __HOME_______ of living organisms
•
A ___DISTURBANCE________ of some kind changes an ____EXISTING_________community
•
Occurs ____FASTER______ and has different _____PIONEER_______ species than primary succession
•
Example: after forest fires
Climax Community:
•
A ___STABLE____ group of plants and animals that is the
end _____RESULT___ of the succession process
•
Does not always mean big trees
–
___GRASSES_______ in prairies
–
___CACTI_________in deserts
Notes: Interactions - KEY
Predation
•
The capturing of prey as a means of maintaining life
– One organism benefits
– One organism is killed
Competition
•
Competition – A rivalry between organisms for
the same resources; The fitness of one of the
organisms is lowered by the presence of another.
– Limited supply of at least one resource used by both organisms is required
•
Example: Animals compete for food, mating, or territory and plants can compete for
water, food, minerals, sunlight.
Symbiotic Relationships
•
Symbiotic Relationships – Interactions between two or more organisms; Two different species start a
relationship (interact) in order to ensure survival
– Symbiotic relationships include:
1. Mutualism
2. Parasitism
3. Commensalism
Parasitism
•
Parasitism - One organism (the parasite) benefits and the
other
(the host) is harmed, but is still alive
– Parasites take, but give no benefit back to their hosts.
– Examples – Tick and a dog, mosquitos and humans,
bacterial infections such as a sore throat, amoebic
dysentery (protist infection), viruses (flu), landpreys
– Can be considered a special case of predation
•
Because the parasite needs the host to remain alive, it is typically advantageous for the
parasite NOT to kill its host
Mutualism
•
Mutualism - Any relationship between two species of
organisms that benefits both species.
– Examples of Mutualism
1. Pollination
2. Seed Dispersal
3. Lichens
Commensalism
•
Commensalism - Relationship between two species
one species benefits from the relationship and the
second species is unaffected
– Examples of Commensalism
• Barnacles and Anemones
where
Interactions Summary
Type of
Interaction
Predation
Organism 1
Organism 2
Is Killed
Competition
Fitness is
Lowered
Parasitism
Harmed, but
Still Alive
Mutualism
Commensalism
“It’s Mutual”;
Both Benefit
One Benefits &
One is Unaffected
The Carbon Cycle
Carbon
•
All ____living ___ things are made of carbon!!!
- Plants use carbon dioxide (CO2) and
sunlight to make their own ___food ___. The
carbon becomes part of the plant.
- Animals get carbon by eating ___plants____,
algae, or other animals that have eaten plants.
Carbon Does Not Stay Still – It Is On the Move!
1. In the atmosphere, carbon is in ____ CO2___.
2. Plants use CO2 and sunlight
to
make their own food.
3. Animals consume plants
4. Plants that die may turn into fossil fuels
made of carbon, like __ coal ___ and oil, over
millions of years.
5. When humans ____ burn _____ fossil fuels,
most of the carbon quickly enters the
atmosphere as ____ CO2_____.
Photosynthesis
● Using light energy, plants combine CO2 from the atmosphere and H20 to form ____ sugar ______ and
______ oxygen ________ in the process of photosynthesis.
sunlight
Carbon Dioxide
+
Water
→
Sugar
+
Oxygen
Respiration
● In respiration, the compounds containing carbon are
________ broken down_____, and CO2 is ___ released______.
● Plants, ______ animals_________, and microorganisms
carry out respiration!
all
Combustion
•
Most of the CO2 is produced
during the process of
____ burning ___________ called
combustion.
•
When compounds containing
carbon (wood, coal, or oil) are
burned, ____ CO2____ is released.
•
The use of CO2 by plants during
photosynthesis is a much
____slower _______ process.
•
As a result of the imbalance between these two processes, the level of CO2 in the atmosphere is
____ increasing______.
Decomposers
•
When organisms die, decomposers break
down the ____ carbon _________ compounds in
their bodies, and CO2 is ____ returned ______ to
the atmosphere.
•
During decomposition (decay), other
chemicals are also _____ returned ______ to the
soil or released into the air. One of these
chemicals is ____ nitrogen_______.
Review Questions
1. What process uses CO2 and produces oxygen? _________________________________________
2. What two processes produce carbon dioxide? ___________________________________________
3. What process produces most of the CO2 in the atmosphere? ___________________________
4. By what process do decomposers return CO2to the atmosphere? ______________________
The Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen
•
Plants and animals need nitrogen to make ____ protein ________.
•
The air is about 78% nitrogen, but plants and animals cannot use
nitrogen _____ directly _______ from the ____ air ______.
•
How Do Plants Get Nitrogen?
– Special _____ bacteria __________, in the soil and water, must change or “fix” nitrogen gas (N2)
into a form that that plants can ___ use _____.
– These bacteria are ____ are called _______ nitrogen-fixers.
•
Nitrogen Fixers have a mutualistic relationship with the plants
•
The plants provide food and ____ cover ________for the bacteria, and the
bacteria convert nitrogen gas into ______ fertilizer _______ for the plant.
•
How Do Animals Get Nitrogen?
– Animals get nitrogen from plants or from other plant- eating
animals, in the ___form_______ of protein.
– Animals must ___ eat ______ protein to get their nitrogen
requirements! We can’t ____ breathe _______ in nitrogen!
How is Nitrogen Recycled?
● Nitrogen is recycled by special _____ bacteria ________ that break down the nitrogen compounds
(proteins) in _____ dead _______ plants and animals, and in animal wastes.
● If plants do __ not ___ use the nitrogen compounds as fertilizer, special forms of bacteria may
_____recycle _______ it.
● These bacteria convert
the unused fertilizer
into nitrogen __ gas __
and release it into the
atmosphere.
● All natural ecosystems
___ depend ___ upon
bacteria to keep the
nitrogen cycle
_____going ___!
What Affect Nutrient Cycles?

_______ Natural disruptions ___________

 volcanic eruptions
 forest fires
 landslides and earthquakes
 living organisms
Disruptions caused by _____ humans ____________
 poor farming practices
 burning fossil fuels
Review Questions
1. What kinds of organisms are essential for the nitrogen cycle?
_____________________________________________________________________
Energy in Ecosystems Notes - KEY
 Life in an ecosystem requires a source of ___energy___.
 Producers provide __energy ___ for other organisms in an ecosystem.
 ___Producers ___- type of organisms that get their energy from non-living resources.
o
Also called ____autotrophs __ because they make their own food.
 ___Consumers __- type of organisms that get their energy by eating other living or once-living resources.
o
Also called __heterotrophs ___ because they feed off of different things.
 Almost all producers obtain energy from ___sunlight___
Food chains and Food Webs
~Food chains and food webs model the __flow ___ of energy in an ecosystem.

A __food chain ____ is a model that shows a sequence of feeding relationships.
o
Follows the __connection___ between one producer and a single chain of consumers within an ecosystem.


Consumers are not all alike.
___Trophic levels ____ - the nourishment levels in a food chain
o
___Primary __ consumers = herbivores that eat producers
o
___ Secondary ___ consumers = carnivores that eat herbivores
o
___ Tertiary _____ consumers = carnivores that eat secondary consumers
o
___ Omnivores _____ consumers = consumers that eat both plants and animals
a complex network of feeding
relationships.
phytoplankton,
algae
zooplankton,
shrimp, sea
turtle,
parrotfish
sponge,
jellyfish,
triggerfish
Ecological Pyramids
Arrows point from phytoplankton to sea sponge, zooplankton, shrimp;
zooplankton to sea sponge, jellyfish; algae: parrotfish, sea turtle; shrimp:
jellyfish, triggerfish; triggerfish: reef shark; parrotfish: reef shark
Reef shark
_________ Energy ___________
______Biomass ______
______ Numbers ________
Instead of representing trophic levels in a food web, an __ecological pyramid ___ can be used.

Pyramids of ___energy ___ show the relative amount of energy available at each trophic level.
o
As you go up the trophic levels of a pyramid of energy: the energy ___decreases ___ as it is lost as heat
energy or used in metabolic processes.

Only about __10___ percent of energy is passed on to the next trophic level.

__Rule of 10_____- rule that states that only 10% of energy passes on to next level,
meaning that there is a 90% loss of energy at each trophic level

Pyramids of ___Biomass ____ show the relative amount of living organic matter available at each trophic level.

Pyramids of ___Numbers _____ show the relative number of individual organisms at each trophic level.
** Using the space under each pyramid, correctly label each pyramid above. **