Honors Biology Unit 9 Ecology Review

predation

one predator eats another prey

competition

one eats the others food

co-operation

groups of organisms work or act together for common or mutual benefits

parasitic symbiotic relationship

one benefits to the harm of the other

mutualist symbiotic relationship

both benefits from the relationship

commensualists symbiotic relationship

one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed

autotrophs

organisms that produce their own food, collect energy from sunlight or inorganic substances to produce food, and make energy available for all other organisms in the ecosystem.

chemosynthesis

organisms that make food from chemicals (some bacteria do this), mainly in the deep ocean

heterotrophs

organisms that get their energy from consuming another organism ex animals and fungi

herbivores

heterotrophs that eat only plants

carnviores

heterotrophs that only comsumer other organisms

omnivores

organisms that eat both plants and other organisms

detrivores

organisms that eat fragments of dead matter (decomposers)

food web

a model of the connected food chains and ways energy flow throughout a group of organisms

food chain

a simple model showing transfer of eneryg from one organism to another

what is the order of a food chain (first to last)

producers (autotrophs) → primary consumers → secondary consumers → tertiary consumers…. → apex predators (at the top)

energy pyramid

shows how much energy is produced at each level (10% of energy is passed on to the next trophic level, 90% is used to stay alive; breakdown ATP, body heat)

photosynthesis

produces oxygen and glucose

cellular respiration

releases co2 and produces atp

what natural processes release carbon into the enviornment

repiration and decomposition

why are bacteria so important in the nitrogen cycle?

because they convert the atmosphere’s nitrogen into nitrates that can be used by plants

carrying capacity

the maximum number of individuals in a species that an enviornment can support

what affects carrying capacity?

food, water, shelter, space, disease, predation, climatic conditions

what is uniform dispersion

a pattern within individuals in a population where individuals are evenly spaced throughout an area ex. nesting penguins and sage

why do nesting penguins have uniform dispersion

for an even pattern of nesting between penguins.

density-dependent population

food availability, disease, and predation that affect population growth as density increases.

density independent population

factors that affect population size regardless of density, such as natural disasters and climate.

How does using fertilizers affect animals and plants in the ocean?

Fertilizers and waste go into rivers and streams and travel to oceans.

There, they feed algae.

Algae block sunlight.

Bacteria break down the dead plants, using up remaining oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide.

Animals in the ocean become sick and die without oxygen.