Spheres of the Earth
What are the 4 spheres of the earth?
The 4 spheres of the earth are:
-Lithosphere/geosphere
-Hydrosphere
-Atmosphere
-Biosphere
What do ecologists do?
•Ecologists collect qualitative data (observations of organisms) and quantitative data (measurements).
Who do heterotrophs depend on for their energy?
Autotrophs
What is the first law of Thermodynamics?
Energy cannot be created or destroyed
Give examples of all the spheres interacting together.
Rain (hydrosphere) falls on the soil (lithosphere), which causes grass (biosphere) to grow. A cow (biosphere) eats the grass and breathes out carbon dioxide (atmosphere) as it eats.
What is the geosphere made of?
•The geosphere is made of rocks, minerals, and soil.
•It also includes all the layers of the earth’s interior (mantle & core).
What is the difference between biotic factors and abiotic factors?
•Biotic factors refer to living organisms that inhabit an environment
•Abiotic factors refer to nonliving parts of an environment
Where do autotrophs get their energy?
Autotrophs (producers) obtain energy from the sun or chemical compounds.
What is mutualism?
A relationship where both organisms benefit.
Give examples of biotic factors and abiotic factors.
Biotic examples: frog, fungi, bacteria, etc.
Abiotic examples: air, water, temperature, soil, etc.
What is the hydrosphere made of?
•The hydrosphere is made of all the water that is on Earth’s surface, underground, and in the air.
What factors are important for determining a niche?
Optimum temperature & required resources
Herbivores eat...
Carnivores eat...
Omnivores eat...
-Plants
-Meat
-Plants & meat
What is commensalism? Give an example.
Commensalism is when one organism benefits and the other is unaffected.
Example: Tree frogs use plants as protection
Give an example of an herbivore, carnivore, and omnivore.
Herbivore- deer
Carnivore- wolf
Omnivore- bear
What is the biosphere made of?
•The biosphere is the portion of the earth where life is found.
•It extends high into the air and below the surface into the oceans.
Define habitat and name 3 things that includes.
Where an organism lives (can be shared with other species) and includes food, shelter, and resources.
Decomposers & scavengers are found at every point in the food web if an organism dies. True or false?
True!
An example of parasitism are fleas or ticks living off the blood of a host animal. True or false?
True!
The organisms on the bottom of an energy (trophic) pyramid are always consumers. True or false?
False! They are always producers.
The cryosphere is primarily made of what?
These things are monitored in order to collect data about...?
-Glaciers and sea ice
-Collect data about climate change
Describe how tolerance is different between specialists and generalists.
•Specialists – organisms that have limited tolerance and can only withstand small changes in their environments
•Generalists – organisms that adapt easily to changes in their niche due to large ranges of tolerance
What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A food chain shows energy transfer through an ecosystem that is simple. A food web is many food chains combined for an ecosystem showing the many predator/prey relationships. It is more complex.
How much energy is transferred between trophic levels? Where does the rest of the energy go?
•10% of the energy is transferred
•The rest stays in undigested food or is given off as heat
Explain the differences between a fundamental niche and a realized niche.
•A fundamental niche is the role an organism can occupy without competition.
•A realized niche is the smaller niche an organism occupies because of competition.