Ecology

1. Ecology Allie Schneider, Bianca Hung, Dionne Rasquinha, Elle Uronen Period 1

2. What is Ecology? • The scientific study of interactions between organisms in their environments, focusing on energy transfer. It is a science of relationships.

3. Biodiversity the sum total of the variety of organisms in the biosphere

4. Key Concepts • Interactions within and among populations • Nutrient cycling and energy flow through ecosystems • The environment is made up of two factors; biotic and abiotic

5. Vocab • Immigration: the movement of individuals into an area, and causes population to grow. • Emigration: the movement of individuals out of an area, and causes population to decrease • Biotic Factors: all living organisms inhabiting the Earth • Abiotic Factors: nonliving parts of the environment

6. Basics of Ecology • BIOSPHERE ECOSYSTEM COMMUNITY POPULATION ORGANISM • Organism: Any unicellular or multicellular form exhibiting all of the characteristics of life, an individual. • Population: A group of organisms of one species living in the same place at the same time that interbreed and compete with each other for resources • Community: Several interacting populations that inhabit a common environment and are independent • Ecosystem: Populations in a community and the abiotic factors with which they interact • Biosphere: Life supporting portions of Earth composed of air, land, fresh water, and salt water.

7. Relationships • Competition: two or more organisms compete for a limited resource • Producer-Consumer: • Producer- all autotrophs, they trap energy from the sun. (BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN) • Consumer- all heterotrophs, they ingest food containing the suns energy. Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores and Decomposers • Predator-Prey: • Predators- Hunt prey animals for food

8. Symbiosis: Living Together • Commensalism: one species benefits and the other species is NEITHER harmed or benefitted. • Mutualism: both species BENEFIT • Parasitism: one organism benefits at the EXPENSE of the other organism

9. Trophic Levels • Each link in a food chain is known as a trophic level • Trophic levels represent a feeding step in the transfer of energy and matter in an ecosystem • Only 10% of energy transfers to the next level • Primary Producers: autotrophic plants, algae, some bacteria • Secondary Producers: animals that eat herbivores, carnivores • Higher Level Consumers: animals that eat animals that eat herbivores • Decomposers: eat and break down dead organic material

10. Nutrient Cycles • The Water Cycle • Describes the movement of Earth’s water • Includes condensation, precipitation, infiltration and evaporation • The Nitrogen Cycle • Describes how nitrogen moves through things on Earth • Cycles through living things, dead things, the air, soil and water • The Carbon Cycle • Describes the movement of carbon through one part of Earth to another • Includes movement from living things to atmosphere, atmosphere to ocean, and ocean to living things

11. Succession • Succession: A series of changes in a community in which new populations of organisms gradually replace existing ones • Primary Succession: Colonization of new sites by communities of organisms, takes place on bare rock • Secondary Succession: Sequence of community changes that takes place when a community is disrupted by natural disaster or human actions, takes place on existing soil

12. Population • Growth rate = #births - #deaths population size • Increases a population: • Lack of predators • Abundance of food • Decreases a population: • Predators • Competition

13. Human Impacts • Global Warming • Deforestation • Ozone Depletion • Fishing Activities • Invasive Species • Pollution • Air • Water • Exotic Pet Trade • Acid Rain • Climate Change • Excess Carbon Monoxide • Radiation Poisoning

14. 1. Multiple Choice • Define abiotic and biotic factors. • The sum total of the variety of organisms in the biosphere • Nonliving parts of the environment, Living organisms on Earth • Where a population lives, what a population does • None of the above

15. 2. Multiple Choice • Label the grass, the rabbit, and the cougar. A. Autotroph, heterotroph, heterotroph B. Heterotroph, heterotroph, decomposer C. Autotroph, autotroph, autotroph D. Decomposer, heterotroph, autotroph

16. 3. Multiple Choice • What is the relationship between polar bears and cyanobacteria? • Parasitism • Commensalism • Mutualism • None of the above

17. 4. Multiple Choice • What percentage of energy transfers to the second level? • 5% • 30% • 15% • 10% • None of the above

18. 5. Multiple Choice • What cycle cycles through living things, dead things, the air, soil and water? • Water Cycle • Nitrogen Cycle • Carbon Cycle • All of the above

19. 6. Multiple Choice • What word matches this definition… The movement of individuals out of an area causes the population to decrease. • Emigration • Immigration • Carrying Capacity • Biodiversity

20. 7. Multiple Choice • Which factors limit population growth? • Biodiversity • Density-dependent factor, Density-independent factor • Competition, predation, disease • All of the above

21. 8. Multiple Choice • Population grows when…. • Death rate is greater than birth rate • It’s overpopulated • Human interference occurs • Birthrate is greater than it’s death rate

22. 9. Multiple Choice • A herbivore is… • Meat eater • Plant eater • Meat and plant eater • Insect eater

23. 10. Multiple Choice • What is ecology? • Biodiversity • Collection of all the organisms that live in a particular place • The science of relationships • The science of plants • None of the above

24. Answer Key • B • A • B • D • B • A • C • D • B • C

25. GOOD LUCK!