biology - basic ecology, succession, and climate

ecology levels of organization:

populations, communities, ecosystems, biomes

energy _______ _______ ecosystems

flows through

matter and nutrients ________ _________ ecosystems

cycle between

landscape ecology

study of exchange of materials, energy, organisms across multiple ecosystems

ecosystem ecology

study of energy flow and chemical cycling

community ecology

study of interactions between species

population ecology

study of the factors that affect population size and changes

organismal ecology

study of how organisms structure, physiology, behavior meet environmental challenges

biosphere

global ecosystem

landscape

connected ecostystems

ecosystem

community of organisms in an area and the abiotic factors in the area

community

group of populations of different species in an area

population

group of individuals of the same species living in an area

ecological succession

species replacing one another

primary succession

succession begins in virtually lifeless area where no soil formed

secondary succession

existing community cleared by disturbance leaving soil intact

first life forms in succession

prokaryotes and protists

first photosynthesizers

mosses and lichens, from windblown spores

______ get the most direct sunlight

tropics

direct sunlight =

more light and heat per unit surgace area

higher latitudes get ______ angle

oblique

climate

long term prevailing weather conditions in given area

global climate patterns determined by ________________

input of sunlight and earth’s movement in space

seasonal wind patterns change _________

ocean currents - upwelling cold water from deep ocean - nutrient rich water stimulating growth of phytoplankton

land near oceans/ large lakes have __________ climate

moderated and wetter

ocean currents _____________ overlying masses near coastlines

heat/cool

rainshadow effect

dry leeward side of a mountain due to the mountain blocking moist air masses

every 100 m increase in elevation equals temp drop of ___ C

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