ecological interactions
affect how organisms evolve, and evolutionary change in turn affects ecological relationships
levels of organization
help to break down, study, and understand these interactions
global, landscape, ecosystem, community, population, species, organismal
ecosystem dynamics
the study of relationships between organisms and their environments
biogeochemical cycles
explain how matter flows through an ecosystem
reservoirs
major storage locations
assimilation
processes through which an element incorporates into terrestrial plants and animals
release
processes through which elements return back to the environment
carbon cycle
reservoirs: atmosphere (CO2), fossil fuels, peat, cellulose
assimilation: plants via photosynthesis, consumers
release: respiration and decomposition, burning fossil fuels
water cycle
reservoirs: oceans, air, groundwater, glaciers
assimilation: plants absorb from soil, animals eat/drink
release: plants transpire, animals/plants decompose
nitrogen cycle
reservoirs: atmosphere (N2), soil (NH3, NH4, NO3, NO4)
assimilation: plants absorb from soil (notification and nitrogen fixation), animals consume
release: denitrifying bacteria, animal excretion
phosphorus cycle
reservoirs: rocks
assimilation: plants absorb from soil (PO4), consumers
release: decomposition, excretion in waste products
productivity
measure of the amount of photosynthesis
primary productivity
the amount of light energy converted into chemical energy (organic compounds) by autotrophs
factors that affect productivity
depth of light penetration
limiting nutrient
limiting nutrient
the element that controls production (photosynthesis)
eutrophication
causes excessive amounts of photosynthetic organisms, like algae, to grow
primary producers
autotrophs (plants bacteria, etc)
primary consumer
herbivores
secondary peer
primary carnivores
tertiary consumer
secondary canrivores
food chain
linear flow charts that show who eats whom
food web
extended section of the food web
keystone species
a species that affects the ecosystem more than other species
ecological effiency
amount of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next
ectothermic
“cold blooded” lack internal regulatory mechanisms so they use behaviors to maybe these children