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
