Ecology
Provide a definition for ecology.
The scientific discipline in which the relationships among living organisms and the interaction the organisms have with their environments are studied
Individual organisms of a single species that share the same geographic location at the same time make up a _______________.
Population
What is the difference between autotrophs and heterotrophs?
Autotrophs make their own food through photosynthesis/input of sunlight.
Heterotroph has to eat another organism to gain energy; cannot make their own food.
True or False - The cycling of nutrients in the biosphere involves both matter in living organisms and physical process found in the environment such as weathering.
True
Define denitrification.
What is the portion of Earth that supports life?
Biosphere
What is an ecosystem?
What are the four main types of heterotrophs?
Herbivore
Carnivore
Omnivore
Detritivore
We talked about four major cycles in class, each cycling a different nutrient. List two.
Water Cycle
Carbon and Oxygen Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
Phosphorus Cycle
What is anything that takes up space and has mass?
Matter
True or False - Ecologists studied the organisms that are present within the biosphere.
True or False - Organisms always compete for the same resources within a biological community.
False
Define trophic level.
List and describe two of the main stages within the water cycle.
Transpiration - moisture is released as vapor
Evaporation - liquid to gas
Condensation - gas to liquid
Precipitation - water falls in the form of rain, sleet, snow, and/or hail
A bear that eats a fish that ate bugs that ate algae is a...
a. primary producer
B. primary consumer
C. secondary consumer
D. tertiary consumer
Tertiary Consumer
What two factors make up the biosphere?
Abiotic & Biotic
The close relationship that exists when two or more species live together is symbiosis. List and describe two types of symbiotic relationships.
Mutualism - both benefit
Commensalism - one benefits, while the other is neither helped nor harmed
Parasitism - one benefits at the expense of the other
What is the difference between a food web and a food chain? What do the arrows represent within both?
Food Web - a model representing the many interconnected food chains and pathways in which energy flows through a group of organisms
Food Chain - a simple model that shows how energy flows through an ecosystem
Arrow shows the flow of energy from one organism to another.
What two major processes make up the carbon and oxygen cycle?
Photosynthesis (release of carbon dioxide)
Cellular Respiration (release of oxygen)
Provide an example of predation.
Predator - blue whale
Prey - krill
Provide three examples of abiotic factors.
Provide three examples of biotic factors.
Abiotic - temperature, sunlight, water, air, clouds, rocks, dirt, etc.
Biotic - plants, animals, "paper", "steak", "wool", etc.
The biosphere is so large in size that ecologists have to break down the biosphere into smaller, organized parts....
List the following terms in order from small to LARGE:
Biosphere, Population, Biome, Organism, Ecosystem, Biological Community
Organism
Population
Biological Community
Ecosystem
Biome
Biosphere
Why does biomass decrease as you go up an ecological pyramid?
There are less organisms at the top of an ecological pyramid, being that there is less energy available.
The phosphorous cycle can either be a long term or short term process. Describe both.
Long Term - weathering or erosion of rocks that contain phosphorus slowly adds phosphorous to the cycle
Short Term - phosphorous is cycled from the soil to producers and then from the producers to consumers
Lettuce --> Greenfly -->Ladybug --> Thrush --> Cat
Identify the third trophic level.
Identify the tertiary consumer.
Trophic Level - Ladybug
Tertiary Consumer - Thrush