Sustainable Ecosystems Test Study.txt

Sustainable Ecosystems

The study of living organisms in the natural environment
How they interact with one another
How they interact with their nonliving environment
Ecology is:

Concept of Sustainability
Ecosystems: all the interacting parts of a biological community and its environment
Sustainable Ecosystem: An ecosystem that is capable of withstanding pressure and giving support to a variety of organisms over time

The Case of Easter Island
Is thought to be a once thriving island
People built statues and lived in forested area
People cut down trees to grow crops, to burn as a heat source, until there were no more trees
This lead to erosion, loss of plants as a food source, no extra materials to make houses, boats
The island could no longer support the human population and society began to die off
Only the statues remain

Parts of an Ecosystem
Biotic Factors: living parts such as plants, animals, and microorganisms

Abiotic Factors: non-living parts such as water, oxygen, light levels, nutrients

SYMBIOSIS is the interaction between 2 different organisms living together

HOST- usually the LARGER of the 2 organisms
SYMBIONT- usually the SMALLER member
Symbiotic Relationships
Example: You may not see any interaction from the surface, the sea anemone and the clown fish. The clown fish eats animals that are attracted to the sea anemone and the fecal matter from the fish feeds the sea anemone

PARASITISM
MUTUALISM
COMMENSALISM
The 3 Relationships we are studying are:

Is a relationship where both organisms benefit and neither is harmed.
The relationship can be long or short term.
Mutualism

COMMENSALISM
Is a relationship between the host and symbiont, where the symbiont benefits and the host is neither helped nor harmed.

PARASITISM
Is a relationship where the Symbiont lives in/on the Host
The Symbiont (or Parasite) BENEFITS
The Host is HARMED

Predation

One species benefits while the other dies (another type of symbiotic relationship)
When one organism consumes another organism for food
The consumed organism is called prey eaten by the predator
This lady bug is the predator for aphids a bug that destroys many crops.

Competition
Occurs when two or more organisms compete for the same resource such as food in the same location at the same time.
Neither species benefits (another type of symbiotic relationship
Dandelions compete with the grass for same resources, water, nutrients and light

Parts of an Ecosystem
Biotic Factors: living parts such as plants, animals, and microorganisms

Abiotic Factors: non-living parts such as water, oxygen, light levels, nutrients

Abiotic Characteristics
Key factors are: their importance and role on ecosystems
Water
cells are mostly made up of water, wastes are disposed of with water, many animals and plants live in water
Water availability, desertification, water quality and pollution
Oxygen
Essential for cell processes, animals breath it where it is absorbed into blood to the cells. Aquatic animals get oxygen through water
Human activities can lower oxygen levels in water depleting fish populations, pollution

Abiotic continued
Light
Photosynthesis requires light. Plants and algae need light to undergo this process. All energy for ecosystems comes from light energy converted to other forms of energy
Amount of light is affected by ecosystems, forest trees block light from plants underneath, sediment in water blocks light for algae
Nutrients
All organisms need nutrients, key ones are nitrogen and phosphorous
Human activities can alter nutrient levels, clear cutting, fertilizer run off etc.
Soil
Provides structure for growth in plants, provides nutrients to plants
Top soil contains most of nutrients can be washed away from heavy rains

What are factors in an ecosystem?
They are elements that shape the ecosystem
Factors in an ecosystem refer to the various elements, both living and non-living, that influence the environment and shape the interactions within it. These factors include all the physical, chemical, and biological components that play a role in determining the structure and function of an ecosystem. They encompass aspects like temperature, sunlight, organisms, soil composition, precipitation, and everything that contributes to the overall conditions and dynamics of a particular habitat. These factors collectively define the unique characteristics of an ecosystem and influence the species that can thrive within it.

Concept Attainment
Several ecological factors are shown on the following slides
Pay attention to where it ends up and predict other factors that show up afterwards
Plants
Fungi
Predators
Bacteria
Competition
Detritivores
Altitude
Sunlight
Precipitation
Humidity
Soil Type
Temperature
Biotic Factors: