ecology

Based on the data presented to you in this reading passage, how is the discharge of CO2 linked to the disappearance of the Kirtland Warbler's habitat?

As temperature rises so does the levels of CO2 which have a severe effect on the habitat

15. Identify the term used to describe factors that affect an organism's ability to survive in its environment.

Interdependence

52. If the soils on the east side of the canyon gradually became lighter, what do you predict would happen to the population size of the black squirrel population?

The squirrels would over a period of time become lighter in order to adapt to their new surroundings

Describe the flow of matter within ecosystems.

all elements help each other in complete the cycle of life

56. Define habitat. (p.428)

all of the biotic and abiotic factors in the area where an organism lives. these factors include all aspects of the environment including the grass, the trees and the watering holes.

Explain how you know that the growth of the population of birds shown on the right is restricted by one or more limiting factors.

food and competition from mates

30. What effect did the human activity have on the biodiversity of the aquatic ecosystem?

has decreased the content of oxygen in our lakes thus affecting the production (even elimination) of particular fish. By 1960 trout and whitefish were eliminated while walleye saw a significant drop and carp actually increased in production

33. Habitat fragmentation

occurs when a barrier forms that prevents an organism from accessing its entire home range. usually caused by the building of roadways or harvesting of forests. (ie bears, deer, raccoons and opossums

c. Parasitism

one benefits and one gets hurt.

29. Identify the human activity that has altered the equilibrium of the aquatic ecosystem of the walleye, trout, and whitefish.

the increase of sewage waste

Why does the decline of the jack pine pose a problem for the endangered Kirtland's Warbler?

The bird species nests in young jack pine trees (5-23 years old). The vegetation must have specific characteristics of the birds will not nest. A specific area of Michigan is one of the few preferred areas. If the jack pines can no longer grow in this area, the consequences for the Kirtland's Warbler could be devastating.

difference between density and density independent limiting factor

The density dependent factors are factors whose effects on the size or growth of the population vary with the population density. There are many types of density dependent limiting factors such as; availability of food, predation, disease, and migration. However the main factor is the availability of food. For example when the food supply of jack rabbits get depleted, they start to die or migrate to another places causing the foxes or the secondary consumers to have a shortage of food; also causing them to die or migrate.

50. Given what you know about the flow of energy, what limits the number of top-level predators in any ecosystem?

The loss of energy that occurs at each trophic level places a limit on the number of top-level carnivores a community can support.

14. Identify the type of community that develops after hundreds or even thousands of years of steady growth.

A stable, mature community that undergoes little or no succession, is a climax community

Secondary Succession

A stable, mature community that undergoes little or no succession, is a climax community. Secondary succession is the sequence of community changes when a community is disrupted by natural disasters or human actions. Fewer than 100 years

Identify one biotic and one abiotic factor that could act to limit the population growth of the bird population.

Abiotic factors such as temperature, light, and soil can influence a species' ability to survive. This range is called the species' tolerance range.

Human activities can change the flow of nutrients and energy in an ecosystem. Identify one major effect

Acid rain may have on an ecosystem.----The most obvious environmental effect of acid rain has been the loss of fish in acid sensitive lakes and streams. Many species of fish are not able to survive in acidic water. Acid rain affects lakes and streams in two ways: chronic and episodic. Chronic, or long-term acidification results form years of acidic rainfall. It reduces the alkalinity (buffering capacity) and increases the acidity of the water. Chronic acidification may reduce the levels of nutrients such as calcium, which, over time, may weaken the fish and other plants and animals in an aquatic ecosystem.

31 Why might the introduction of harmful chemicals into an aquatic ecosystem pose human health concerns? Hint: think food web!

Because each link in a food web some energy is stored within an organism and some energy is dissipated into the environment. If we destroy any of the links on the web we will cause havoc and most likely destroy the food and energy/resources that we obtain from that water resource

59. Explain why scientists believe that two different species cannot occupy the same niche indefinitely. (p.429)

Because there would be too much competition and one of them would have to die

39. Examine the picture on the right. Describe how two of the organisms depicted are influenced by one living and one nonliving component of the environment.

Duck--influenced by fish below and the plants fish--by the smaller fish and by the sun

57. Define niche. (p.428)

Each species interacts with its environment in a different way. within an ecosystem each species has an ecological niche. this niche composed of all the physical chemical and biological factors that a species need to survive stay healthy and reproduce. tis includes food, abiotic conditions, behavior.

55. What does ecology study? (read standard)

Ecology is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment; it seeks to understand the vital connections between plants and animals and the world around them.

Describe the flow of energy within ecosystems.

Energy Flow Through Ecosystems. Ecosystems maintain themselves by cycling energy and nutrients obtained from external sources. At the first trophic level, primary producers (plants, algae, and some bacteria) use solar energy to produce organic plant material through photosynthesis.

35. Habitat degradation

Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity.

Identify the organisms responsible for recycling the residue of dead organic materials

It is the decomposition product of different types of organic materials. Materials that go through the decomposition process to form soil organic matter include: crop and plant residues, tree litter, animal waste, animals and different types of soil organisms, their by-products and to a lesser extent human waste (

Explain why the rapid spread of the Zebra mussel is of great concern to regional wildlife biologists.

Native North American mussels have suffered greatly as a result of being encrusted with zebra mussels. Sometimes several thousand zebra mussels are found on a single native mussel. In Lakes St. Clair and Erie, zebra mussels have severely reduced populations of native mussels. Some mussel species in the St. Croix River are very rare and are officially listed as endangered. As zebra mussels spread, biologists are concerned that these species face imminent extinction.

Describe the flow of nutrients within ecosystems.

Not all organisms produce their own food. Organisms that need to consume other organisms to obtain their energy are called consumers or heterotrophs. Animals, humans, fungi and bacteria are all consumers. They obtain their nutrients and energy by eating other organisms. A simple pathway of the flow of nutrients in an ecosystem is called a food chain. It is called a 'chain' because each living organism provides a link in the chain and each organism depends on the organism that comes before it. One organism will feed upon another in a sequence of food transfers. Food chains rarely have more than six links or trophic levels and usually start with a primary producer and end with a predator. An example of a very simple food chain is: grass grasshopper frog snake kookaburra.

45. Explain the importance of nutrient cycles. (p.413-416)

Nutrient cycles allows the transformation of matter to different specific forms that enables the utilization of that element in different organisms. [For example, although nitrogen is abundant in the atmosphere, plants can only take up nitrogen in two solid forms, namely ammonium and nitrate. Without the transformation of nitrogen into these forms, plant growth would be limited.] Therefore, nutrient cycles enable the provision of elements to organisms in forms that are usable to them. Nutrient cycles allows the transfer of elements from one location to another.

Why is it important for an ecosystem to recycle the residue of dead organic materials?

Plants obtain nutrients from two natural sources: organic matter and minerals. Organic matter includes any plant or animal material that returns to the soil and goes through the decomposition process. In addition to providing nutrients and habitat to organisms living in the soil, organic matter also binds soil particles into aggregates and improves the water holding capacity of soil. Most soils contain 2-10 percent organic matter. However, even in small amounts, organic matter is very important.

54. Refer to the graph on the right. Explain how a downward shift in the amount of precipitation would affect the number of individuals.

Precipitation directly relates to the number of individuals according to this chart. when when the precipitation increases so does population and a decline in one brings a decline in the other

19. In graph A, what causes the population of species one to level off?

Species 1 may be better adapted to this environment than species 2. — Species 2 requires more food than species 1. — The environment in the culture dish is better suited to the requirements of species

Some human activities can be beneficial to ecosystems. Explain the purpose of a reintroduction program and identify one species that has been successfully reintroduced.

Species reintroduction is the deliberate release of a species into the wild, from captivity or other areas where the animal survives. A species that needs reintroduction is usually one whose existence has become threatened or endangered in the wild. A successful reintroduction program is being credited with the resurgence of black bears in the Ozark forest in southern Missouri Because of unregulated hunting and habitat loss, black bear populations tanked in Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma in the 1920s. But thanks to the black bear reintroduction program that started in the 1950s in Arkansas, there are now hundreds of black bears in the region's hilly forests.

Identify the term used to describe the ability of an organism to withstand fluctuations in biotic and abiotic environmental factors.

The ability of an organism to resist biotic and abiotic changes in the environment is called its tolerance. The tolerance of a species is its ability to endure shocks and changes, as well as its potential to expand to new ecosystems. Tolerance may be considered in terms of the extent of conditions a species can withstand, in which case it is called tolerance range.

20. In graph C, what causes the population of species two to rapidly decline?

There is competition between species l and species 2. — Species l eats species 2. — There is not enough space to support two species.

Recognize that and describe how human beings are part of Earth's ecosystems. Note that human activities can, deliberately or inadvertently, alter the equilibrium in ecosystems.

We have caused global warming and effect the world around us in both positive and negative influences

biotic factor

While abiotic factors determine where a particular species is able to live, biotic factors often determine the species' success. For example, while deer are able to survive the abiotic conditions in dense forests, they are more abundant in open woodlands. This is where they obtain preferred food species and can watch for predators. Many key biotic factors involve interactions between individuals. Individuals are often in competition with members of their own species and with other species. They compete for limited resources, such as food, light, space, and mates. For example, a maple tree and a birch tree may compete for sunlight and soil nutrients. Red squirrels compete with each other for pine cones and mates.

21 If you were told that species one was non-native to the area, what might you suggest about the reason why species two was at a competitive disadvantage?

again maybe species 1 eats species 2

Identify the group of microorganisms responsible for recycling carbon in the environment. (read standard)

algae

Understand and explain the significance of the introduction of species, such as zebra mussels, into American waterways, and describe the consequent harm to native species and the environment in general.

Zebra mussels are native to western Russia, near the Caspian Sea. Successful introduction of zebra mussels into the Great Lakes probably occurred in 1985 or 1986, when one or more transoceanic ships discharged ballast water into Lake St. Clair. Because zebra mussels prefer hard surfaces at moderate water depth, water intake structures, such as those used by power plants and city treatment plants, are susceptible to clogging by zebra mussels. In fact, since 1989, some facilities located on Lake Erie have reported big reductions in pumping capacity and occasional shutdowns caused by encrusted zebra mussels.Recreational users of water infested with zebra mussels can also be affected. Unprotected docks, breakwalls, boat bottoms, and engine outdrives can provide the hard surface zebra mussels need to colonize and grow. In lakes Erie and St. Clair, there were numerous reports of boat engines overheating because cooling water inlets were clogged by zebra mussels.

b. Commensalism

a relationship between two organisms where one benefits and one stays the same

37. Identify the term used to describe the nonliving factors in the environment. (p.402)

abiotic

Explain why ecosystems with greater amount of biodiversity are better protected from changes caused by human activities.

biodiversity is the diverse world of living things--wide array and assortment of species. loss of biodiversity can reduce an ecosystem's stability and make it more difficult for the ecosystem to handle future change. . the loss of even a single species can harm the overall stability of an island ecosystem.

38. Identify the term used to describe the living factors in the environment.

biotic

26. How is the energy stored in fossil fuels released back into the environment? (read standard)

by burning these fossil fuels, people are passing most of the stored energy back into the environment as heat and releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide.

16. identify the term used to describe the number of organisms of one species that an environment can support indefinitely. (p.442)

carrying capacity of an environment is the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that the environment can normally and consistently support

40. Identify the type of graph shown on the right.

double line

List 3 living factors depicted on the right.

duck, fish, plant

Describe how ecosystems can be reasonably stable over hundreds or thousands of years. Understand that if a disaster such as flood or fire occurs, the damaged ecosystem is likely to recover in stages that eventually result in a system similar to the original one.

ecosystems are always changing, sometimes quickly and dramatically with a fire or flood or sometimes slowly. Damaged ecosystems from flood or fire are likely to recover in stages that eventually result in a system similar to the original one. orderly, natural changes that take place in communities of an ecosystem is a SUCCESSION. Primary succession is the colonization of new sites by communities of organisms after a change in the ecosystem. (Volcanoes). After time, primary succession slows down, and the community becomes fairly stable.

a. Removal of leaves from a yard.

if left alone the leaves decompose and help the soil

a. Mutualism

interspecies interaction in which both organisms benefit from one another.

Identify the term used to describe a non-native species. (p. 500)

introduced species is any organism that was brought to an ecosystem as the result of human action.

60. Define symbiosis. (p.432)

is a close ecological relationship between two or more organism of different species which live in direct contact with each other

51. Why might lighter colored squirrels be less likely to survive on the east side of the Grand Canyon?

it is due to the fact that the color of the soil on the east side of the canyon isdark

43. Explain the importance of the decomposers in the food web. (p.409)

it is that which breaks down organic matter into simpler compounds. Fungi for example are decomposers. Decomposers are important to the stability of an ecosystem because they return vital nutrients back into the environment

25. What environmental conditions were responsible for the formation of the great coal beds and oil pools? (read standard)

layers of energy-rich organic material laid down gradually turned into great coal beds and oil pools by the pressure of the overlying earth.

18 Identify 3 possible causes of the fluctuations observed in the carrying capacity graph on the right. (p.443 & 444)

limiting factors two types of this * density dependent limiting factors they are limiting factors that are affected by the number of individuals in a given area. ie competition Members of population compete with one another for resources ie food and shelter, predation- population of predator can be limited by the available prey and the population of prey can be limited by being caught for food *density independent limiting factors- are the aspects of the environment that limit a population's growth regardless of the density of the population unusual weather can affect size of population regardless of its density.

b. Fertilizer runoff from farm fields.

may enter the water and poison the water

a. List 3 non-living factors depicted on the right.

moisture, sunlight and soil

a. Do the warblers share the same niche?

no

Explain why non-native species may threaten species currently present in an area. (p.500 & 501)

non native species can be problem if they prey on or crowd out native species. May also cause economic damage. nonnative or introduced species are active and sometimes disruptive in their new ecosystems.

Once again, examine the images on the prior page. Which image shows the type of succession likely to occur after A forest fire?

primary succession

48. Explain why a healthy population of producers is essential for the creation of a stable ecosystem. (p.406-407)

producers (also called autotrophs) because it these organisms get their energy from nonliving resources. If they disappeared where would consumers (heterotrophs) obtain their food as they eat living or once living things like plants and meat. If there is not a origin of the food cycle there would not be a continuous cycle

34. Edge effect

refer to the changes in population or community structures that occur at the boundary of two habitats. Areas with small habitat fragments exhibit especially pronounced edge effects that may extend throughout the range.

What effect will the change in the biodiversity have on the stability of the aquatic ecosystem?

ripple and long term effect. it can make it more difficult for the ecosystem to handle future change

limiting factor

something that limits an activity or prevents a population from expanding. example being able to serve soup to ten people because you only have ten soup bowls

What is believed to be responsible for the decline in the number of jack pine, yellow birch, and red pine in the Great Lakes region?

summers are becoming too warm

density independent limiting factor.

the independent factor of death valley affects the population of the living things as well. However this time the factors are more Abiotic rather than biotic thing. For example in death valley one of the independent factors is natural disasters like flash flooding. However flash flooding in death valley increases the population size of death valley. After flash floods or thunderstorms more water causes more vegetation giving more food for primary consumers. So as more and more primary consumers like rabbits come more food is available for secondary consumers like fox's; causing the population density of death valley to increase.

44. Explain what would most likely happen to the snake population if the number of raccoons present in the ecosystem rapidly declined.

the number of snakes would multiply as they eat frogs whose only natural enemy according to this flow chart is raccoons, which means there would be an abundance of food for the snake

42. Food webs consist of multiple food chains. List the organisms present in a single food chain shown on the right. Use arrows to show the direction of energy flow. (p.408)

the snake and the raccoon are the major predator

41. What would happen to the number of lynx if the population of hares significantly declined?

they would appear to be directly related so if one declines the other declines as well

a. What happens to the energy that is not transferred between trophic levels? (p.417-419)

trophic level: energy flow and trophic levels. The amount of energy at each trophic level decreases as it moves through an ecosystem. As little as 10 percent of the energy at any trophic level is transferred to the next level; the rest is lost largely through metabolic processes as heat.

49. Approximately what percentage of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next? (p.417-419)

trophic levels are the levels of nourishment in a food chain. for example the producer or herbivore carnivore chain has three trophic leves. Carnivores are at the highest trophic level. Herbivores are at the second trophic levels and producers are at the first or bottom trophic level. Energy flows up the food chain.

32. Habitat loss

when human population moves into what was formerly wilderness

27. Identify one environmental threat caused by the burning of fossil fuels and subsequent release of large amounts of CO2.

which would normally have been released over tens of millions of years, is suddenly all released within a period of a few hundred years, thus increasing the amount of CO2 in the environment. Some scientists have suggested that ocean warming is resulting in increased CO2

58. Identify the habitat of the Cap May, bay-breasted, and yellow-rumped warblers displayed in the image on the right.

woodland forest