1. UNIT 8 ECOLOGY

2. LESSON 1 – ECOSYSTEMS AND BIOMES
Ecology: the study of the interactions among different types of organisms, and between organisms and their physical environment.

3. Ecological Levels of Organization: Smallest  Largest Organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere Organism: smallest and most specific level Population: all the individuals of a single species inhabiting a certain area. Community: all the populations of different species that share an area. Ecosystem: community along with the nonliving elements of the forest (like soil, water, sunlight). Biome: ecosystems around the planet with similar characteristics. Biosphere: all the biomes on Earth.

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5. Biotic vs. Abiotic Factors: Biotic – living parts of an ecosystem.
Ex. Plants, animals
Abiotic – nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
Ex. Soil, temperature, rainfall

6. Major Terrestrial Biomes: Terrestrial = land Aquatic = water
Climate = long term temperature and precipitation
Weather = daily temperature and precipitation
Characteristics of Biomes include:
Climate
Temperature, precipitation
Latitude
Altitude
Soil types

8. Latitude = measure of distance from Earth’s equator.
Ex. High latitudes are farther away from equator, tundra has a high latitude.
Altitude = measure of a location’s distance above sea level.
Ex. Biomes at higher altitudes are farther from sea level like alpine biome

9. ARCTIC TUNDRA – BOREAL FOREST (TIAGA) – ALPINE TUNDRA – TEMPERATE FOREST – GRASSLAND – CHAPARRAL – DESERT – TROPICAL RAIN FOREST – SAVANNA –

10. Aquatic and Marine Biomes
Ex. Lakes, rivers, wetlands, oceans
Salinity – salt concentration of water
Marine = ocean
Sunlight – penetrates only to certain depth, which depends on the clarity of the water

11. AQUATIC BIOMES: FRESHWATER LAKE - RIVER - ESTUARY - WETLAND -

12. MARINE BIOMES: INTERTIDAL – PELAGIC – BENTHIC AND ABYSSAL – CORAL REEF -

13. LESSON 2 – ECOSYSTEM INTERACTIONS
Competition – organisms seek the same limited resource.
Predator-prey relationship = predation

14. Symbiotic relationship – one in which individuals of two different species live together in close association.
TYPES OF SYMBIOSIS:
Mutualism – both organisms benefit
Commensalism – one organism benefits; the other is not harmed or benefited.
Parasitism – one organism benefits the other is harmed.

15. Mutualism
Ex. Cleaner fish eat parasites and dead cells from other fish.
Fish gets food and the other gets cleaned from disease

16. Commensalism
Ex. Some mites attach to flies for transportation.
The mites are able to move and the flies are not affected.
Fish alongside shark.

17. Parasitism
Ex. Fleas feed on the blood of a variety of vertebrates.
Fleas get food, dogs are uncomfortable.

18. FOOD CHAINS AND FOOD WEBS
Producers – make their own food.
Ex. Plants, algae, some bacteria.
Consumers – obtain energy by feeding on producers or other consumers.

19. Primary consumers – feed on producers
TYPES OF CONSUMERS:
Primary consumers – feed on producers
Secondary consumers – feed on primary consumers
Tertiary consumers – feed on secondary consumers
Quaternary consumer – feed on tertiary consumer
Algae  tadpole  crayfish  brook trout  Tanner Spangler
Producer primary con. Secondary con. Tertiary con. Quaternary con.

20. Food chain
-Shows energy flow in one linear sequence of organisms.
Food web
-Shows energy in the complex set of feeding relationships among the many populations in a community.

23. Decomposers
When organisms die their bodies are broken down by decomposers.
-an organism that obtains its energy by breaking down dead and decaying matter
Ex. Bacteria and fungi

24. TROPHIC LEVELS
Position of an organism in a food chain or web.
Producers occupy the lowest and largest level.

25. LESSON 3
BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES – movement of elements in the ecosystem.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT ABOUT OXYGEN?
Makes up 20% of the air.
Photosynthesis puts oxygen into air.
Cellular respiration takes oxygen out of it.

26. HOW IS CARBON DIOXIDE CYCLED?
Carbon is put into air (CO2) through cellular respiration.
Carbon is taken out of the air through photosynthesis.
Fossil fuels burn and release carbon dioxide into air.

28. THE CARBON CYCLE
CELLULAR RESPIRATION - Plants make glucose (C6H12O6) and animals convert that C to carbon dioxide.
Photosynthesis – makes glucose.

29. Where is Carbon?
Found in living things.
Fossil fuels
Carbon dioxide gas

30. Describe two paths by which the carbon in a squirrel can become part of the structure of a tree trunk.
1. Squirrel eats and release carbon dioxide into air and the tree takes it in.
2. Squirrel dies and becomes fossil fuels and the fuel is burnt and the CO2 is absorbed by tree.

31. THE NITROGEN CYCLE
How much nitrogen is in the Earth’s atmosphere?
78%
What is nitrogen-fixation?
Bacteria converts nitrogen gas into nitrates so that the plant can use it.

33. How do artificial fertilizers affect nitrogen levels?
Uses nitrogen gas to make nitrates.
Lightning?
Converts some nitrogen gas into nitrates.
Ammonium?
Forms by the decomposition of organisms and their wastes.
Legumes?
Bacteria nodules on plants’ roots that convert nitrogen gas into nitrate.

35. THE WATER CYCLE
Evaporation – liquid to gas
Condensation – gas to liquid
Transpiration – water evaporating from tree’s leaves.
Precipitation – water falling from sky
Groundwater – water stored in ground
Runoff – water flowing on ground surface.

36. LESSON 4 – ECOSYSTEM RESPONSE TO CHANGE
Succession – the process of an ecosystem changing over time.
PRIMARY SUCCESSION – occurs on surfaces that did not previously support plant life, like bare rock.
SECONDARY SUCCESSION – occurs in areas that previously supported life, like a wildfire, or farmland.

37. Climax community – when succession occurs and the ecosystem becomes stable.
Example: prairie grasses are maintained by grazing and wild fires.
Succession does not occur because of these things.

38. POPULATION DYNAMICS
Study of population changes because of the number of births, deaths, and individuals moving into the population.

39. NONATIVE SPECIES AND COMMUNITY DISRUPTIONS
Endemic species – those found in their original ecosystems
Nonnative species – living outside their normal ecosystem (*invasive species)

40. Nonnative Species
Have fewer predators or no predators in their new ecosystem.
Use more of the ecosystem’s resources, or use available resources more effectively.
Reduce other endemic populations through predation.
BIODIVERSITY – variety of life forms in an area.

41. LIMITING FACTORS AND POPULATION GROWTH
Limiting factors – prevent populations from becoming too large.
-any biotic or abiotic resource that limits the size of a population
Ex. Food, sunlight, water, nutrients
Carrying Capacity – maximum population size an ecosystem can support.