Ecology By Aimee Chavez

 Study of the interactions among organisms and the environment. Ecology

Abiotic Factors: Non-living parts of an ecosystem. Water: needed for all living organisms, part of cells and organisms, needed for respiration, photosynthesis, digestion and many other chemical reactions. Sunlight: all life requires energy and sunlight. Photosynthesis Temperature: some organisms survive only if their body temperature is between zero to fifty degrees Celsius. Air: N, O+ Co₂ (plants and animals depend on these for photosynthesis and respiration. Soil: The different types are due to amount of sand, silt, and clay which affects nutrient type, minerals, and amount of moisture. Effects type of organisms and plants that can live in an area. Climate: an area’s average weather conditions over time, including temperature, rainfall, and wind. Abiotic Factors

 The living or once living parts in an ecosystem. Biotic Factors

Levels of organization

 Earth has many spheres.  1. Lithosphere  2. hydrosphere  3. cryosphere  4. biosphere  5. atmosphere  6. exosphere Earth’s Sphere’s

 Life sphere  Part of Earth that supports life  From 11,000 km. deep in the ocean, 9,000 km. on mountains, to 4.5 km. in the atmosphere. Biosphere

 Air Sphere  Most of Earth’s atmosphere is made up of N 78%, O 21% Atmosphere

 Water sphere  Includes all of the rivers, lakes and oceans of Earth. Hydrosphere

 Icy cold sphere  Is the frozen part (ice, snow, sea glaciers, Sea Ice, Ice Shelves, frozen ground, and Icebergs) of Earth: icecaps in Greenland and Antarctica, the arctic, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, mountains in USA, Canada, China, and Russia. Cryosphere

 Rock Sphere  From High Mountains like the Rockies and Andes to huge plains in Texas, and deep valleys in the ocean floor.  The very thin crust on top and the top part of the mantle. Lithosphere

 Outside or heavenly sphere  Includes the whole universe beyond the top of the atmosphere-The sun, moon, and stars, as well as asteroids and the little bits of dust that make meteors when they hit the atmosphere. Exo or celestial sphere

 Population size: if small enough can count but if too large can get an estimate.  Population density: the number of individuals in a population that occupy a definite area  i.e.: 100 mile per sq. km.  Immigration: when species move into an area.  Emigration: when species move out of an area. Characteristics of populations

 Limiting Factors: Food, water, living space, resources, any biotic and abiotic factor that limits the number of individuals in a population.  Carrying Capacity: the largest number of individual species that an environment can support and maintain. Limiting Factors & Carrying Capacity

 Symbiosis: is any close interaction between 2 or more different species.  Mutualism: two species benefit Symbiosis

 Commensalism: Benefits one with no affect on other.  Parasitism: one species benefits and the other is harmed. Symbiosis

 Predator: the organism that hunts and kills for food.  Prey: the organism that is killed for food. Predation

 Habitat: place where organisms live.  Niche: role or job of the organism, what eats it, how it gets its food, how it interacts with other organisms  Earthworm: habitat: soil  niche: loosening, aerating, enriching soil Habitat & Niche

 Food Chains: shows how energy flows from one organism to another. The arrows show energy transfer. It usually has only up to 3 or 4 links because 10% is passed at each level.  The food chain start at producers (autotrophs): organisms that make their own food. Then energy flows to consumers (heterotrophs) (1 st level) then (2 nd level) etc. Matter & Energy

 A series of overlapping food chains. Food Web

 The law of conservation of mass states that matter and energy is recycled and not lost or gained.  Cycles in nature include the H₂O, C, and N  These cycles are very important to the homeostasis and survival of organisms. Water and Carbon are important parts in cellular respiration and photosynthesis and Nitrogen is essential for protein synthesis. Cycles of Matter

Water Cycle

Carbon Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle

 Producers use chlorophyll and other pigments that capture light which powers the reaction. Extra starches are stored Photosynthesis

 Carbohydrates are used for growth, maintenance, and reproduction.  Consumers, Chemical reactions occur that break down food into simpler substances and release energy, enzymes are needed.  This process begins in the cytoplasm where CHO is broken down to glucose and other products, energy is released.  The products enter the mitochondria and more energy is released as well as CO₂ and H₂O. Cellular Respiration

Reverse Reactions

 When cells don’t have enough O for cellular respirations. Some store energy is released from stored energy.  Fermentation begins in the cytoplasm and energy is released but doesn’t move to the mitochondria. More reactions then occur in the cytoplasm which releases more energy and waste products of lactic acid or alcohol and CO₂. Fermentation