Download Ch16_EcosystemsStudentNotes[1] - Mrs-Lamberts-Biology

#___Name: ____________________________________ Date: _____________________ Period______
Ecology & Ecosystems
Note-taking Sheet (Keep in your notebook)
Interactions of Organisms and Their Environment
• Ecology is the study of the_________________ - of living organisms with one another and with their physical
____________- (soil, water, climate, and so on).
• The place where a particular population of a species lives is its ________________-.
• The many different species that live ___________________in a _____________________are called a
__________________.
• An ___________, or ecological system, consists of a _____________and all the _________aspects of its habitat,
such as the soil, water, and weather.
• The ______________ l aspects of a habitat are called ______________________factors.
• The _______________________in a habitat are called ______________________factors.
Levels of Organization
Diverse Communities in Ecosystems
• The ____________________of species living within an ecosystem is a __________of its _________diversity.
• The more ___________________a community has, the more ___________________the community is.
Ecosystem Inhabitants
• Most ecosystems contain a ___________ large animals and ___________ smaller animals.
• Ecosystems tend to contain _____________________________________than animal life.
• The most _____________________organisms in an ecosystem are usually microscopic ___________________and
___________.
Ecosystem Boundaries
• The physical __________________________of an ecosystem are not always obvious, and they depend on
_________________the ecosystem is _______________________________.
• Often individual fields, _______, or lakes are studied as __________________ecosystems.
• Of course,____ location is _____ totally ______. Even oceanic islands get occasional
___________________visitors, such as _________________blown off course.
Change of Ecosystems over Time
• When a volcano forms a new ____________, a ___________________recedes and exposes bare rock, or a
__________ burns all of the vegetation in an area, a new ____________ is _____________.
• This change sets off a process of ___________________and ecosystem __________
• The first organisms to live in a new habitat are small, fast-growing plants, called ____________species.
Succession
• A somewhat regular ____________________of species _________is called succession.
• ______________________that occurs where plants have _____grown before is called_________________
succession.
• Succession that occurs in areas where there has been _________________growth, such as in abandoned fields or
forest clearings, is called ______________________succession.
1 of 4
Introduction to Ecology & Ecosystems
Mrs. Lambert
Glacier Bay: an Example of Succession
• A good example of primary succession is a ___________________glacier because land is continually being
exposed as the face of the glacier moves back.
• The seeds and spores of _____________________species are carried in by the________. Alders, grasses, and
shrubs later take over from pioneer plants.
• As the amount of_____ increases, spruce and hemlock____ become plentiful.
Movement of Energy Through Ecosystems
Primary Energy Source
• The rate at which organic material is produced by _______________________organisms in an ecosystem is called
primary ____________.
• ________________________that first capture solar energy, the ___________, include ____________, some kinds
of bacteria, and _________.
• Consumers are those organisms that ____________________plants or other organisms to obtain the energy
necessary to build their molecules.
Trophic Levels
• Ecologists study how______________________________ through an ecosystem by assigning organisms in that
ecosystem to a specific level, called a _________________level, in a ___________________organizer based on
the organism’s ____________of ______________.
• _________________moves from one trophic level to_________________.
Trophic Levels: First Level
• The __________________of _____________________through the trophic levels of an ecosystem is called a food
__________.
• The ____________________trophic level of any ecosystem is occupied by the ______________, such as
_______________, algae, and ___________________.
• Producers use the energy of the sun to build ______________-rich _______________________.
Food Chain in an Antarctic Ecosystem
Trophic Levels: Second Level
• At the second trophic level are __________________-,
animals that eat plants or other
primary________________. They are the
______________________consumers.
• A _____________________must be able to break down
a plant’s molecules into usable compounds.
• Most herbivores rely on___________________, such as
____________________and protists, in their
____________to help digest
_____________________________.
Trophic Levels: Third Level
• At the ____________________trophic level are
secondary consumers, ______________________that eat ___________. These animals are called
__________________
• Some animals, such as bears, are both herbivores and carnivores; they are
called_____________________________.
• ______________________are organisms that obtain their energy from the organic _________________and
____________bodies that are produced at _____________________- trophic levels.
Trophic Levels: Third Level
• Bacteria and fungi are known as ________because they ________________________.
• ______________________of bodies and wastes releases __________________back into the environment to be
___________by other organisms.
• In most ecosystems, energy does____ follow simple __________________paths because animals often feed at
_______________________ levels. This creates an ___________________group of food chains called a food
_____.
2 of 4
Introduction to Ecology & Ecosystems
Mrs. Lambert
Food Web in an Antarctic Ecosystem –
Which is a producer? ________________________
Which are primary consumers? ___________________________________________________________________
Secondary consumers? __________________________________________________________________________.
Loss of Energy in a Food Chain
Energy Transfer
• During every ___________________of energy within
an ecosystem, energy is lost
as___________________
• Thus, the amount of useful energy available to do
work _________________as
_________________passes through an ecosystem.
• The _____________of useful
__________________________________the
number of trophic levels an ecosystem can support.
Food Chains and Energy Transfer
Energy Transfer through Trophic Levels
Energy Pyramid
Limitations of Trophic Levels
• Most terrestrial ecosystems involve only
_________________________or, on rare
instances, four trophic levels. Too much
________________________is
____________________at each level to
______________________________more
levels.
• The ___________________of individuals in a trophic level may ________________________be an accurate
indicator of the amount of energy in that level. Some organisms are much ___________________than others and
therefore ___________________more __________________________.
• Because of this, the number of organisms often does _________________form a _________________when one
compares different trophic levels.
Limitations of Trophic Levels
• To better determine the ____________________ present in trophic levels, ecologists measure
________________________
• Biomass is the dry _________of ______________________and other organic matter found in a specific ecosystem.
• Each _____________________level on the pyramid contains only ____ percent of the biomass found in the trophic
level below it.
3 of 4
Introduction to Ecology & Ecosystems
Mrs. Lambert
Biogeochemical Cycles
• The physical parts of the ecosystems ________________constantly.
• The paths of water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus _____________from the ____________living environment to
_______________organisms, and then _______________________________to the nonliving environment. These
paths form closed circles, or _______________, called _________________chemical cycles.
• In each biogeochemical cycle, a _________________________forms when a substance enters living
______________________________such as trees from the atmosphere, water, or soil; stays for a time in the living
organism; then ___________________________to the _______________________environment.
The Water Cycle
• In the nonliving portion of the water cycle, water _________________________in the atmosphere
____________________-and falls to the Earth’s surface as rain or snow.
• Some of this water seeps into the soil and becomes part of the _________________-water, which is water
___________________________ __________________________the surface of the Earth.
• Most of the remaining water that falls to the Earth does not remain at the surface. Instead, __________________by
the sun, it reenters the atmosphere by _____________________.
• In the __________________________portion of the water cycle, much water is taken up by the roots of
__________________.
• After passing through a plant, the water moves into the ___________________________by evaporating from the
leaves, a process called______________________.
• Transpiration is also a _____________-driven process. The sun heats the Earth’s atmosphere, creating
_________________________currents that draw _________________________from the tiny openings in the
______________________________of plants.
The Carbon Cycle
In the carbon cycle, carbon atoms may return to the pool of carbon ________________in the air and water in
___________________________ways:
1. Respiration Carbon dioxide is a __________________________of cellular___________________.
2. Combustion Carbon also returns to the atmosphere through ___________________or ___________________.
3. Erosion As the _____________________becomes exposed and erodes, the ______________________________in it
becomes available to other organisms
The Phosphorous and Nitrogen Cycle
• Organisms need ___________________and phosphorus to build ______________________________and nucleic
acids.
• ______________________________is an essential part of both ______________________________and DNA.
• Phosphorus is usually present in soil and rock as _______phosphate, which dissolves in water to form phosphate
ions.
• The ______________________________is 79 percent ___________________gas, N2.
• The two nitrogen atoms in a molecule of nitrogen gas are connected by a strong triple___________________bond
that is very ______________________________to break. However, a few
______________________________have enzymes that can break it, and they _________________nitrogen atoms
to ______________________________to form ___________________
• The process of combining nitrogen with hydrogen to form ammonia is called nitrogen _____________.
Nitrogen Fixation
• The nitrogen cycle is a complex process with four important stages:
1.________________________is the absorption and incorporation of ______________________________into
______________________________and animal compounds.
2. Ammonification is the production of ___________________by bacteria during the ___________________of
nitrogen-containing urea.
3. Nitrification is the production of ______________________________from ammonia.
4. ___________________nitrification is the conversion of nitrate to nitrogen ___________________.
4 of 4
Introduction to Ecology & Ecosystems
Mrs. Lambert