Abiotic vs Biotic
Abiotic: Non-living parts. Devoid of Life. Physical rather than biological
Biotic: Living organisms in an ecosystem
Commensalism
When one organism benefits but the other is not harmed or bothered.
Ex: bird and tree
Rocky Intertidal Zone
anywhere where the land and ocean meet.
Limpets, barnacles, hermit crabs, mussels, anemones, kelp, etc live here
Endemic
Native/ specific species
Community
Species vs. Population vs. Community
Who eats who? Food chains, food webs
Individuals (species) form populations. Populations interact to form communities
Ecology
Ecology is the study of organisms and how they interact with each other and their surroundings
Competition
Two organisms compete for the same resource. They both lose energy in exchange.
Ex: lion and hyena
Chaparral Biome
Found in coastal areas that have mild winters and hot dry summers.
Vary from mountainous to flat plains
Plant/Animal life is well
adapted to long periods of drought and heat.
Invasive
Non-native things brought into an area
Apex predators
Organisms that don’t have any predators so can’t get eaten. Eat secondary consumers along with other species.
Ex: Wolves
Terrestrial vs Marine
Marine: Organisms that live underwater
Terrestrial: Organisms that live on land
Predation
When an organism eats another organism.
Ex:coyotes and rabbits
Kelp forest ecosystems
Giant kelp - largest of all algae.
One plant can grow 25-30 m in one season
Likes cold water
Threatened
A species that is close and will possibly become endangered within the foreseeable future.
Secondary consumers
Organisms that feed on other species including primary consumers. Carnivores
Ex:Bears
Mutualism
Both organisms benefit and each organism provides something to the relationship.
Ex: bee and flower
Parasitism
When an organism feeds off another and slowly consumes or transfers disease.
Ex:barnacles and whale
Food web vs Food chain
Food web: Made up of many food chains and shows more complexity of who eats whom.
Food Chain: Show energy flow in one direction between species
Species and Niche
Species: A group of organisms with similar genes. They can mate/ provide fertile offspring
Niche: habitat and behavior
Primary consumers
The organisms that eat plants and other primary producers. Herbivores
Ex: rabbits
Symbiosis
Two organisms that simply live together, it can by any type of relationship.
Ex:clown fish and kelp
marine ecosystems
The largest of the Earth's aquatic ecosystems.
Has a high salt content (3.5%)
Contrast with freshwater ecosystems which have lower salt content( less than 1%)
Species are uniquely adapted to the marine environment because of turbidity(cloudy), oxygen, light, sound, water quality, temperature, and depth.
Endangered
A species that has a very low population and is in danger of extinction
Population
Same species at the same place and time. Size depends on births, deaths, and movement
Primary producers
Organisms that produce glucose through photosynthesis
Ex: Grass, trees