Unit 12: Ecology

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Ecology

study of interactions of living organisms with one another and their environment

organism

individual living thing

population

group of the same species that live in one area

community

group of various species that live in the same habitat and interact with each other

Ecosystem

includes all organisms as well as climate, soil, water, rocks, and nonliving things in the area

biosphere

the global ecosystem comprised of all living organisms and their physical environment

abiotic

Describes the nonliving part of the environment, including water, rocks, light, and temp

biotic

Describes living factors in the environment

population density

measure of individuals living in a defined area

exponential growth

logarithmic growth, or growth in which numbers increase by a certain factor in each successive time period, characterized by J shape

logistic growth

population growth that starts with a minimum number of individuals and reaches a maximum depending on the carrying capacity of the region; described as S shaped curve

carrying capacity

largest population that an environment can support at any given time

density-dependent limiting factors

environmental resistance that affects a population that has become overly crowded; are limiting factors that are affected by the number of individuals in a given area

density-independent limiting factors

environmental resistance that affects a population regardless of population density

predator

hunter

prey

food/victim

competition

ecological relationship in which two organisms attempt to obtain the same resources

niche

An organism’s role and position within its environment, encompassing its interactions with biotic and abiotic factors

mutualism

relationship between two species in which both species benefit

parasitism

relationship between two species in which one species, the parasite, benefits from the other species, the host is harmed

commensalism

relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected

primary succession

establishment and development of an ecosystem in an area that was previously unhabited

secondary succession

Reestablishment of a damaged ecosystem in an area where soil was left intact

producer

organism that get their energy from nonliving resources, meaning they make their own food

autotroph

organism that produces its own nutrients from inorganic substances from the environment instead of consuming other organisms

consumer

organisms that get their energy by eating other living or once-living resources such as plants & animals

heterotroph

Organism that obtains organic food molecules by eating other organisms or their by products and that cannot synthesize organic compounds from inorganic materials

herbivore

Organism that only eats plants

Carnivore

organism that eats only animals

decomposer

organism that feeds by breaking down organic matter from dead organisms; ex bacteria and fungi

carbon cycle

Movement and recycling of carbon atoms between atmosphere, living organisms, the Earth’s surface, and the ocean

Nitrogen cycle

biogeochemical process through which nitrogen is converted into many forms, consecutively passing from the atmosphere to the soil to the organism and back to the atmosphere

water cycle

continuous movement of water on, above, and below Earth’s surface. Processes include evaporation, condensation, and precipitation

Biomagnification

condition of toxic substances being more concentrated in tissues of organisms higher on the food chain than ones lower in food chain

greenhouse effect

the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases in the air absorb and reradiate infrared radiation.

Biodiversity

richness and complexity of life, including all living things and their interactions. Genetics, species, and ecosystem diversity.

HIPOC

Habitat loss, invasive species, pollution, over exploitation, and climate change. (5 major threats to biodiversity!)

what are the 5 levels of ecological study

organism, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere

Differentiate between biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems

Biotic factors are living factors such as plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria. Abiotic factors are nonliving factors such as moisture, temp, wind, sunlight, and soil

Explain how population density can be estimated

population density = total # of individuals/area of land

compare and contrast density-dependent and density-independent factors

Density dependent include many types of species interactions: competition, predation, parasites and disease. Density independent are aspects of environment: unusual weather, natural disasters, human activities, and affects population size regardless of density. They both affect population, are limiting factors that affect population growth and size.

Describe the cause of boom and bust population cycles with respect to predators and prey

Rapid population increases (boom) followed by a steep decline (bust) increase in prey populations with abundance of resources as the prey boom so do predators, causing a decline in prey populations, decline in predator population, cycle recurrence

what is interspecific completion

competition between 2 different species

what is intraspecific competition

Competition among members of same species

identify causes and possible results of interspecific competition

causes could be they have a shared limiting resource, there is a niche overlap, and intro of new species. possible results could be elimination or local extinction of inferior competitor and population size reduction.

Compare and contrast symbiotic relationships

at least one species benefits and bla bla bla hrheheh

compare and contrast primary and secondary succession

both processes of ecological change where species composition in a community change over time. Think of it this way in how they differ from one another, primary succession is like building a house from the ground up, while secondary succession is like rebuilding a house that has been damaged but still has its foundation.

Contrast how energy and chemicals move differently in ecosystems

as energy moves up, a significant portion of energy is lost as heat (and cannot be recovered).chemicals cycle within an ecosystem, being constantly recycles and reused among organisms and the environment

How does changing one thing affect the food web

can ripple through an entire ecosystem (cascading effects) they are all connected

explain how energy flows from one tropic level to the next

energy cannot be reused in organisms. Only a small percentage of energy (10%) is available to the next trophic level, rest is waste.

Identify and explain where toxins are more concentrated in a food web

highest trophic level (this phenomenon is also known as biomagnification). As toxins move up the food chain, each consumer ingests more toxins than their prey

explain the role of greenhouse effect and its relationship to global climate change

is natural process where Earth’s atmosphere traps heat, warming the planet. However, human activities such as burning fossil fuels have increased concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to an enhanced greenhouse effect and contributing to global warming and climate change.

Explain the importance of biodiversity

provides essential resources for humans, helps ensure the health and stability of our ecosystem

habitat loss

Destruction of natural habitats due to deforestation, urbanization, and agriculture

invasive species

Can disrupt ecosystems and out compete native species for resources

pollution

can contaminate water sources, soil, and air, leading to health problems for wildlife and humans

overexploitation

unsustainable harvesting of natural resources, including animals, plants, and minerals can lead to the depletion of populations and disrupt ecological balance

climate change

altering global temp these changes can disrupt ecosystems shift habitats, and threaten species that are not able to adapt quickly enough

Ecological succession

a series of changes that occur in an ecosystem after a disturbance

nutrients cycle

Elements in molecules cycle through different parts of the ecosystem

true or false? Decomposers are essential to nutrients cycle

true

Where does the rest of the energy go

feces (waste) + cellular respiration (ATP + heat)

Jules

measurement of energy

What does the pyramid of numbers show

Amount of organisms

What is biomass

the weight of living things

Transpiration

evaporation of water from plants

what is key in the nitrogen cycle

bacteria because they take nitrogen in the atmosphere and convert it to compounds in the soil

How does evolution play a role in predation

traits will be favored that make predators better hunters and prey better at avoiding being eaten