EcologyAllie Schneider, Bianca Hung, Dionne Rasquinha, Elle UronenPeriod 1

What is Ecology?

• The scientific study of interactions between organisms in their environments, focusing on energy transfer. It is a science of relationships.

Biodiversity

the sum total of the variety of organisms in the biosphere

Key Concepts• Interactions within and among populations• Nutrient cycling and energy flow through

ecosystems• The environment is made up of two factors; biotic

and abiotic

Vocab• Immigration: the movement of individuals into an

area, and causes population to grow. • Emigration: the movement of individuals out of an

area, and causes population to decrease • Biotic Factors: all living organisms inhabiting the

Earth• Abiotic Factors: nonliving parts of the environment

Basics of Ecology• BIOSPHERE ECOSYSTEM COMMUNITY POPULATION

ORGANISM

• Organism: Any unicellular or multicellular form exhibiting all of the characteristics of life, an individual.

• Population: A group of organisms of one species living in the same place at the same time that interbreed and compete with each other for resources

• Community: Several interacting populations that inhabit a common environment and are independent

• Ecosystem: Populations in a community and the abiotic factors with which they interact

• Biosphere: Life supporting portions of Earth composed of air, land, fresh water, and salt water.

Relationships• Competition: two or more organisms compete for

a limited resource• Producer-Consumer: • Producer- all autotrophs, they trap energy from the sun.

(BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN)• Consumer- all heterotrophs, they ingest food containing

the suns energy. Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores and Decomposers

• Predator-Prey:• Predators- Hunt prey animals for food

Symbiosis: Living Together• Commensalism: one species benefits and the

other species is NEITHER harmed or benefitted. • Mutualism: both species BENEFIT• Parasitism: one organism benefits at the

EXPENSE of the other organism

Trophic Levels• Each link in a food chain is known as a trophic

level• Trophic levels represent a feeding step in the

transfer of energy and matter in an ecosystem• Only 10% of energy transfers to the next level• Primary Producers: autotrophic plants, algae,

some bacteria• Secondary Producers: animals that eat

herbivores, carnivores• Higher Level Consumers: animals that eat

animals that eat herbivores• Decomposers: eat and break down dead organic

material

Nutrient Cycles• The Water Cycle• Describes the movement of Earth’s water• Includes condensation, precipitation, infiltration and

evaporation

• The Nitrogen Cycle• Describes how nitrogen moves through things on Earth• Cycles through living things, dead things, the air, soil and

water

• The Carbon Cycle• Describes the movement of carbon through one part of

Earth to another• Includes movement from living things to atmosphere,

atmosphere to ocean, and ocean to living things

Succession• Succession: A series of changes in a community in

which new populations of organisms gradually replace existing ones

• Primary Succession: Colonization of new sites by communities of organisms, takes place on bare rock

• Secondary Succession: Sequence of community changes that takes place when a community is disrupted by natural disaster or human actions, takes place on existing soil

Population• Growth rate = #births - #deaths population size• Increases a population:• Lack of predators• Abundance of food

• Decreases a population:• Predators• Competition

Human Impacts

• Global Warming• Deforestation• Ozone Depletion• Fishing Activities• Invasive Species• Pollution• Air•Water

• Exotic Pet Trade• Acid Rain• Climate Change• Excess Carbon

Monoxide • Radiation Poisoning

1. Multiple Choice• Define abiotic and biotic factors.

A. The sum total of the variety of organisms in the biosphere

B. Nonliving parts of the environment, Living organisms on Earth

C. Where a population lives, what a population doesD. None of the above

2. Multiple Choice• Label the grass, the rabbit, and the cougar.

A. Autotroph, heterotroph, heterotrophB. Heterotroph, heterotroph, decomposerC. Autotroph, autotroph, autotrophD. Decomposer, heterotroph, autotroph

3. Multiple Choice• What is the relationship between polar bears and

cyanobacteria?A. ParasitismB. CommensalismC. MutualismD. None of the above

4. Multiple Choice• What percentage of energy transfers to the

second level?A. 5%B. 30%C. 15%D. 10%E. None of the above

5. Multiple Choice• What cycle cycles through living things, dead

things, the air, soil and water?A. Water CycleB. Nitrogen CycleC. Carbon CycleD. All of the above

6. Multiple Choice• What word matches this definition… The

movement of individuals out of an area causes the population to decrease.A. EmigrationB. ImmigrationC. Carrying Capacity D. Biodiversity

7. Multiple Choice• Which factors limit population growth?

A. Biodiversity B. Density-dependent factor, Density-independent factorC. Competition, predation, diseaseD. All of the above

8. Multiple Choice• Population grows when….

A. Death rate is greater than birth rateB. It’s overpopulatedC. Human interference occursD. Birthrate is greater than it’s death rate

9. Multiple Choice• A herbivore is…

A. Meat eaterB. Plant eaterC. Meat and plant eater D. Insect eater

10. Multiple Choice• What is ecology?

A. BiodiversityB. Collection of all the organisms that live in a particular

placeC. The science of relationshipsD. The science of plantsE. None of the above

Answer Key

1. B2. A3. B4. D5. B

6. A7. C8. D9. B10.C

GOOD

LUCK!