Stage 2 Flashcards
Ecology
Scientific study of the interactions that occur among the organisms in the biosphere and among the organisms and their physical environment.
The biosphere contains …
All life on earth along with all the parts in which life exist. It extends for about 8 kilometers above the earth’s surface and 11 kilometers below the surface of the ocean.
Root of ecology
Greek oikos. House.
Root of the word economics
Oikos also.
Economy is
Concerned with human “houses” and human interactions based on money or trade.
Interactions amount nature’s houses are based on
Energy and nutrients.
Human economics and ecology are linked because …
Humans live within the biosphere and depend on ecological process to provide such a essential as food and drinkable water that can be bought and sold or traded.
Levels of organization (smallest to biggest)
Individual organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, and biosphere.
Species
Group of similar organism which can breed and produce fertile offsprings.
Population
Group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area.
Community
Assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area.
Ecosystem
All the organisms that live in a place, together with their physical environment.
Biome
Group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organism.
Biosphere
Entire planet along with its organisms and physical environments.
Environment
Word used by ecologist to refer to all conditions or fatso that surround and organism.
Type of factors in an environment
Biotic and abiotic
Biotic factors
Biological influences on organisms; any living part of the environment with which an organism can interact (animals, plants, mushrooms, bacteria)
Abiotic factor
Physical components of an ecosystem; any non living part of the environment (sunlight, heat, precipitation, humidity, wind or water currents, type of soil, etc.).
Modern scientist us three methods in their work that relay on scientific methodology to guide inquiry. This are?
Observation, modeling and experimentation.
Observation
First step in asking ecological questions, or may form the fist step in designing experiments or models. They can be simple or complex (they are in the form or questions).
Experimentation
Experiments are used to test hypothesis, they carefully alter conditions in selected parts of natural ecosystems or use an artificial environment.
How do living systems operate?
By expending energy.
Autotrophs
Organisms which can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and convert it into forms that living things can use. They produce food by assembling inorganic molecules into complex organic molecules. They store energy in forms that maki it available go other organism that est them. Also called primary producers.
Primary producers are …
The first producers of energy rich compounds that are later used by other organisms. They are essential to the glow of energy though the biosphere.