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Ecology
Definitions
 
Ecology: the study of all the interactions (btw living things and btw living & non-livingthings) that occur within the
BIOSPHERE
.
 
Ecosystem: all the interacting parts of a biological
COMMUNITY
and its environment; agroup of living organisms that, along with their 
ABIOTIC
environment, form aself-regulating system through which energy and materials are transferred.
 
Abiotic factors: non-living parts of the environment (e.g. water, elements, temperature &climate, wind)
 
Biotic factors: living parts of the environment (e.g. plant and animal organisms)
 
Biodiversity: variety of living organisms that inhabit Earth or in a given area
 
Decomposers: (food chain role) various bacteria & fungi that break down dead material andanimal wastes and extract the remaining nutrients
 
Population: all the individuals of one species that occupy a certain geographical areaduring a certain time
 
Community: groups of different species of organisms that interact together (e.g. acommunity of soil or stream organisms); all the populations in an ecosystem
 
Food chain: a hierarchy of organisms through which energy is transferred in the act ofeating, and involves
TROPHIC LEVELS
; directional
 
Food web: a hierarchy of organisms in which each organism gains energy from eating;thus, interconnected food chains
 
Niche: the role an organism fills in an ecosystem
 
Habitat: the place where an organism lives, including needs such as a water supply
 
Autotroph: (energy term) an organism that produces complex organic compounds fromsimple inorganic molecules using energy from light or inorganic chemicalreactions; the producers in a food chain
 
Heterotroph: (energy term, equivalent to the food chain role
CONSUMER
) an organism thatrequires organic substances to get its carbon for growth and development
 
Saprotroph: (energy term, equivalent to the food chain role
DECOMPOSER
) an organismthat gains its energy and chemical nutrients from dead plants and animals
 
Primary consumer: (food chain role) first consuming organism (herbivore/omnivore)
 
Sec. consumer: (food chain role) second consuming organism (carnivore/omnivore)
 
Trophic level: the feeding level based on energy in a food web (e.g. producers, primaryconsumers, secondary consumers)
 
Producer: (food chain role) green plants and some species of bacteria that usephotosynthesis
 
Herbivore: an organism that only consumes plants
 
Carnivore: an organism that only consumes meat
 
Omnivore: an organism that consumes plants and meat
 
 
Biome: a group of ecosystems which are similar or related to each other in thedominant form of plants or climate… (e.g. Boreal forest biome, tundra)
 
Natural ecosys: developed naturally; typically constantly changing and biodiverse
 
Artificial ecosys: controlled by humans; typically changes little and lacks biodiversity
 
Ecotones: a transition area between bordering ecosystems with much biodiversity
 
Bioamplification: the effect in which harmful chemicals accumulate as they go up in the foodchain; results in very high (harmful or lethal) concentration in top carnivores
 
Symbiosis: (also,
SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP
) a relationship between two or more species
o
 
Mutualistic: a symbiosis in which both species benefit
o
 
Parasitic: a symbiosis in which one species benefits and the other is harmed
o
 
Commensal: a symbiosis in which one species benefits and the other is neutral
 
Scavengers: (food chain role) organisms that consume leftovers and scrap materials, butwhich do not produce nutrients in a form suitable to be reused by producers;their wastes must be further broken downIn order of largest to smallest:biome
→
ecosystem
→
community
→
population
At-Risk
 
Extinct: species no longer found anywheree.g. blue walleye
 
Endangered: species close to extinction in a large areae.g. eastern cougar 
 
Extirpated: species does not exist in one area but can be found elsewheree.g. grizzly bear 
 
Threatened: species likely to become endangered if factors are not reversede.g. wood bison
 
Vulnerable: species at risk because of low/declining numbers in outer/restricted areae.g. grey fox
 
Causes
o
 
Disturbances in the food chain (e.g. loss of food source)
o
 
Human intervention
o
 
Environmental change
Pyramids
 
Show hierarchy of food chain, trophic levels
 
To draw one:
o
 
Title should indicate type of pyramid, organisms and/or food chain
o
 
Scale (e.g. 50 organisms per square / 100 kg per square / 100 kJ/m
2
per square)
o
 
Centre line (all bars should be centered)
o
 
Label each bar (with species and numerical data)
 
Pyramid of Numbers
 
Based on number of organisms (population) at each level
 
May be inverted if size differs greatly
o
 
e.g. tree -> birds & insects
Pyramid of Biomass
 
Based on dry mass of each trophic level
o
 
Usually uses kg as unit
 
May be inverted if life spans or reproduction rates differ significantly
o
 
e.g. phytoplankton (small mass, consumed quickly but reproduce quickly) -> fish
Pyramid of Energy
 
Based on energy transferred between the trophic levels
o
 
Usually uses kJ/m
2
as the unit
 
Can never be inverted
Water Cycle
 
A: precipitation over land
 
B: precipitation over water 
 
C: transpiration
o
 
Plants lose water from leaves
 
D: seepage from ground
o
 
Water goes from the surfacedown into the water table, seepsinto lakes and oceans
 
E: runoff
o
 
Rivers
o
 
Melting snow, glaciers
 
F: evaporation
Carbon Cycle
Carbon is a
NUTRIENT
: a chemical element used by organisms to build and operate.
 
All organic molecules require C
 
Inorganic
: does not contain a combination of C and H
o
 
e.g. CO
2
gas, carbonates (CO
3
) as part of H
2
CO
3
/CaCO
3
 
 
Organic
: contains a combination of C and H, but not in carbonate form, CO
2
or cyanates
o
 
Usually as carbohydrates (sugars), fats, proteins, DNA, cellulose
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Sharillen Thamothiram

true.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................review.............................................................................

reply10 / 03 / 2010
07 / 28 / 2010This doucment made it onto the Rising List!
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