ESS Unit 2

Biotic

Refers to the living components of an ecosystem

Abiotic

Factors that are non-living components of an ecosystem

Species

Refers to a group of organisms that share similar characteristics and can be interbreed to produce fertile offspring

Population

A group of individuals of the same species that live in the same areas and have the potential to interbreed

Carrying capacity

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an ecosystem can sustainably support over a long period of time

Limiting factor

Biotic or abiotic factors that restrict the growth, abundance or distribution of a population with an ecosystem

Habitat

The specific place or type of environment in which an organism or a population naturally occurs and is adapt to live

Niche

Refers to the role and position of a species within it’s environment

Fundamental niche

Refers to the full range of environment condition and resources in which a species can potentially exist and thrive in the absence of competition with other species

Realized niche

Refers to the actual set of conditions and resources in which a species exists and persists in the presence of competition with other species

Difference between fundamental and realized niche

Fundamental: full potential range of conditions and resources a species could occupy

Realize: represents the actual subset of that potential range that a species occupies as a result of biotic interactions and competition

Temperature

A critical abiotic factor that affects the physiology behaviour and lifecycle of an organism

(Extreme temperature can be hurtful or deadly to many organisms)

Water

Water availability is critical for the survival and function of organism and ecosystem

Teresrial organisms: have adaptations to cope with varying water availability

Aquatic organism: are adapted to specific water conditions such as salinity levels

Soil

Provides essential nutrients water and physical support for plant growth

S-shaped is population curve (logistic growth)

Occurs when a population initially grows exponentially but eventually levels off and stabilizes at the carrying capacity of the environment

J-shaped population curved (exponential growth)

Growth which occurs when a population grows continuously without any constraints

Habitat stability

Population thrive in habitats that provide suitable conditions for their survival and reproduction

Climate change

Change in temperature, precipitation patterns and extreme weathers events can impact psychological, behavioural, migrational patterns and reproductive cycles of organism

• Some species evolve to adapt to these new conditions while others may struggle to survive or reproduce

Environs disturbance

These disturbances can directly impact population size through mortality or habitat destruction, as well as indirectly by disrupting resource availability or altering species interactions. Populations may decline or even face extinction if the disturbances exceed their ability to recover or adapt.

Examples: wildfires, storms, habitat fragmentation, pollution, deforestation

Predation

One species called a predator hunts, kills and consumes another species known as prey

Example of predation

A grey wolf hunting a sheet

Herbivory

Animal called a herbivore consumes plan material as their primary food sources

Example of herbivore

Swamp rabbit (subpages aquatics) who eats grass, sedges, herbs and aquatic plants

What are the way biotic factors interact

• Predation

• Herbivore

• Parasitism

• Competition

• Diseases

• Mutualism

types of parasitism

Endoparasite

Ectoparasite

Parasite

A relationship in which one organism called the parasite benefits at the expense of another organism called the host

Endoparasite

A parasite that lives in the internal organs of its host (tapeworm)

Ectoparasite

Parasite that lives on the external surface of host and are in direct contact with the external environment

Example of ectoparasite

Monogenea and flies

Mutualism

An interaction where two species benefit from their association

Example of mutualism

Anemone and a clown fish

1. Anemone protects the blowfish from predator

2. Clown fish provides the andmone’s endosymbiosis zooxanthellae algae with excreted nutrients

Diseases

Occurred when a pathogen such as a virus bacterium or fungus infects a host organism causing them harm or illness

Example of diseas

Malaria;

This is a disease caused by mosquitos, and it happens when blood gets contaminated. Symptoms are sickens, dizziness and graver. This is happens in tropical places with a lot of humidity like malaria

Competition

Occurs when two or more species require the same limited resources such as water food and territory

types of competition

Intraspecific competition

Interspecific competition

Intraspecific competition

Members of the same species compete for a limited resource

Interspecific competition

Members of different species compete for a resource that they both need

Ecosystem

A community of living organism (biotic factors) interacting with their non-living environment (abiotic factors)

• The relationship of an organism and their physical surroundings including interactions like predation, competition and symbiosis

community

A community refers to the population of different species that inhabit a particular area and interacts with one another

What are trophic levels

The position an organism occupies on the food chain

Producers

Organisms such as plant and algae that can produce their own food from photosynthesis converting sunlight into chemical energy

Types of consumers

• Primary consumer

• Secondary consumer

• Tertiary consumer

Primary consumer

They are herbivores that eat the plants

Secondary consumers

Carnivores that eat herbivores

Tertiary consumer

Carnivorous that eat other carnivorous

Decomposes

Organisms such as bacteria and fungi that break down dead organic matter and waster releasing nutrients back into the system

Food chain

Food chains depict the linear flow of energy and nutrients through an ecosystem. They illustrate the transfer of energy from one organism to another as each organism is consumed by a higher trophic level.

Food web

more complex than food chains and represent multiple interconnected food chains within an ecosystem. They demonstrate the intricate network of feeding relationships among various organisms.

What are the type of ecological pyramids

• Pyramid of number

• Pyramid of biomass

• Pyramid of energy

Ecological pyramid

Ecological pyramids represent the trophic structure and energy flow within an ecosystem.

Pyramid of numbers

Represents the number of organisms at each trophic level.

Pyramid of biomass

Illustrates the total biomass (organic matter) present at each trophic level.

Pyramid of energy

Shows the flow of energy through each trophic level, with each level typically having less energy available than the one below it due to energy loss through metabolism and heat.

Respiration

the biochemical process by which organisms break down organic molecules (such as glucose) to release energy, usually in the form of ATP, and produce carbon dioxide and water as byproducts.

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process by which autotrophic organisms, such as plants and algae, convert light energy into chemical energy (glucose) using carbon dioxide and water in the presence of chlorophyll.

Word equation of respiration

Glucose + Oxygen -> Carbon Dioxide + Water + Energy (ATP)

Word equation of photosynthesis

Photosynthesis: Carbon Dioxide + Water + Light Energy -> Glucose + Oxygen

Respiration and thermodynamics

Respiration follows the laws of thermodynamics, particularly the first law (conservation of energy) and the second law (entropy increases). Energy is neither created nor destroyed in respiration, but it is transformed from chemical energy in glucose to other forms, such as heat, with an increase in entropy.

Photosynthesis and biomass production

Photosynthesis is the primary process by which energy enters most ecosystems, providing the raw materials (glucose) for biomass production. Biomass represents the total amount of living organic matter in an ecosystem

Exertion of pyramid shapes

Some pyramids may not be pyramid-shaped, particularly in aquatic ecosystems where biomass can be inverted due to factors like rapid reproduction rates of lower trophic levels or biomass of primary producers outweighing that of primary consumers.

Pyramid shape

Most ecological pyramids are pyramid-shaped because energy is lost as it moves up trophic levels due to inefficiencies in energy transfer and metabolic processes. 

• As a result, there is typically less biomass or energy available at higher trophic levels, resulting in a pyramid shape.

Biomagnification

the rise or increase in the contaminated substances caused by the intoxicating environment

Bioaccumulation

Bioaccumulation is the buildup of absorbed chemicals in an organism over time.

Toxin Accumulation and Biomagnification

Toxins such as pesticides and heavy metals can accumulate in organisms at higher trophic levels through a process called biomagnification. 

• This occurs because toxins become more concentrated as they move up the food chain, posing risks to organisms at the top trophic levels, including humans.

Energy transfer efficiency

Energy transfer efficiency refers to the proportion of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next. 

• It is generally low, with only a fraction of the energy available at one trophic level being passed on to the next due to metabolic processes and heat loss.

Solar constant

The average amount of solar energy that is received by the atmosphere when the sun is at its mean distance from the earth

Why does solar constant varies?

It depends on the time of year or the location relative to the equator

• equators area receive more solar radiation than polar regions

Scatter

Small gases and particles in the atmosphere scatter solar radiation in random directions

How much light can clouds reflect?

40%-60% of I coming light

Albedo

Reflectivity of a surface

• Dark colour: low albedo

• Light colour: high albedo

Absorption

Where light energy is retained by the substance and transformed into head

(A large amount is in the stratosphere)

Percentage of incoming radiation onto earth

• Scatter and reflection a round for 30%

• Atmospheric gases absorb 19%

• 51% of solar energy arrives at earths surface

Biomass

The mass of a living organism in a given area expressed as a dry weight or mass per unit of area or gm-2

Productivity

Conversion of energy into biomass at a given time

• Expressed as jm-2yr-1

Gross

The total amount of products made

Net

What is left after the losses

Gross primary productivity

All the biomass produced by primary producers in a given amount of time

Net primary productivity

Represents the amount of usable biomass in an ecosystem

Formula for net perductivity?

Net = gross - respiration/ losses

Formula for gross second production

GDS= food eaten - fecal loss

sustainable yield

The amount of biomass that can be taken without reducing natural capacity of an ecosystem

Difference between flows and mater

Energy flows matter cycles

Flow

Energy flows through the economy in one direction