4.

1 - Species, communities and ecosystems

Species
● Species​: Groups of organisms that can potentially interbreed to produce fertile offspring
● Interbreeding​: two members of the same species mating and producing offspring
● Cross-breeding​: members of different species mating and producing offspring (infertile hybrids)
○ The infertility of cross-breed offspring prevents the genes of distinct species mixing
● Population​: members of a species who live in the same area and therefore interbreed
○ Separate isolated populations develop distinct characteristics over time
○ Different populations may become different species once they can no longer interbreed

Nutrition
● Species have either autotrophic or heterotrophic methods of nutrition (few have both)
○ Autotrophic​: organisms that make their own compounds for nutrition (self-feeding)
○ Heterotrophic​: organisms that obtain nutritive compounds from other organisms (feeding
on others)
○ Mixotrophic​: organisms that exhibit both autotrophic and heterotrophic characteristics
■ Ex: Euglena gracilis has a chloroplasts for photosynthesis but also feeds on small
organisms by endocytosis

Heterotrophs
● Consumers​: type of heterotroph that feed on living organisms by ingestion
○ Ex: mosquito sucking blood, lion eating gazelle, humans eating meat
● Consumers are divided into trophic groups according to what other organisms they consume
○ Primary consumer​: feeds on autotrophs
○ Secondary consumer​: feeds on primary consumers
● Most consumes ingest a variety of trophic groups
● Waste from organisms (dead leaves, hair, feathers, dead bodies, and feces) is consumed by
detritivores and saprotrophs
● Detritivores​: type of heterotroph that obtain organic nutrients from detritus by internal digestion
○ They digest their own waste
○ Ex: earthworms, unicellular organisms
● Saprotrophs​: type of heterotrophs that obtain organic matter from dead organic matter via external
digestion (decomposers)
○ Secrete digestive enzymes into dead organic matter, digest it externally, then absorb the
product
■ Break down carbon compounds, releasing elements like nitrogen into the
ecosystem
○ Ex: bacteria, fungi

Ecosystem
● Community​: populations of different species living and interacting together
 ○ All species are dependent on other species for survival, therefore populations of one
species never live in isolation
● Abiotic environment​: the environmental surroundings
○ Abiotic environments influence organisms (organisms adapt to survive), just as
organisms influence abiotic environments (ex: plants that stabilize the sand in sand
dunes)
● Ecosystem​: interaction between communities and the abiotic environment
○ Ecologists study the components of and interactions between ecosystems
● Autotrophs and heterotrophs obtain inorganic nutrients from the abiotic environment
● Nutrient cycle​: the cycled supply of inorganic nutrients
○ Chemical elements have not run out as they are endlessly recycled
○ Includes carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, etc…
● 3 requirements of a sustainable ecosystem:
○ Nutrient availability (obtains via recycling)
○ Detoxification of waste products
○ Energy availability (obtained via a constant energy source)