Biology Chapter 3-4: Ecology

Energy Pyramid

Shows the relative amount of energy available at each trophic level of a food chain of food web

Path of Energy

Sun to autotrophs to heterotrophs

Examples of Abiotic factors

Temperature Sunlight Rainfall Soil

Experiments

Testing hypothesis

Food Web

The complex network of feeding relationships in a community

Biogeochemical Cycles

The parts by which water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus pass from the nonliving environment to living organisms and back to the nonliving environment

Food Chain

The passage of energy through animals eating plants or animals

Ecology

The study of the living and nonliving parts of an environment and how they affect organisms

Biomass Pyramid

The total amount of living tissue at each trophic level that is measured in grams

Biosphere

The total world of life

Water enters the atmosphere

Through transpiration and evaporation

Chemosynthesis

Using chemicales to make food

Photosynthesis

Using light energy to make food

Examples of Scavengers

Vultures crabs Hyena Crow

Precipation

Water returns to Earth by condensing and falling

Observing

asking ecological questions

Heterotrophs

cannot make their own food

Flow of Matter

is recycled

Importance of Nitrogen to organisms

make proteins and nucleic acids

Limiting nutrient in the ocean

nitrogen

Limiting Nutrient in freshwater

phosphorus

Amount of energy transferred to the next trophic level

10 %

Ecosystem

A collection of all the organisms living in a certain area along with their nonliving surroundings

Pyramid of numbers

A graphical representation of the number of individuals at each trophic level

Community

A group of different populations living in the same area

Biome

A group of ecosystem with the same climate and dominant life forms

Population

A group of organisms of the same species living in a certain area

Species

A group of similar organisms that can breed in nature and produce fertile offspring

Limiting Nutrient

A nutrient that is scarce or recycles slowly

Scavengers

Animals that consume the carscasses of other animals that have been killed by predators or have died of other causes

Chemosynthetic Producer

Bacteria

Examples of Decomposers

Bacteria Fungi

Nitrogen Fixation

Bacteria that live on the roots of legumes can combine nitrogen with hydrogen to form ammonia

Examples of Omnivores

Bears Raccoons Humans

Examples of Carnivores

Big cats Sharkes

Examples of Herbivores

Bunny Horse Cow

Examples of Nutrient Cycles

Carbon Cycle Nitrogen Cycle Phosphorus Cycle

Carbon Cycle

Carbon enters living organisms when plants use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis

Nutrients

Chemicals that organisms need to build tissues and carry out life functions

Trophic Level

Each step in a food chain or web

Detritivores

Feed on decaying particles, often chewing or grinding them into smaller pieces

Energy Flow

Flows in one direction

Phosphorus enters organisms

From the soil

Modeling

Help us to gain insight into complex phenomena that occur over a long time period or on a large scale

Examples of Heterotrophs

Herbivores carnivores Omnivores Decomposers

Biotic Factors

Living organisms that are found in an ecosystem

Transpiration

Loss of water from leaves

Producers

Make their own food

Carnivore

Meat Eaters

Examples of Detritivores

Mites Snails Crabs Earthworms

Limitations of Trophic Levels

Most ecosystems only allow for 3 or 4 trophic levels because too much energy is lost

Examples of Ecological Pyramids

Pyramid of Numbers Energy Pyramid Biomass Pyramid

Ecological Pyramids

Represent the transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next

Ways carbon dioxide returns to the air and water

Respiration Decomposition Burning of Fossil Fuels

Abiotic factor

Nonliving factors in an organisms environment

Methods of ecological Study

Observing Experiments Modeling

Decomposers

Obtain energy by chemically breaking down organic matter recycle materials in a community

Phosphorus Cycle

Only cycle that does not enter the atmosphere

Autotroph

Organisms that capture energy from sunlight or inorganic chemicals

Oxygen cycle

Oxygen is released in photosynthesis and is needed for cellular respiration

Bacteria in the Nitrogen Cycle

Perform Denitrification Convert nitrates into nitrogen gas

steps in the Carbon Cycle that involve carbon passing through living systems

Photosynthesis Cellular respiration Decomposition

Types of Producers

Photosynthetic and chemosynthetic

Omnivores

Plant and Meat Eaters

Herbivores

Plant eaters

Animals Eat

Plants Animals Both

Examples of Biotic Factors

Plants Animals Fungi Bacteria Protists

Photosynthetic Producer

Plants and alage