Ecology

Abiotic

Non living factors that affect an environment

Sunlight, precipitation, temperature

Examples of Abiotic factors

Biotic

Living factors that affect an environment

food, competition, prey

Examples of biotic factors

Biosphere

1st level of organazation of life

Biome

2nd level of organazation of life

Ecosystem

3rd level of organazation of life

Community

4th level of organazation of life

Population

5th level of organazation of life

Organism

6th level of organazation of life

immigration

Organisms joining and area

Emmigration

Organisms leaving an area

Birth rate vs. death rate

The higher the birth rates there are the population increases, the higher the death rates are the population decreases

Producers

Convert either light energy or chemical energy into food energy

Primary consumers

Feed on producers

Secondary consumer

Feed on primary consumers

Teritiary

Feed on secondary producers

Decomposers

Break down organic matter

Energy pyramid

Only 10% of the energy (kcals) available in each trophic level is transferred to organism in the next trophic level

Biomass pyramid

Total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level (grams/units area)

What does the biomass pyramid represent

the amount of potential food available for each trophic level

Numbers pyramid

Represents the number of individuals at each trophic level

Denisity dependent factors

Compitition, predation, disease, and crowding stress

Independent limiting factors

Changes in the environment that can limit populations independent of how large or small they are

Examples of independed limiting factors

Floods, droughts, natural disaster

Mutualism

Both species benefit in a relationship

Parisitism

One species benefits and the other is negitivly affacted in a relationship

Commensalism

One species benefits and the other is unaffected in a relationship

Invasive specie

Species that mess up how energy moves around the ecosystem by taking over resources, changing now nutrients that move, or eating other species

Pollution

The introduction of harmful substances or energy into the environment, causing damage to air, water, land, or living things

Overexploitation

When natural resources are excessively exhausted, causing severe environmental damage