1. Ecology

2. Define Ecology

3. study of the interactions that take place among organisms and their environment

4. Describe each of the following terms: Biosphere Biotic Abiotic

5. Describe each of the following terms: Biosphere - part of Earth that supports life, including the top portion of Earth's crust, the atmosphere, and all the water on Earth's surface Biotic - living Abiotic – non-living

6. Describe each of the following terms: Biome

7. Describe each of the following terms: Biome - large geographic areas with similar climates and ecosystems Includes: –TUNDRA –TAIGA –DESERT –TROPICAL RAINFOREST –TEMPERATE RAINFOREST –DECIDUOUS FOREST –DESERT –GRASSLAND

9. Describe each of the following terms: Organism Population Community

10. Describe each of the following terms: Organism – one of any living thing Population - all the organisms that belong to the same species living in a community Community - all the populations of different species that live in an ecosystem

11. Do you know these? Producer Consumer Decomposer

12. Producer: makes its own food Consumer: gets energy by eating other organisms Decomposer: breaks down waste and dead organisms; puts raw materials back into environment

13. Describe each of the following terms: Types of consumers: –Herbivore –Carnivore –Omnivore –Scavenger

14. Describe each of the following terms: Types of consumers: –Herbivore: eats only plants (deer) –Carnivore: eats only meat (lion) –Omnivore: eats both plants & meat (people) –Scavenger: eats only dead organisms (vulture)

15. Describe each of the following terms: Types of interactions among organisms: Predation Parasitism Competition Commensalism Symbiosis

16. Describe each of the following terms: 5 Types of interactions among organisms: –1) predation: one organism kills another for food –2) competition: different organisms fighting for same resource –3) parasitism: one organism benefits the other is harmed but not always killed –4) commensalism: one organism benefits, the other is unaffected –5) symbiosis (mutualism): both organisms benefit

17. Levels of Organization in an Ecosystem(small to large) Species: group of similar organisms that can reproduce with each other Population: all the members of one species Community: all the different populations in one area Ecosystem: living & non-living organisms in an area Biosphere: entire livable area of earth

18. Populations Lets talk about factors that influence populations What might control or change population sizes?

19. Population Density The number of individuals of a species in an area

20. Limiting factors Things in an environment that limit how many organisms can grow in a certain area. –Examples: food, water, shelter, space, temperature (climate)

21. Carrying Capacity The maximum population an area can support –If a population gets bigger than the carrying capacity, organisms die off –Carrying capacity is determined by limiting factors

22. How do we determine population sizes? Direct observation Indirect observations (evidence that an organism ids there, but we can’t see it directly) Sampling (estimates based on info.) Mark and capture (tagging)

23. How do populations change in number? Death Birth Immigration( coming in) Emigration (going out)

24. Describe each of the following terms: Ecosystem Habitat Niche

25. Describe each of the following terms: Ecosystem - all the living organisms that live in an area and the nonliving features of their environment Habitat - place where an organism lives provides food, shelter and temperature needed for survival Niche - refers to the unique ways an organism survives, obtains food and shelter, and avoids danger

26. Describe each of the following terms: Adaptations of consumers: –Carnivore - meat-eating animal with sharp canine teeth specialized to rip and tear flesh –Herbivore - plant-eating mammal with incisors specialized to cut vegetation and large, flat molars to grind it –Omnivore - plant- and meat-eating animal with incisors specialized to cut vegetables, premolars to chew meat, and molars to grind food

27. Describe each of the following terms: Energy flow through an ecosystem

28. Describe each of the following terms: Energy flow through an ecosystem - the movement of energy through an ecosystem through food webs. The transfer of energy from one organism to another.

29. Describe each of the following terms: Food chain Food web

30. Describe each of the following terms: Food chain - chain of organisms along which energy, in the form of food passes. An organism feeds on the link before it and is in turn prey for the link after it. Food web - Complex network of many interconnected food chains and feeding relationships; a group of interconnecting food chains

31. Review food chains here: http://www.vtaide.com/png/foodch ains.htm

32. Describe each of the following terms: Energy pyramid

33. Describe each of the following terms: Energy pyramid – a way of showing energy flow. As the amount of available energy decreases, the pyramid gets smaller. Each layer on a pyramid is called a trophic level.

34. Describe each of the following terms:

35. Mutualism Commensalism Symbiosis Parasitism

36. Describe each of the following terms: Mutualism - a type of symbiotic relationship in which both organisms benefit Commensalism - a type of symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other organism is not affected Symbiosis - any close relationship between species, including mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism Parasitism -a type of symbiotic relationship in which one organism benefits and the other organism is harmed

37. Describe each of the following terms: Succession Primary succession Secondary succession

38. Describe each of the following terms: Succession - natural, gradual changes in the types of species that live in an area; can be primary or secondary Primary succession – takes place where no soil exists Secondary succession – takes place where soil is already present

39. Describe each of the following terms: Pioneer species Climax community

40. Describe each of the following terms: Pioneer species - a group of hardy organisms, such as lichens, found in the primary stage of succession and that begin an area's soil-building process Climax community - stable, end stage of ecological succession in which the plants and animals of a community use resources efficiently and balance is maintained by disturbances such as fire.