Ecology study guide

What is the difference between a consumer and a producer?

A producer makes the food and a consumer feeds off the producers food

population

all of the individuals or a species that live in the same area

ecosystem

an ecosystem includes all of the organisms as well as the climate, soil, water, and rocks ( abiotic factors)

organism

any individual living thing

The Phosphorus Cycle

http://www.environmental-research.ox.ac.uk/lets-talk-phosphorus-depletion/

The Carbon Cycle

https://eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/cycles6.htm

The Nitrogen Cycle

https://eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/cycles7.htm

consumers or heterotrophs

organisms that get their energy by eating other living or once-living resources, such as plants and animals

Producers or autotrophs

organisms that get their energy from nonliving resources, meaning they make their own food

Describe what biodiversity means.

The diversity of species

list a few reasons why a beaver is an example of a keystone species.

- it keeps the environment stable -helps maintain the food chain -it is a large part of the environment

__1__ factors are nonliving things, such as __2__, __3__, or __4__.

1. abiotic 2. moisture 3. temperature 4. wind

___1___ factors are living things, such as __2__ or __3__ .

1. biotic 2. animals 3. plants

__1__ are organisms that get their energy by __2__ other organisms. These organisms are also called __3__.

1. consumers 2. eating 3. heterotrophs

All ecosystems are made up of ___1___ and ___2___ components.

1. living 2. nonliving

__1__ are organisms that get their energy from __2__ resources, meaning they make their own food. These organisms are also called __3__.

1. producers 2. non living 3. autotrophs

What is the difference between a biotic and abiotic factor?

Biotic factors are living components while an abiotic factor is a non living component

Why is the sun important to both producers and consumers?

Most producers need sunlight to make food. Consumers eat the producer's food, so therefore they need sunlight to survive.

both chemosynthesis and photosynthesis

They both produce; help producers with using sunlight to get food

Why are producers so important to an ecosystem?

They provide the basis for the ecosystem's energy. All ecosystems depend on producers.

When might a scientist use a model as a research method?

To see how the changes would affect theenvironment

biome

a biome is a major regional or global community of organisms

energy pyramid

a diagram that compares energy

community

a group of different species that live together in one area

What is the term for an organism that has an unusually large effect on its ecosystem?

a keystone species

Explain the difference between an autotroph and a heterotroph

auto is the organism who feeds themselves like plants

nitrogen fixation

bacteria converts to gas

field

benefit- more accurate picture drawback- difficult to determine

laboratory

benefit- more control drawback- artificial set

Of the 3 terms, biome, community, and ecosystem, which term contains the other 2?

biome contains ecosystem and community

hydrologic cylce

circular pathway of water

what is the difference between direct and indirect surveys?

direct surveys are used for species that are easy to follow. Scientists use the naked eye or binoculars.Indirect surveys are used for species that are difficult to track. Search for other signs of it's presence.

What is ecology?

ecology is the study of the interactions among living things, between living things and their surroundings

The Hydrologic Cycle

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=the+hydrologic+cycle&source=images&cd=&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffwee.org%2Fenvironment%2Fwhat-makes-the-columbia-river-basin-unique-and-how-we-benefit%2Fhow-the-hydrologic-cycle-works%2F&ei=eVNjVczjEMjSsAWhtIKgAg&bvm=bv.93990622,d.b2w&psig=AFQjCNGPa_BdccQC5FsJAvv4fJ2iOXo9dQ&ust=1432659163835830

biomass

measure of the total dry mass of an organism

what is observation?

observation is the act of carefully watching something overtime

photosynthesis

sunlight -> plants

Take another look at the visual vocab on page 403. In architecture, a keystone is the center of an arch that holds the arch together. How does this definition relate to a keystone species?

the keystone species holds the environment together.

biogeochemical cycle

the movement of a particular chemical

chemosynthesis

the process by which an organism forms carbs using chemicals, rather than light, as an energy source

The prefix photo- means "light" while the prefix chemo- means "chemical". How do these word origins relate to the difference between photosynthesis and chemosynthesis?

they feed with sunlight

chemosynthesis

when an organism form carbs using chemicals rather then light