ecology module 2.1

define species

a group of plants or animals that has a high degree of similarity and can generally interbreed only among themselves

define population

all the individuals of a species that live in the same geographic area and are able to interact and interbreed

what is a habitat?

the physical environment in which individuals of a particular species can be found

what is a community?

all the populations (plants, animals, other species) living and interacting in an area

what is a niche?

the role a species plays in it’s community, including how it gets it’s energy and nutrients, what habitat requirements it has, and what other species and parts of the ecosystem with which it interacts

define ecosystem

all of the organisms in a given area plus the physical environment in which, and with which, they interact

what two factors are important when discussing an ecosystem?

abiotic and biotic factors

define abiotic factor

the non-living components of an ecosystem

list the examples of abiotic factors

rocks, water, soil

define biotic factors

the living (organic) components of an ecosystem

list some examples of biotic factors

plants, animals, waste (dead leaves, feces)

what is a biosphere

the total area on Earth where living things are found; the sum total of all it’s biomes

what is a biome

distinctive types of ecosystems determined by climate and identified by the predominant vegetation and organisms that have adapted to live there

list some examples of a biome

deserts, tropical rainforests, and tundra

what are the 3 broad categories that biomes can be divided into?

terrestrial, marine, and freshwater

what are the two fundamental processes that all ecosystems function through?

matter cycles and energy flow

what is a matter cycle?

movement of life’s essential chemicals or nutrients through an ecosystem

what essential chemicals are part of the matter cycle?

carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus

what is an energy flow?

the one-way passage of an energy through an ecosystem

earth is an open or closed system for matter?

Closed, but not for energy

TRUE OR FALSE

Energy usually enters as sunlight and exits as heat/light

TRUE

define photosynthesis

the chemical reaction performed by producers that uses the energy of the sun to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen

Is earth energetically open?

yes

what is a limiting factor?

the critical resource whose supply determines the population size of a given species in a given ecosystem

explain range of tolerance

the range, within upper and lower limits, of a limiting factor that allows a species to survive and reproduce

TRUE OR FALSE

Sinks are also known as storage

FALSE, they’re known as reservoirs

define sink

abiotic or biotic components of an environment that serve as storage places for cycling nutrients

residence time is……

the amount of time a nutrient spends in the sink

For the carbon cycle, why is it needed?

To build all the macromolecules (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids) which are necessary for life

what is the carbon cycle?

movement of carbon through biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem

what is an input for the Carbon Cycle

photosynthesis

what are the outputs for the carbon cycle

cellular respiration, burning fossil fuels, forest fires, and deforestation, making it unbalanced

what are the abiotic sinks for carbon

ocean and soil

what are the largest photosynthesized plants which are also important for carbon sinks?

trees

what is this describing?

plants and other photosynthetic organisms produce sugars

utilizes solar energy and CO₂; releases oxygen

has producers

Photosynthesis

what is a producer

organisms that convert solar energy to chemical energy via photosynthesis

what is this describing?

organisms break down sugar to release it’s energy

utilizes oxygen and release CO₂

has consumers

cellular respiration

what is a consumer

organisms that obtain energy and nutrients by feeding on another organism

why is nitrogen needed?

to produce proteins and nucleic acids

what do all plant and animal life depend on?

for microbes (bacteria) to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms as part of the nitrogen cycle

what is a nitrogen cycle?

a continuous series of natural processes by which nitrogen passes from the air to the soil and then returns back to the air or soil

how does nitrogen enter an ecosystem?

through nitrogen fixations

Fill in the Blank

bacteria converts atmospheric ______ into ______ , which is a form of nitrogen that is biologically available to plants

Nitrogen , Ammonia

Fill in the Blank

Once in the soil, other bacteria convert some of the _____ to _____ which is also biologically available to plants

Ammonia, Nitrate

Fill in the blank

_____ exits the ecosystem when other bacteria convert _____ back to ______

Nitrogen, Nitrate, Molecular Nitrogen

what are some human impacts that disrupt the nitrogen cycle?

fertilizers and vehicles emissions

Phosphorus is needed to produce what?

ATP & Nucleic acids

What is the phosphorus cycle?

a series of natural processes by which phosphorus moves from rock to soil or water, to living organisms, and back to soil

what disrupts the phosphorus cycle?

mining and fertilizers