Unit 1: Ecology Review

• Abiotic and biotic characteristics Chapter 1: Key Concepts • Abiotic and biotic characteristics • Photosynthesis and cellular respiration • Nutrient cycles and energy flows • Equilibrium and carrying capacity

Abiotic non-living factors Biotic Living organisms Elements of Ecology In order to classify what is living and what is not living, ecologists use the following terms. Biotic Living organisms animals, plants, bacteria, fungi, and algae. Abiotic non-living factors Rocks, water, air, temperature, hours of light, or salt concentration.

Biosphere 1. Atmosphere The layer of gasses that surround the earth. The gasses are used to trap heat and moisture around the earth The gases are also necessary for life to exist. (O2, CO2, H2O)

Biosphere 2. Lithosphere The Earths solid, outer layer. It is 100km deep and runs under the oceans. It contains soil which is home to many micro- organisms, plants, animals, and fungi.

Biosphere 3. Hydrosphere All of the water on the Earth. All living organisms need water, and so they depend on the hydrosphere.

Biosphere

Nitrogen cycle

The Carbon Cycle (2 parts) 1. Photosynthesis 2. Cellular respiration All living things contain carbon Plants obtain carbon from the atmosphere Forests are carbon reservoirs as well as coal and oil deposits Oceans are also reservoirs for carbon dioxide

1. Photosynthesis The process that plants use to capture energy from sunlight Plants use chlorophyll to combine carbon dioxide from the air (CO2) and water (H2O) to produce a sugar called glucose (C6H12O6) and oxygen gas (O2) Summary Carbon dioxide gas + water + sunlight  glucose + oxygen gas CO2 + H2O + sunlight  C6H12O6 + O2

2. Cellular respiration The process both Plants and animals both to turn glucose into energy. It is almost the reverse of photosynthesis Summary Glucose + Oxygen gas  Carbon dioxide + Water + energy C6H12O6 + O2  CO2 + H2O + energy

Photosynthesis + Cellular Respiration = Carbon Cycle

Producers and Consumers Producers (Autotrophs) Organisms that carry out photosynthesis Convert the suns energy into useable chemical energy Plants, algae and some other organisms

Consumers (Heterotrophs) Organisms that eat other organisms to obtain energy because they cannot produce their own energy. Ended here

Consumers (Heterotrophs) Trophic levels of consumers Primary Consumer Eat producers Grasshoppers, Deer, Moose Secondary Consumer Eat Primary consumers Robins, Small snakes, Frogs Tertiary Consumers Eat Secondary Consumers Foxes, Wolves,

Consumers Consumers can further be classified as to what type of tissues they eat Herbivore Only eat plant tissue Deer, Moose Carnivores Eat mostly animal tissue Wolves, Coyotes Animals that hunt and kill other animals are called predators; the animals they kill are the prey. An animal can be a predator to a smaller animal and prey to a larger one.

Consumers Eat mostly animal tissue Carnivores Wolves, Coyotes Animals that hunt and kill other animals are called predators; the animals they kill are the prey. An animal can be a predator to a smaller animal and prey to a larger one.

Consumers Carnivores that eat the tissue of animals they did not kill Scavengers Carnivores that eat the tissue of animals they did not kill Vultures Omnivores Eat plant and animal tissue Most humans, Bears, Racoons

Consumers Decomposers Special group of consumers that break down organic matter and release the nutrients back into the ecosystem. They do not eat the organic material directly; they release enzymes which break it down which they then absorb. Fungi and bacteria Detritivore Consumers that feed on Organic Matter The remains of dead organisms and animal waste Snails, worms, maggots.

Symbiotic Relationships (3 types) Symbiosis is a close interaction between two different species in which members of one species live in, on, or near members of another species. 1. Commensalism + / 0 relationship One partner benefits without significantly affecting the other Example – Clown fish and anemone

Symbiotic Relationships (3 types) 2. Mutualism + / + relationship Both organisms benefit Example – Bees and flowers, crocodiles and dikkop birds

Symbiotic Relationships (3 types) 3. Parasitism +/ - relationship One organism, the parasite, harms the host Example – Lamprey, tick

Predator – Prey Relationships When one organism consumes a second organism Example – Lions and Zebras Some species use mimicry to avoid predators one species looks like another species. Monarch butterfly Viceroy Butterfly

Competitive Relationships (2 types) Where organisms compete for an important resource such as food, shelter or possibly mates. May have negative effects on one another. Actual fighting or exploitative competition 1. Intraspecific Between members of the same species Individuals may compete over food, water, light, space, safe sites, or mates. Important factor limiting the population size of many species.

Competitive Relationships (2 types) 2. Interspecific Between 2 or more species As the population of one species increases, it may limit the density of the competing species

4 Factors of biotic potential Birth Potential The maximum number of offspring per birth Survival Capacity The number of offspring that reach reproductive age. Procreation The number of times that a species reproduces a year. Length of reproductive life The age of sexual maturity and the number of years the individual can reproduce.

Limiting Factor Abiotic Limiting Factors Biotic Limiting Factors Sunlight, water, soil, and air, natural disturbances such as storms, fires, droughts, and logging. Biotic Limiting Factors Competition among organisms for resources, presence of predators, reliance on other organisms for survival, and the presence of disease causing organisms.

Carrying capacity The maximum number individuals that an organism can support without reducing its ability to support future generations of the same species. Exceeding the carrying capacity hurts the environment.

Chapter 1: Summary • The biodiversity on Earth is found in the biosphere, which includes the lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. All of these spheres interact. • Energy in ecosystems comes from the Sun. It is transformed into chemical energy by plants. As energy travels along food chains, the amount of usable energy decreases.

Chapter 1: Summary • Matter is recycled in ecosystems. Plants use matter from the soil and air to make their tissues. Matter then passes along food chains, which are the biotic parts of ecosystems. • Decomposers release the substances in organic matter back into the soil, and the substances are reused by plants. • Abiotic and biotic factors affect the size of populations in ecosystems.

Chapter 1: Summary • A population’s carrying capacity is the maximum number of animals that the habitat can support over a long period. • When a population is at carrying capacity, it is at equilibrium. The number of births equals the number of deaths, and the population is steady.

Key Terms Go over all of them If you do not know one, find it in your notes and write it out.

• Factors affecting biodiversity • Soil profile and soil types Chapter 2: Key Concepts • Factors affecting biodiversity • Soil profile and soil types • Factors affecting water quality • Bioaccumulation and biomagnification

Chapter 2: Summary • Biodiversity includes species diversity, genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity. • Overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, invasive species, and climate change are factors that decrease biodiversity.

Chapter 2: Summary • Soil is made up of humus, rock particles, and living organisms. Soil can be clay, sandy or loam, and it can vary in acidity. • Water’s quality is assessed by its oxygen levels and acidity as well as by the presence of heavy metals, nitrogen, phosphorus, and pesticides. Poor water quality affects organisms that depend on the water.

• Conserving biodiversity • Conservation strategies Chapter 3: Key Concepts • Conserving biodiversity • Conservation strategies • Environmental stewardship and sustainable use

Chapter 3: • Extinction means the loss of biodiversity. Ex-situ and in-situ conservation strategies work to protect at-risk species. • Governments use legislation to enact programs to protect ecosystems. • Ecological footprints are a way of representing our resource use. • Environmental stewardship means using resources in a sustainable way. Groups and individuals are taking action to increase sustainable use.

Questions: Work on the questions to help you study for the test. I will post answers over the weekend as requested.