Biosphere
is all life on earth, and all parts of earth where life exists (water, land, atmosphere)
Species
group of organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring
Population
a group of organisms of the same species, that live in the same area
Community
all the different populations in a defined area
Ecosystem
all the organisms that live in an area together with the environment of the area
Biome
a group of ecosystems that have similar climates and organisms (jungle, desert)
Ecology
study of interactions between organisms and the environment
Biotic Factor
any biological influence on an organism (diet - what it eats, like dolphins eat fish)
Abiotic Factors
physical biological influences on an organisms (weather, rocks, water)
What methods are used in ecology?
observation, experimentation, modeling
Autotrophs
any organism that does not have to consume food because they make their own (plants)
Primary Producers
any organism that can make their own food (bacteria & plants)
Consumer
an organism that must eat other organisms to survive
Photosynthesis
the process of turning sunshine into sugar
Chemosynthesis
the process of making food out of chemicals
Heterotroph
have to acquire food from other organisms (consumers/humans)
Carnivore
kills and eats meat
Scavengers
consume already dead animals
Herbivore
only eats plants
Omnivore
will eat animals or plants (humans)
Decomposers
bacteria or fungi that break down organic matter
Detritus
small pieces of dead plants n' animals
Detritivores
eat detritus
Food Chain
a series of steps where organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten
Phytoplankton
primary producers in aquatic food chains (algae)
Zooplankton
animal, makes up base of aquatic food chain
Food Web
connected food chains that show complicated relationships
Decomposers and Detritivores, why are they important
recycle nutrients and keep us from being surrounded by dead material
Trophic Level
each step in a food chain
Ecological Pyramid
how much is available at each level of a trophic level
How much energy is lost from one trophic level to the next?
90% lost, so keep dividing by ten going up starting with 100 at the bottom
Three types of pyramids
1. energy (calories)
2. biomass (matter of living stuff)
3. numbers (shows the number of organisms at every level)
How does energy flow through ecosystems?
In a one direction stream from primary producers to consumers
How does matter flow between ecosystems?
in a circle (biogeochemical cycles) powered by energy
How much energy is available from one trophic level to the next?
10%
Where does 90% of energy go from one trophic level to the next?
1. used to stay alive, grow
2. waste, heat
How does water cycle through the biosphere?
water moves between the ocean, atmosphere, and land (both inside and outside of organisms).
transpiration
Evaporation of water from the leaves of a plant
groundwater
Water that is found underground--absorbed into soil (part of the water cycle)
precipitation
rain/snow-- water traveling to earth's surface
evaporation
when water turns to gas
How does carbon cycle through the biosphere?
1. Plants take in carbon dioxide to build carbohydrates.
2. Consumers eat carbohydrates and then exhale carbon dioxide.
3. Dead organisms can be fossilized into fossil fuels and burned to release carbon dioxide.
niche
the physical and biological conditions in which a species lives and the way the species survives
resource
any necessity of life (water, shelter, food, etc.)
competitive exclusion principle
no two species can occupy exactly the same niche at the exact same time
how does competition relate to niches?
by causing species to divide resources, competition separates them into different niches
keystone species
a species that can cause dramatic changes in a community (ex. shark)
symbiotic relationship
any relationship in which species live/work together
mutualism
both species benefit
parasitism
one benefits, the other is harmed (ex. leech)
commensalism
one organism is helped, the other neutral
resource partitioning
When species divide a niche to avoid competition for resources
What are the three types of aquatic ecosystems?
1. freshwater (very little salt)
2. marshes/estuaries (medium salt)
3. ocean/marine (high salt)
freshwater
#NAME?
marshes/estuaries
#NAME?
ocean/marine
#NAME?
Modeling an ecosystem
*
see teacher
*
tolerance
ability to survive and reproduce over a range of environmental conditions
habitat
the general place where an organism lives
weather
the atmospheric conditions at any given time
climate
the AVERAGE atmospheric conditions over time
greenhouse effect
a warming of Earth's atmosphere caused by the presence of gases in the air
latitude
the distance north or south of the equator measured in degrees (up to 90 degrees)
range of tolerance
the range of conditions that an organism can survive in
competition
a battle for limited resources
Climatogram
a graph used to show both annual rainfall and temperature in an area
limiting factor
environmental conditions that limit the growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism or a population (ex. food, space)
geographic range
the range of space where a species can survive