1. BIG IDEA: All organisms interact with living and nonliving things in their environments

2. 30.1 Organisms and their Environments Ecology is the study of how organisms interact w/ their environments.  Population= a group of individuals in a single species living in a specific area  Community= all of the organisms w/in a specific area  Ecosystem= biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) organisms w/in a given area

3. 1.An ecologist studies how hyenas and cheetahs compete for food, Is this a study at the population, community, or ecosystem level? 2.An ecologist is interested in counting how many mountain lions live in a certain park. Is this a study at the population, community, or ecosystem level? Community, 2 different species being compared Population, looking at 1 species, in a specific area

4. 30.2 Species interactions in Ecological Communities Food chains/webs- show who eats whom  Bottom= producers, species that make their own food (usually plants)  Primary consumers eat the producers  (Top)Secondary consumers eat the primary consumers (carnivores)  Decomposers consumer dead organic matter

6. Other species interactions: Competition occurs any time 2 species in a community compete for the same resource, and there is a limited supply of resource -Competition can cause evolution Niche is the total set of biotic and abiotic resources w/in a community (sunlight, water, food, space)

7. Symbiosis: individuals of 2 species that live in close proximity 1.Parasitism: Good for 1 species, harmful to the other (+/-) 2.Commensalism: Good for 1 species, no effect on the other (+/0) 3.Mutualism: Both species benefit (+/+)

8. Illinois invasive species Invasive species: a species that has moved from it’s original home to a new area, causing lots of damage Compete w/ native species for resources. Decrease natural diversity, increases cost of food an lumber production Ex’s: Bush honeysuckle, Garlic-mustard, Asian carp

9. 30.3 Energy Flow in Ecosystems

10. The other 90% of energy? Not every organism on one level is eaten, energy lost in maintenance, growth, and feces When energy is converted from one form to another some energy is converted into heat

11. 30.4 Kinds of ecosystems There are 8 major types of ecosystems (biomes) -The type of biome found in a certain place depends mainly on climate (determines what plants/animals will thrive 1. Tropical forests: near equator, warm, large biodiversity, lots of rain, poor soil. Destroyed for timber/agriculture

12. 2. Temperate forests: areas w/ 4 seasons, leaves change color and fall. Fertile soil (chopped down for farming) 3. Coniferous forests: Long, cold winters, dry, ground covered by pine needles. Threatened by logging. 4. Tundra: Extreme cold, permafrost (permanently frozen soil) above topsoil, low biodiversity

13. 5. Savanna: Tropical grasslands, long dry season, animals prevent overgrowth 6. Temperate grasslands: very good soil, 4 seasons, don’t become forests b/c seasonal drought, fire, and grazing 7. Chaparral: Mild, rainy winters, hot dry summers. Drought, fire 8. Desert: Extremely dry (can be hot OR cold- Antarctica). Organisms have adaptations to survive extreme dry conditions

15. Aquatic ecosystems Freshwater: Still water of lakes/ponds, and flowing water of rivers, streams. Have adaptations depending on environment Saltwater: Many different species, at the surface, bottom, and in-between of ocean. Photic zone=closer to surface. Aphotic=bottom, no sunlight

16. Plankton- float in water, and go wherever current takes them (Ex: Microscopic organisms) Vs. Nekton- organisms that swim through the water (Ex: fish, whales, sea turtle)

17. Materials Cycling in Ecosystems Geochemical cycles move different substances from the biotic to abiotic world  Water- evaporates from water source  condenses in clouds  precipitates to land, runs off back  ground water  Carbon- Found in atmosphere  plants/other organisms  back to abiotic world from cellular respiration  Nitrogen: bacteria convert atmospheric N 2 can be used by living organisms

18. 30.5 Change in an Ecosystem Ecological succession describes how the community of species living in an ecosystem changes over time o Primary succession: colonization of bare land with no soil o Secondary succession: when existing life in a habitat is destroyed, but soil remains. Succession ends when stable population forms All ecosystems experience change, smaller disturbances are more frequent

19. 30.6 Population Studies 4 Factors determine population size: 1.Birth rate 2. Death rate 3. Immigration rate4. Emigration rate Exponential growth occurs when the population grows @ a fixed rate for a certain amount of time -Populations that undergo exponential growth usually cycle w/ growth to crashing (resources run out!)

20. Logistic growth shows a slow climbing population as it approaches carrying capacity (max # a habitat can support). Stable populations

21. 30.7 Human Population Growth Current population: ~7.2 billion people  Growth was exponential in recent decades, but is now slowing down  We learn how population is growing from age structure