Terms
The science that studies the interactions between organisms and their environment.
What is Ecology?
This level of ecology forcuses on all organisms that occupy the same geographic area.
Community Ecology
Define an abiotic factor.
A non-living factor affecting species abundance and dispersal (Temperature, Sunlight, Wind, Soil Type, etc)
Rainfall affects dispersal of a population by changing a bend in a river between the population.
Abiotic
This consists of all the organisms in a particular region, along with nonliving components.
What is an ecosystem?
The goal of this level of ecology is to understand factors affecting population growth, density, and size. It also involves studies of species interactions such as predation and mutualism.
What is population ecology?
In lakes, when is organismal abundance and species diversity typically the greatest?
When nutrients are returned to surface (upwelling), and oxygen to depths by fall and spring turnover.
An ascaris nematode feeds on nutrients in the intestines of a pig.
Biotic (Predation)
A major groupings of plant and animal communities defined by a dominant vegetation type is known as a what?
Biome
List the three levels of ecology that we have discussed.
Population, community, and ecosystem ecology
Solar radiation (increases/decreases) with increasing latitude?
Because of the tilt of the Earth, the most direct sunlight will hit at the equator. The farther away a spot on the Earth is from the equator, the less solar radiation it will receive.
A tiger affects the dispersal of gazelle by consuming newborn young.
Biotic (Predation)
All individuals of one species that inhabit a geographic area (they can interbreed).
Population
The goal of this level of ecology is to study how nutrients and energy moves between organisms and the surrounding atmosphere, soil, or water.
What is ecosystem ecology?
How do Earth's orbit and tilt create seasons?
Because of the change in solar radiation with each latitude due to tilt of the Earth, as the Earth rotates around the sun, different areas of the world are hit with varying levels of solar radiation throughout the year, thus creating "seasons."
An ox-bird eats the parasites of the skin of a cow.
Biotic (Mutualism)
What is the difference between climate and weather?
Climate: The prevailing long-term weather conditions found in an area.
Weather: Specific short-term atmospheric conditions of temperature, precipitation, sunlight, and wind.
These four things determine species distribution and abundance.
Give five examples of an abiotic factor.
1) Soil Type
2) Temperature
3) Climate
4)Water
5)Wind
Worms are unable to living in a certain environment because of the soil type.
Abiotic