Unit 6 HL Biology

Examples of chemicals that have been biomagnified

Mercury, DDT

Biomagnification

Consumption of organisms whose tissues have accumulate chemicals leads to this process, concentration of pollutants increasing as trophic levels increase.

Bioaccumulation

The gradual buildup of chemical substances in the tissues of organisms overtime

Eutrophication

Bodies of water become enriched with extra nutrients (Nitrogen and phosphorus)

Nitrogen fixation

The process of converting atmospheric into usable forms of nitrogen such as ammonium, nitrate, nitrite.

Greenhouse gas examples

Co2, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide

Greenhouse effect

A warming effect on the earth trapping heat in earth, it is necessary for earth not to freeze.

Carbon Source

Locations or processes that release more carbon then they absorb, EX: Burning fossil fuels, breathing.

Carbon Sink

A reservoir that stores carbon, absorbs more carbon then they release. EX: Plants and photosynthesis

Trophic level of a hawk

Quaternary

Trophic level of a frog

Secondary

Trophic level of a snake

Tertiary

Trophic level of Grass

Producer

10% rule

The concept that only about 10% of energy is ever transferred between trophic levels, the reason why there are not more then 5 trophic levels

Temporal niche partitioning

Organisms splitting an environment based on time, like how mammals go out during the day, and birds go out at night.

Spatial niche partitioning

Organisms living close together, but with a slight difference, such as the elevation between grass and a tree.

Competitive Exclusion principle

The concept that two species can have the exact same niche

Ecology

Scientific study of interactions between organisms and their enviroment

Biotic environmental factors

Living biological influences on an organism. EX: Predator, prey, food

Abiotic environmental factors

Non living influences on an organism. EX: Soil, water, temperature

Individual ecological classification

One organism

Population ecological classification

Group of organisms living at the same time, like a pond

Community ecological classification

All of populations living together, all living things in a area

Ecosystem ecological classification

All biotic factors, and abiotic factors

Biome ecological classification

A group of similar ecosystems, like a desert, or a rainforest

Biosphere ecological classification

The entire planet

Open system

Energy and matter can enter and exit

Closed system

Only energy can enter and exit

Autotroph

Organisms that can produce their own organic molecules

Photoautotroph

An organism that uses light to create organic materials

Chemoautotroph

Organisms that gain energy via oxidation of inorganic compounds like iron, sulfur, and magnesium

Heterotroph

Organisms that cannot produce their own organic molecules

Herbivore

Animal that eats producers, EX: Cow, deer, goats, catterpillers

Carnivore

An animal that kills/eats other consumers, EX: Lion, snake, cats, river otters

Omnivore

An animal who’s natural diet includes plants and other animals. EX: Human, bears, pigs

Scavenger

An animal that consumers the corpses of other animals killed by carnivores. EX: Vultures, hyenas, condors.

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead organisms/organic material. Extract energy and nutrients from decaying matter

Saprotroph

Obtain nutrients via external digestion. EX: Fungi, bacteria

5 sources of energy loss

Heat dissipation, incomplete consumption, inefficient digestion, used in metabolic processes, innefficient energy conversion and storage.

Population

A group of organisms of the same species who live in the same area at the same time

Random sampling

A random sample of a population, important because it lets people figure out populations without having to manually count.

Lincolnd index formula

Population size estimate = Number Marked in initial sample x Total number captured in 2nd sample/number that were previously marked

Limiting Factors

Environmental factors that restrict the growth, distribution, or abundance of a population or organism

Range of tolerance

Species have a range of conditions they can tolerate based on their adaptations

How range of tolerance affects a species distibution

Range of tolerance directly determines a species distribution, with the most of the species being in the optimum range, and less of them being in zone of stresses

Ecological niches

An organisms niche is its role in the ecosystem

Density Independent limiting factors

Factors have an impact on population size regardless of density. EX: Forest fire, flood, earthquake, tornado

Density dependent limiting factors

Factors that have a greater impact on population size as the population decreases. EX: predation, disease, parasites

Carrying capacity

Max population size of a species that can be sustained by a given enviroment

Interspecific interactions

Interactions between organisms of different species

Herbivory Interspecific interactions

Herbivore eats plant, material relationship, EX: Panda eating bamboo, parrot eating algae

Predation Interspecific interactions

Predator captures and eats prey, EX: Bear eat salmon, wolf eats deer

Interspecific Competition

Competition between different species for the same limited resources, EX: Different squirrels compete for food

Symbiotic interactions

Two organisms living and interacting closely with each other where at least one benefits

Parasitism Interspecific interactions

One organism (Parasite) benefits whre the other one (host) is hurt, EX: Tape worm in a human, (+,-)

Commensalism Interspecific interactions

One organism is helped and the other is neither helped nor hurt, EX: orchids on trees, (+,0)

Mutualism Interspecific interactions

Both organisms are helped (+,+), EX: Root nodules in legumes, mycorrhizae in orchids, zooxanthellae in hard corals.

Top down control

The presence and activites of organisms at higher trophic levels regulating amounts of lower trophic levels

Bottom up control

Avability of resources at a low trophic level affecting high trophic levels

Fundamental Niche

The total range of niches an organism could occupy, in a absence of competition.

Realized Niche

The role an organism actually ends up taking