UNIT 1

Biotic Components

Living Things

Abiotic Components

Nonliving Things (temperature, H20, soil, nutrients)

What do the characteristics of an ecosystem rely heavily on?

The climate of its location

The smallest difference is WHAT can result in different ecosystems?

Precipitation and the soil’s ability to retain water.

What ecosystem boundaries are easy to define and why?

Aquatic because of the boundary between land and water or the point where a stream enters a lake.

What ecosystem boundaries are harder to define and why?

Terrestrial because environmental conditions can gradually change, and organisms can move between areas.

How may scientists define a terrestrial ecosystem?

By:

• The range of a particular species

• A geographic feature

• Environmental conditions

The region of life where Earth resides; It includes all ecosystems and extends from the deepest parts of the ocean to the highest mountain peaks.

Biosphere

Why does Resource Partitioning occur?

When their is competition for limited resources.

When species evolve to divide a a resources based on differences in behavior / morphology.

Resource Partitioning

Morphological Resource Partitioning

Differences in body size or shape

EX: Finches evolved different beak shapes for different diets.

Spatial Resource Partitioning

Using different habitats

EX: Desert plant species have different root system sto reduce competition for water. Some roots are deeper while some are shallower.

Temporal Resource Partitioning

Utilizing the same resource at different times.

EX: Wolves hunt during the day while coyotes hunt at night (o/ vv.)

One animal kills and consumes another

Predation

Parasites that cause disease in their host

Pathogens

One organism, a parasite lives on or in another, the host, and consumes only a fraction of it, rarely causing death.

Parasitism

An interaction in which an animal consumes plants or algae.

Herbivory

A relationship where both organisms benefit.

Mutualism

A relationship where one organism benefits and one is unaffected.

Commensalism

Species that live in their historical, typically where they have lived for thousands or millions of years.

Native Species

Species living outside their historical range.

Exotic Species (Alien)

A small percentage of species successfully multiply, spread across large areas, and cause harmful effects on native species.

Invasive Species

An impermeable, permanently frozen layer of soil that prevents water from draining and roots from penetrating.

Permafrost

What defines a tundra?

Permafrost

A cold subarctic forest biome

Taiga (Boreal Forest)

What does a Taiga have?

Coniferous evergreen trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons.

A coastal biome typically with moderate temps. and high precipitation.

Temperate Rainforest

A biome with warm summers, cold winters, and over 1 meter of annual precipitation.

Temperate Seasonal Forest

What are Temperate Seasonal Forests dominated by?

Broadleaf Deciduous Trees

A biome characterized by hot, dry summers, and mild, rainy winters.

Shrubland

A biome characterized by cold, harsh winters, and hot, dry summers.

Temperate Grassland (Cold Desert)

A warm and wet biome found between 20 degrees North and 20 degrees south of the equator.

Tropical Rainforest

A biome marked by warm temps, and distinct wet and dry seasons.

Savanna

A biome located at roughly 30*N and 30*S, characterized by high temps., extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation.

Hot Desert

Where are Temperate Rainforests found?

Along the coasts of North America, Chile, Australia, and NZ.q

What rate of decomposition does a Taiga contain?

Slow because of cold temperatures.

What moderates temperatures for Temperate Rainforests?

Ocean currents, creating a near 12 month growing season

What biome contains some of the world’s tallest trees?

Temperate Rainforests

What rate of decomposition does a Taiga contain?

Slow because of cold temperatures.

What is the soil like in a Temperate Seasonal Forest?

Soil fertility is high due to higher organic nutrients from decomposed needles.

What biomes iare adapted to fires?

Shrublands and Temperate Grasslands

What biome contains the most biodiversity?

Tropical Rainforest

What biome contains Lianas?

Tropical Rainforest

What is the rate of decomposition for a Tropical Rainforest?

Extremely rapid but this causes soils to lose their fertility quickly when cleared.

What biome contains deciduous trees?

Savanna

What do

What makes up most of freshwater?

How are freshwater biomes characterized?

• low salinity

• physical depth

• water flow

What is the difference between fast moving and slow moving rivers?

Fast moving features rapids where water and air mix to dissolve high levels of atmospheric oxygen (favor species like trout). Slow moving rivers have lower O2 levels (favoring species like catfish).

Zone with shallow area near shore where rooted emergent plants grow.

Littoral Zone

Open surface

Deep water zone where sunlight cannot reach

The muddy sediment bottom underneath the limnetic and profundal zones.

Benthic Zone

Amount of suspended vegitation

Turbidity

Oligotrophic

• Low nutrient levels

• clear water

• low phytoplankton

Mesotrophic

Eutrophic

High nutrient levels

3 types of Freshwater Wetlands

• Swamps

• Marshes

• Bogs

What do the Freshwater Wetlands do for the ecosystem?

• filterpollutants

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Coastal areas where freshwater from rivers mixes with salt water

Estuaries

Highly productive environments containing nonwoody emergent vegetat

Narrow strip of coastline between high and low tide where organisms like barnacles live.

Intertidal Zones

Coastal wetlands in tropical regions featuring salt tolerant trees. The roots protect coastlines from storm damage.

Mangrove Swamps

Most biodiverse marine biome

Coral Reefs

What do corals share with photosynthetic algae?

A mutualistic relationship

When does Coral Bleaching occur

When stressed corals expel photosynthetic algae due to rising ocean temps. or pollution.

Upper ocean layer receiving enough light for photosynthesis. Phytoplankton form the base of the food web.

Photic Zone

Deep layer lacking sunlight where photosynthesis cannot occur.

Aphotic Zone

Bacteria in the deep ocean use methane and hydrogen sulfide to generate energy without light, forming the base of deep-sea food webs.

C

Movements of matter between and within ecosystems involving biological, geological, and chemical processes.

Biogeochemical Cycles

Components of a biogeochemical cycle that contain matter (air, water, organisms)

Reservoirs

Reservoir where atoms/molecules leave

Source

Reservoir where atoms/molecules are stored.

Sink

Atoms aren’t lost or gained overall; they cycle continuously throughout the biosphere.

Closed System (Matter)

Why is the carbon cycle important?

It makes up 20% of total body weight in living organisms; forms backbones of proteins, cell membranes, and energy storage.

Movement of carbon around the biosphere among reservior sources and sinks.

Carbon Cycle

What are the fast parts (biological) of the Carbon Cycle?

• Photosynthesis

• Respiration

• Exchange

• Combustion

What does Exchange do during the fast part of the carbon cycle?

Direct exchange of CO2 between atmosphere and ocean via water diffusion.

What does Combustion do during the fast part of the carbon cycle?

Burning of organic matter (fires) or fossil fuels, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere.

What are the slow parts (geological) of the Carbon Cycle?

• Sedimentation

• Burial

• Extraction

Dissolved CO2 combines with calcium to form calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitating to form limestone / dolomite (largest carbon reservoir.

Sedimentation

Small fraction of organic carbon is buried in sediment before decomposing, forming fossil fuels over millions of years.

Burial

Human removal of fossil fuels.

Extraction

What does the Nitrogen Cycle do?

Used to build amino acids, proteins, DNA, and RNA

What are the 5 key transformations in the Nitrogen Cycle?

1. Nitrogen Fixation

2. Nitrification

3. Assimilation

4. Mineralization / Ammonification

5. Denitrification

Converts unusable atmospheric N2 gases into usable forms

Nitrogen Fixation

Nitrifying bacteria convert ammonium into nitrite into nitrate

Nitrification

Plants/ algae absorb inorganic nitrogen into their tissues

Assimilation

Fungal and bacterial decomposers break down dead organic matter / waste back into inorganic ammonium

Mineralization / Ammonification

Specialized bacteria in anaerobic environments convert nitrate into nitrogen gas

Denitrification

FIX NAAD-ANPAN

• FIX - N Fixation. → Ammonia

• Nitrification. →. Nitrates / Nitrites

• Assimilation →. Proteins / DNA / AA

• Ammonification → Ammonia

• Denitrification. →. Nitrogen

The movement of phosphorous around the biosphere among reservoir sources and sinks

Phosphorous Cycle

What is phosphorous?

A limiting nutrient

What is the biological need for Phosphorous?

It is crucial for DNA, RNA, & ATP

How is Phosphorous different from Carbon and Nitrogen?

It has no gas phase

What is the main reservoir for Phosphorous?

Rocks and sediments containing Phosphorous minerals

What are the 5 key processes of the Phosphorous Cycle?

1. Assimilation

2. Mineralization

3. Sedimentation

4. Geologic Uplift'

5. Weathering

Low oxygen environment

Hypoxic

Environment with low to 0 oxygen where aquatic life die.

Dead Zones