ECOLOGY

Ecology

Scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment

environment

the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.

Atom

Basic unit of matter

Organism

An individual living thing

Population

A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area

Community

All the different populations that live together in an area

ecological systems

Interaction of the community and the non living environment

Biosphere

Consists of all life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists, including land, water, and the atmosphere.

Ecosphere

Skin of life

Lithospere

Few miles into the soil

Hydrosphere

Liquid or frozen water on or near the surface of lithosphere

Atmosphere

Region of gases, few miles into the air

Thermosphere

85 km above the earth, blocks the hotness of sun

Mesosphere

Its lower boundary is located at height of 50 km above earth surface

Mesopause

Height near 100km, can be the coldest naturally occuring on earth, no life, slows down the meteor

Stratosphere

Where airplane passes

Troposphere

80% atm, 99% water vapour and aerosol, all weather appears in this layer, people live in this layer

Autecology

the ecological study of biological relationship between an individual org and its environment

Synecology

Ecological interrelationship among communities of organism

biotic factors

The living component of the environment

abiotic factors

nonliving parts of an ecosystem

Photosynthesis

process by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches

Chlorophyll

A green pigment found in the chloroplasts of plants, algae, and some bacteria

Chloroplast

Site of photosynthesis

limiting factor

Set of conditions that approaches most nearly the limits of tolerance for a given organism

limits of tolerance

the high and low ends of the range of tolerance within which an organism can survive

environmental resistance

Collection of factors that reduces the growthrate of a population

carrying capacity

the number of individuals that can be sustained in an area

biotic potential

The maximum rate at which a population could increase under ideal conditions

habitat

Place where an organism lives

Niche

An organism's particular role in an ecosystem, or how it makes its living.

natural selection

Process that causes organisms to adapt to their environment

Charles Darwin

English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection (1809-1882)

Evolution

a change in the characteristics of a population over time

Photosynthesis

Conversion of light energy from the sun into chemical energy.

Chlorophyll

A green pigment found in the chloroplasts of plants, algae, and some bacteria

Chloroplast

An organelle found in plant and algae cells where photosynthesis occurs

limiting factor

Any environment condition or set of condition that approaches mostnearly the limits of tolerance for a given organism

limits of tolerance

The upper and lower limits to the range of particular environmental factors (e.g. light, temperature, availability of water) within which an organism can survive.

Environmental resistance

the collective force of limiting factors, which together stabilize a population size at its carrying capacity

carrying capacity

Largest number of individuals of a population that a environment can support

biotic potential

The maximum rate at which a population could increase under ideal conditions

habitat

Place where an organism lives

Niche

An organism's particular role in an ecosystem, or how it makes its living.

natural selection

A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits.

Evolution

The gradual change in a species over time

Chales Darwin

Proposed that evolution occured by the process of Natural Selection.

Speciation

the production of new species from previously existing species

Neutralism

Neither species benefits or is harmed

competition

A common demand by two or more organisms upon a limited supply of a resource; for example, food, water, light, space, mates, nesting sites. It may be intraspecific or interspecific.

intraspecific competition

competition between members of the same species

interspecific competition

competition between members of different species

Amensalism

a relationship in which one organism is harmed and the other is unaffected

Parasitism

A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed

parasite

Dependend organism

Host

An organism on which a parasite lives.

Ectoparasites

Those parasites that live on the surface of their host

endoparasite

Parasite which live inside the bodies of their host

Predation

An interaction in which one organism kills another for food.

Commensalism

A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected

Protocooperation

That is favorable to both organism but not obligatory to them

Mutualism

both organisms benefit

Sun

ultimate source of energy

Producers

Organisms that make their own food

Consumers

organisms that rely on other organisms for energy and nutrients

Decomposer

An organism that breaks down wastes and dead organisms

Saprotrophs

heterotrophs that obtain organic nutrients from detritus by external digestion.

Detritivore

heterotroph that decomposes organic material and returns the nutrients to soil, air, and water, making the nutrients available to other organisms

detritus

Dead organic matter

energy pyramid

A diagram that shows the amount of energy that moves from one feeding level to another in a food web

Producers

1st trophic level

Herbivores

2nd trophic level

Carnivores that eat herbivores

3rd trophic level

Carnivore that eat carnivores

4th trophic level

food chain

The passage of energyfrom one trophic level to the next as a result of one organism consuming another

foodweb

Is made up of several overlapping and intersecting food chains

diversity

The number of species of plants and animals in a given community higher diversity means longer food chains and greater community stability

nitrogen fixation bacteria

a type of bacteria that consume nitrogen in the air and change it into a form plants can use

denitrifying bacteria

Bacteria that convert the nitrates in soil or water to gaseous nitrogen and release it back into the atmosphere.

Nitrification

the process by which nitrites and nitrates are produced by bacteria in the soil

Ammonification

decomposers convert organic waste into ammonia

Rock

The ultimate soutce of phosphorus cycle is \_____

biogeochemichal cycle

Natural biological geological and chemical processes that occurs in different ecosystems facilitate the self regulation processes of an ecosystem

water cycle

The continuous process by which water moves from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back

Succession

A series of predictable and orderly changes within an ecosystem over time.

primary succession

An ecological succession that begins in an area where no biotic community previously existed

secondary succession

type of succession that occurs in an area that was only partially destroyed by disturbances

pioneer community

First integrated set of plants, animals, and decomposers found in an area undergoing primary ecological succession.

intermediate stages

grasses, shrubs, shade-intolerant trees

climax community

Shade tolerant trees

climax community

a relatively stable long-lasting community reached in a successional series

successional

Each step in succession process

Sere

The entire sequence of ecological succession is known as a sere.

aquatic primary succession

A shallow pond will be filled slowly with organic matter feom producers in the pond

secondary succession

Cause of distruction of an existing community

secondary succession of land

A plowed field in the southerneasternenited states showing the series of changes over time involving plants and and animal associations

secondary succession of water

A colony of beavers can dam up streams and kill trees by the dlooding that occurs and by using trees for food

Biomes

Terrestrial climax communities with wide geographical distribution

desert

Sahara Desert

Dessert which are hot during much of the year