Ecology: Unfortunatly

Ecosystem

All the living things (Biotic) and non living (abiotic) things in an area

Biotic Factors

Living Things in an ecosystem

EX: (Insects, Bacteria)

Abiotic Factors

Non living things in an ecosystem

EX: (Sunlight)

Organism (individual)

One living thing

Population

Group of same species living in an area competing for food

Community

Groups of different species interact

Ecosystem

All living (biotic) and non living (abiotic) factors in an area

Competition

Struggle between organisms for the basic resources like mates and territory

Group behavior

Evolved due to membership can increase the chances of survival for individuals and their genetic relatives

Carrying Capacity

Number of organisms that can be supported by the resources in an ecosystem.

Influenced by biotic and abiotic resources

Limits population size and keeps populations from growing unchecked

Limiting Factors

Things in the environment that restrict the growth of populations

Examples of limiting factors

Shelter, Space, Predators, Disease

What is an effect of limiting factors

Population Density

Energy

The ability to do work or cause change

Autotrophs

Produces its own food using energy from the sun

Heterotrophs

Consumes other organisms to get energy

Herbivore

Eats autotrophs

Carnivore

Eats other heterotrophs

Omnivores

Eats both plants and animals

Decomposer

Breaks down organic matter

Food Chain

Shows one path of energy from one produce and a single chain of consumers

Food web

Shows all possible energy paths through a complex network of feeding relationships

What direction do the arrows in food webs and food chains always point

The direction the energy moves

In an energy pyramid where is the largest amount of energy

Producers

In an energy pyramid where are the most organisms

Towards the bottom; Producer section

In the 4 levels of an energy pyramid, how much energy goes from the producers to primary consumers

10%

What happens to the remainder of the energy

It gets lost through work or heat

Matter cycles through….?

Ecosystems

What is full of water?

Cells

Transpiration

Evaporation from plant leaves

Evaporation

Liquid water → Gas

Condensation

Gas → Liquid

Infiltration

Water drains into soil

What is the most important element in all life

Carbon

Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide and energy from the sun are used to make what?

Sugar and Oxygen

Oxygen and sugar are used to make what?

Energy, Water, and Carbon Dioxide

What are the steps of the Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen Fixation, Ammonification, Nitrification, Assimilation, and De-nitrification

Nitrogen Fixation

Done by bacteria, Atmospheric Nitrogen turns into Ammonia

Ammonification

Done by bacteria, dead plants and animals turn into ammonia

Nitrification

Done by bacteria, ammonia turns into nitrate

Assimilation

Done by plants, Nitrite gets absorbed by plants

De-Nitrification

Done by bacteria, nitrate turns into atmospheric nitrogen

Succession

Predictable pattern of plant species that establish in an area over time

Pioneer Species

The first species to inhabit an area

Climax Community

A climax community is the final, stable community in an ecosystem

Primary Succession

Occurs on a surface where no ecosystem existed before, no soil, and it occurs after volcanic activity or a glacier retreats

Secondary Succession

This process by which one community replaces another community that has been destroyed

Equilibrium

A state of balance

Dynamic Equilibrium

The inflow and outflow of energy and matter (nutrients) is steady in an ecosystem

Increasing Population

Increasing human impact on the environment

Activity

Human activities have changed earth’s land, ocean, and atmosphere

Impact

Some human changes have decreased the capacity of the environment to support some life forms