Bio: Chap 3 - The Biosphere

ecology is…

the study of interactions amount organisms & their physical environment

the biosphere includes:

the combined portion of living & non-living aspects of planet earth

species

a group of similar organisms that can breed and produce offspring

population

a group of a particular species living in the same area

community

different population living in the same area

ecosystem!!

all living & non-living factors combined

term to remember?

SPaCE BB

biome

group of ecosystems with the same climate

observation

counting the number of koala bears in a specific location using satellites or radio tags

experimentation

growing plants using different fertilizers in a greenhouse

modeling

illustrating a food web to show feeding relationships among organisms in an ecosystem

biotic

living

abiotic

non-living

autotrophs

can store energy in forms that is useful & available to other organisms that eat them. they utilize photosynthesis and chemosynthesis

what do autotrophs eat

photosynthesis (make their own food)

photosynthesis

the process in which plants use light energy to combine carbon dioxide with water

chemosynthesis

the process in which bacteria derives energy form the oxidation of inorganic compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide.

consumer

an organism that gets its energy by eating other organisms

consumer: - heterotroph

(gets energy directly from the sun)

ex: all other organisms except autotrophs

six types of consumers and what each one eats?

1. carnivore: meat eater

2. herbivores: eats plant matter

3. omnivores: eat meat/plants

4. scavengers: do not hunt but eat dead things they find

5. decomposers: break don organic matter (dead plants / animals)

6. detritivores: eat dead remains

decomposers

like bacteria and fungi, chemically break down organic matter and produce detritus

detritivores

eat the remains of dead animals and plants.

living things in our world are connected to other ______________ in a variety of ways.

organisms

the branch of biology called ________ is the scientific study of interactions among organisms and their____________, including relationships between living and _____________ things.

ecology, environments, nonliving

all living things on earth can be found in the _______________, the portion of Earth that supports life.

biosphere

the biosphere extends form high in the _____________ to the bottom of the ocean.

atmosphere

many different environments can be found in the biosphere. all living organisms found in the environment are called _____________ ____________

biotic factors

nonliving parts of an enviorment are called _________ ____________ .

abiotic factors

Whales, trees, and ____________ are biotic factors.

humans

ocean currents, temperature, and ________ are abiotic factors.

soil

a group of organism of one species that interbreed and live in the same place at the same time

population

a collection of interesting populations

ecosystem

interactions among the populations and abiotic factors in a community

competition

occurs between organisms when resources are scarce

community

a terrestrial ecosystem

forest

which level of organization contains all the organisms of ONE species that live in a certain area?

population

what is the highest level of organization studied by ecologists?

biosphere

a group of populations / includes animals of different species living together ex. a pond with all of its many species of creatures living together in one location

community

nutrient

• chemical substances needed to sustain life like water and minerals (carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen)

• food chains/web continually recycle nutrients

• plat a vital role in all ecosystems; build tissue and carry out essential life functions

food chain

• series of feeding steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten

• the sun is not always shown but it is the main, source of energy

trophic levels

• each step in a food chain that shows the transfer of energy.

• cannot contain more organisms than there is energy to support

• energy flows in one direction and that is away from the sun

Where is energy greater, at the grasshopper level or the snake level and why?

the grasshopper because they are the primary consumers, & also more heat

Who is the top level carnivore?

the hawk (final consumer)

Who is the herbivore?

the grasshopper (its eating plants)

How many steps away is the frog from the sun?

3 trophic levels

What trophic level is the hawk?

5th trophic level

10% rule

• only 10% of the energy stored in an organism is passed to the next organism on the next trophic level

life processes

movement, digestion, reproduction, metabolism, respiration…

the REST is eliminated as HEAT

food webs

interconnected food chains that show all feeding relationships in an ecosystem

phytoplankton

plant-like aquatic microorganisms found in marine and fresh water (plants)

zooplankton

aquatic animal-like organisms & the larval stages of other life forms (animal!)

energy pyramids

shows relative amounts of energy available at each trophic level

biomass pyramid

shows the relative or total amount of living organic matter at eat trophic level

pyramid of numbers

shows the relative number of individuals living at each trophic level

ecological pyramids

show the relative amount of biomass, numbers or energy contained within each trophic level in a food chain/web