Ecology Grade 9

Biotic Elements in an Ecosystem

plants (trees, grass and seaweed)

animals (frogs, foxes, birds wolves etc.)

Abiotic Elements of an ecosystem

sunlight water soil wind temperature

Population

a group of organisms of the same species populating a given area

Community

(ecology) a group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other

Ecosytems

community of living species and physical environments

Ecological Niche

the function of a species serves in its ecosystem including what it eats, what eats it and how it behaves

Herbivore

animal that wats plants or other producers

Carnivore

animal that eats other animals

Omnivore

animal that eats both plants and animals

scavenger

animal that feeds on the remains of another ecosystem

food Chain

(ecology) a community of organisms where each member is eaten in turn by another member

Ends with the top predator

food web

(ecology) a community of organisms where there are several interrelated food chains

Ecological Pyramids

a representatian of energy, numbers or biomass relationships on an ecosystem

Pyramid of Energy

A pyramid that shows the total amount of energy available at each trophic level. 90% is lost at every level due to Cellular Respiration (work)

Primary Producers

organisms that make their own food by sunlight or chemical energy from deep sea vents

Primary Consumers

animals that eat primary producers; also known as herbivores

Secondary Consumers

eat primary consumers; can be carnivores or omnivores

Tertiary Consumers

eat secondary consumers; carnivores

Detrivores

feed on plant and animal remains

Decomposers

organisms that break down wastes and dead organisms and return raw materials to the environment

The factors that affect populations can be...

biotic availability of food

biotic access to water

Abiotic features such as ___, ___, ___ can affect an organisms ability to survive

temperature, light and soil

Terrestrial ecosystems require

temperature, light and soil to survive

Biotic factors such as ______ for food light space and mates can affect an organisms ability to survive

competition

an example of predators are

lynx preying on snowshoe hares, otters preying on sea urchins, orca preying on penguin.

an example of mutualism:

nitrogen fixing bacteria live in the roots of plants which give nitrogen to the plant!

an example of parasitism are

tapeworms in cats and dogs

an example of commensalism are

many birds nest in particular kinds of trees or in abandoned burrows

Biodiversity

refers to the variety of living species found in an ecosystem

an autotroph

makes its own food; primary producer

a heterotroph

eats other organis

carrying capacity

Largest number of individuals of a population that a environment can support

predator

An animal that hunts other animals for food

prey

Animal hunted or caught for food

Species

A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.

scavenger

A carnivore that feeds on the bodies of dead organisms

trophic level

Each step in a food chain or food web

biomass

total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level

ecological succession

gradual change in living communities that follows a disturbance

primary succession

An ecological succession that begins in an area where no biotic community previously existed

secondary succession

Succession following a disturbance that destroys a community without destroying the soil

phosphorus cycle

The movement of phosphorus atoms from rocks through the biosphere and hydrosphere and back to rocks.

nitrogen cycle

The transfer of nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil, to living organisms (bacteria), and back to the atmosphere

carbon cycle

The organic circulation of carbon from the atmosphere into organisms and back again

nitrogen fixation

process of converting nitrogen gas into nitrogen compounds that plants can absorb and use

denitrification

Conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas

phospholipids

A molecule that is a constituent of the inner bilayer of biological membranes, having a polar, hydrophilic head and a nonpolar, hydrophobic tail.

nitrogenous bases

adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, uracail

hydrolysis

Breaking down complex molecules by the chemical addition of water

dehydration synthesis

A chemical reaction in which two molecules covalently bond to each other with the removal of a water molecule.

carbohydrates

the starches and sugars present in foods, has a carbon backbone

nucleotide

monomer of nucleic acids made up of a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base

cellular respiration

the process by which cells use oxygen to produce energy from food (mitochondria)

photosynthesis

Conversion of light energy from the sun into chemical energy. (chloroplast)

greenhouse effect

warming that results when solar radiation is trapped by the atmosphere

fossil fuel

Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals.

renewable energy sources

sources of energy able to be replaced through ongoing natural processes

nonrenewable energy sources

Exist in fixed amounts on earth & can't easily be replaced or regenerated

keystone species

A species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem

invasive species

plants and animals that have migrated to places where they are not native

exotic species

Species that are carried to a new location by people

native species

Species that normally live and thrive in a particular ecosystem

climax community

A stable, mature community that undergoes little or no change in species over time

lichen

An organism made of a fungus and either algae or autotrophic bacteria that live together in a mutualistic relationship. Secretes acid and turns rock into dirt.

ammonification

The process by which bacteria break down the organic nitrogen found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic ammonium

water cycle

The continuous process by which water moves from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back

H+ (hydrogen ions) are...

acidic

Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) builds...

shells and coral in the ocean

carbon dioxide (CO2) + water (H2O) =

carbonic acid (H2CO3)

ocean acidification

decreasing pH of ocean waters due to absorption of excess atmospheric CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels

Keeling Curve

a graph made over the span of 50 years that shows the increase of carbon dioxide

Amino acids

a simple organic compound containing both a carboxyl (—COOH) and an amino (—NH2) group. Monomers of proteins.

hero of the nitrogen cycle

bacteria!

Macromolecules related to Phosphorus Cycle:

ATP, ADP, Nucleotides, phosopholipids

Macromolecules related to Nitrogen Cycle:

DNA, RNA (nitrogenous bases) amino acids

Macromolecules related to Carbon Cycle:

fatty acids, carbohydrates, amino acids

Macromolecule terms related to the Water Cycle:

hydrolysis, dehydration synthesis

Limiting Factors

Any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms.

Density Dependent Limiting Factors

limiting factor that depends on population density

Density Independent Limiting Factors

limiting factor that affects all populations in similar ways, regardless of population size