ECOLOGY Organization of Life Biosphere planet Earth Biome

ECOLOGY

Organization of Life ◦ Biosphere= planet Earth ◦ Biome= ecosystems in a particular climate. Ex. Tropical rain forest. ◦ Ecosystem= all living & nonliving things in an area at one time. ◦ Community= all living things in a particular ecosystem. ◦ Population= all living things of the same species in an ecosystem. ◦ Individual= one organism. ◦ Key Terms: ◦ Biotic= living things ◦ Abiotic= nonliving things

Key Terms ◦ Habitat= the dwelling place where an organism seeks food and shelter. ◦ Niche= the role that an organism plays in its community, such as what it eats and where it lives. ◦ Species= a group of similar organisms that can breed with one another to produce fertile offspring.

Biomes ◦ Terrestrial (on land) biomes ◦ Tundra ◦ Taiga or Coniferous Forest ◦ Deciduous Forest ◦ Grasslands ◦ Tropical Rain Forest ◦ Deserts

Biomes ◦ Aquatic Biomes ◦ Freshwater ecosystems ◦ Estuary= where fresh water and saltwater meet in a coastal area. ◦ Marine ecosystems= saltwater ◦ Intertidal zone= area of shore seen between low and high tides. ◦ Pelagic zone= largest ocean area. ◦ Benthic zone= ocean floor.

Relationships Among Organisms ◦ Symbiosis (Symbiotic Relationship)= a long-term association between 2 members of a community. ◦ 3 Types of Relationships: ◦ 1. Commensalism= 1 member benefits, the other is unaffected. Very rare in nature. ◦ 2. Mutualism= both members benefit. Ex. Sea anemone & clown fish. ◦ 3. Parasitism= 1 member benefits, the other is harmed. Ex. Flea on dog.

Relationships Among Organisms ◦ Competition= when 2 or more organisms seek the same resource that is in limited supply. ◦ * A resources may be food, water, mates, light, or space. ◦ * Competition can occur between members of the same species or different species.

Relationships Among Organisms ◦ Predation ◦ Predators= an organism that feeds on other living things (prey). ◦ Prey= the organism being eaten. ◦ Important Note: Predators typically control the population size of the prey species. Less predators= More prey.

Energy Flow Through Ecosystem ◦ Biomass= amount of biological matter in ecosystem. ◦ Energy Flow= the transfer of energy within an ecosystem

Food Chains & Food Webs ◦ Food Chain= shows the connections between organisms (Who eats what? ) ◦ Food Web= shows the interactions between food chains. ◦ Decomposers= Live on dead or decaying organisms. (Ex. Fungi & Bacteria) AKA Saprophytes ◦ Producers= plants and any other autotrophs (algae in oceans) ◦ Consumers= depend on other organisms for food. AKA Heterotrophs. (They must eat) ◦ Herbivores= Eat only plants. ◦ Carnivores= Eat only other animals. ◦ Omnivores= Eat both.

Ecological Pyramids ◦ Trophic Level= the positions occupied by an organism in a food chain.

Energy Pyramids ◦ 10% Law= the amount of energy available to organisms at a trophic level is 10% of what was at the previous level.

Energy Pyramids ◦ Number Pyramid= the number of individuals in a population.

Energy Pyramids ◦ Biomass Pyramid= the amount of mass or living tissue at each trophic level.

Populations ◦ Population= a groups of organisms of the same species living in the same area. ◦ Population dynamic= Study of the growth rate, density, and distribution of a population. ◦ Growth Rate= the change in population size over a period of time. ◦ Immigration= organisms move INTO a population. ◦ Emigration= organisms move OUT of a population.

Populations ◦ Exponential Growth= occurs when population growth starts out slowly and then increases rapidly as the number of reproducing individuals increase. AKA J-shaped curve.

Populations ◦ Logistic Growth= Shows when a population has reached its carrying capacity. AKA S-shaped curve ◦ Carrying Capacity= The # of individuals the environment can support in a given area.

Populations ◦ Limiting Factor= anything in a population that limits population growth. Ex. Food, space, water, disease. ◦ Density-dependent factors= depends on # of individuals in population. Ex. Competition, disease, predation. ◦ Density-independent factors= does NOT matter how many individuals are in population. Ex. Natural disasters, weather, seasonal cycles.

Succession ◦ Ecological Succession= the changes an ecosystem goes through over time. ◦ Primary Succession= occurs on rock (barren land). Ex. On newly formed volcanic rock. ◦ Pioneer Species= The first species to grow on barren land. ◦ Secondary Succession= occurs where soil is already present. Ex. After forest fire, other natural disaster, or logging. ◦ Climax Community= a mature relatively stable community where there is little change in the predominant species in an area.

Primary Succession

Secondary Succession

Humans & the Environment ◦ Positive Human Actions ◦ Recycling ◦ Using renewable resources, instead on nonrenewable ones. ◦ Negative Human Actions ◦ Pollution= can occur in the air, soil, and water. ◦ Pesticides= chemical agents used to kill organisms, usually animals. ◦ Habitat Reduction= destroying habitats of organisms ◦ Urbanization= creating cities and suburbs, which disturbs the natural land. ◦ *Agriculture is the main cause of habitat destruction.

Biodiversity ◦ Biodiversity= measure of variety of organisms in an area. ◦ The more biodiversity, the better. ◦ Pollution, habitat destruction, etc. can lead to a loss of biodiversity. ◦ Biodiversity is often used to measure the overall health of an ecosystem.

Species Interaction ◦ Endangered or Threatened Species= means that very few of those organisms are alive. ◦ These organisms may be put on Endangered Species List so that they are protected. ◦ Non-native (Invasive) Species= foreign organism that enter ecosystems, usually through human action. Ex. Kudzu, jumping carp.

Loss of Genetic Diversity ◦ Genetic diversity is a result of sexual reproduction. ◦ Loss of genetic diversity may result from cloning or asexual reproduction. ◦ This is a problem with monoculture farms that have large quantities of identical organisms.

Global Warming ◦ Global Warming= describes the measured rise in the Earth’s atmospheric and oceanic temperatures. ◦ Greenhouse Effect= traps solar heat within the Earth’s atmosphere.

Human Consumption ◦ Natural Resources= Ex. Water, soil, and air. What humans need for survival. ◦ Humans also use a great deal of power. (Fossil fuels, which are nonrenewable. )