Unit 10 Ecology Flashcards
Cellular
Basic unit of life
Cells form__
Tissues form__
Organs form__
- Cells form TISSUES
- Tissues form ORGANS
- Organs form ORGAN SYSTEMS
Organism
1 member of any population
Species
- Organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring
Population
Individuals of the same species living in a given area
Community
Several populations in an area
Ecosystem
- Many communities interacting with the physical environment (biotic and abiotic)
Biome
- Many ecosystems grouped according to their climates
- Desert, rainforest, tundra
Biosphere
- Portion of the Earth that can support life
Energy flows in an ecosystem from ___ to ___.
- Energy flows in an ecosystem from PRODUCERS to various CONSUMERS and DECOMPOSERS
The energy flow can be diagrammed using
- A food chain and food web
Energy pyramid
- Represents the efficiency of this flow of energy
A food chain shows…
- A food chain shows the path of energy from one living thing to another
Food chain
- Linear flow of energy through trophic levels
- Energy points in the direction of energy transfer
Food web
- All interconnected food chains in an ecosystem
Energy from the sun enters an ecosystem…
- Energy from the sun enters an ecosystem and is absorbed by producers (autotrophs)
Producer
- Autotroph
- Can make its own energy from the sun
Consumer
- Heterotroph
- Must obtain energy from an outside source
Decomposer
- Obtains energy from breaking down dead or decaying material which is then returned to the soil
Molecular
1+ atoms bonded together
Energy in an energy pyramid flows from ___ to ___.
- Energy flows from the producers to the primary consumers, to secondary to the tertiary consumers
Carnivores
- Eat herbivores or other consumers
Herbivores
- Eat only producers
Omnivores
- Eat producers and consumers
10% Law
- As energy flows from 1 level to another, 90% is lost through heat and work production.
- Only 10% of the energy available is passed to the next trophic level
Main nutrients recycled in an ecosystem
- Carbon, Nitrogen, and Water
Carbon cycle (4 steps)
- Most carbon is from the atmosphere
- Used for photosynthesis from plants
- We eat plants/plant eating things
- Then we return it into the atmosphere thru respiration (breathing out)
Carbon dioxide taken in by producers goes to consumers, cellular respiration releases carbon dioxide, decomposers release carbon into the atmosphere and soil
Nitrogen cycle
- In order to get it into plants, nitrogen from the atmosphere has to be “fixed” by bacteria.
- Animals eat the plants, and we eat the animals
- As we decompose, bacteria returns it back to the atmosphere
Population size is controlled by interactions among…
- Population size is controlled by interactions among abiotic and biotic (non-living and living) factors
Limiting factors
- Biotic and abiotic factors that restrict or control the growth of organisms
Density- dependent factor
- Affects the population when it reaches a certain density
Density-independent factor
- Affects the population regardless of density
Carrying capacity
- The number of organisms an environment can support over time without destructing
What does the carrying capacity of an environment depend on?
- The resources available
Exponential Growth
- J shaped
Logistic Growth
- S shaped
- Resources keep you in check
Niche
- The role (job) an organism plays in its habitat
Habitat
- Where the organism lives
Competition
- Organisms compete for resources such as food, space, sunlight, mates, water, etc
Predation
- When 1 organism hunts and feeds on another
Symbiosis
- Close and permanent relationship between organisms of different species
Parasitism
- When 1 organism feeds on another.
- Win-lose
Commensalism
- 1 benefits the other is neither harmed or benefited
- Win-eh
Mutualism
- Relationship when both benefit
- Win-Win
Ecological succession
- Gradual change in an ecosystem when new populations of organisms gradually replace existing ones
Primary succession
- Occurs on surfaces where no soil exists
- Ex. After a volcano, lichens will grow on rocks to begin succession
Secondary succession
- When an existing community is changed without removing the soil
- Ex. Forest fires
Pioneer species
- The first organisms to inhabit the ecosystem to start succession
Climax community
- The stable mature community after succession that undergoes little change
- Virginia: oak hickory forests
Acid rain
- Rain containing nitric and sulfuric acid from air pollution
Effect of acid rain
- Increases the acidity of the soil and water and harms living organisms
Ozone depletion
- Destruction of the ozone layer (03) by the release of chlorofluorinated compounds (CFCs)
Lack of ozone effect
- Increases the amount of ultraviolet (UV) radiation which increases rates of skin cancer
Global warming
- An increase in the amount of heat trapped in the atmosphere due to an increase in CO2, methane, and other greenhouse gases in the troposphere.
Increase in heat trapped by global warming effect
- Increases the overall temperature of the planet accelerating the melting of glaciers and polar ice
What’s the Chesapeake Bay suffering from?
- Human activities of overfishing, littering, polluted water runoff, and excessive residential and commercial development close to protected water areas
Eutrophication
- Process where water bodies receive excess nutrients that stimulate excessive plant growth
Ways to deal with environmental problems
- Renewable and non-renewable resources
- Conserving biodiversity
