Intro
What is a population?
a group of organisms coexisting together
what's the difference between a producer and a consumer?
Consumers eat producers and/or other consumers for food.
What are the parts of the water cycle?
evaporation, condensation, precipitation, transpiration
what is a habitat?
the specific environment of an organism, both biotic and abiotic
what's the difference between intraspecific and interspecific competition?
intraspecific: same species competing for resources
interspecific: different species competing for resources
what is a community?
a group of populations living and interacting in the same area
What's the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A food chain shows a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating and being eaten. A food web links all of the food chains together for that ecosystem.
what is the greenhouse effect?
the process by which certain gases (water vapor, CO2, CH4) trap heat that would otherwise escape the Earth and radiate into space
What is a niche?
an organism’s role in its ecosystem, including its habitat, physical requirements (such as light, water, food source), the time of day it is active, its place on the food chain, and when and how it reproduces
what is predation and what does it show?
one organism (the predator) eats another (the prey)
Predator-prey relationships show:
The energy transfer in food chains and web
Population control for prey species
What is an ecosystem?
an association of living organisms and their physical evironment
what is an energy pyramid?
shows only about 10% of the energy available in one trophic level is available to the organisms in the next trophic level
can you explain climate change?
the greenhouse effect on steriods
more and more 'blankets' (gases) are being piled onto the Earth, causing it to get warmer and warmer, which leads to damaging things, like extreme temperature changes, natural disasters, and rising sea levels.
how do biotic and abiotic factors affect the ecosystems?
biotic: animals (predators), plants (food), fungi (decomposers), bacteria (diseases)
abiotic: soil (which is right for the environment), pH (is something too acidic or basic), sunlight (is there enough or too much), water (rain, drinking, bathing)
describe the 3 kinds of symbiosis
Mutualism: a relationship between 2 or more organisms of different species where all benefit from the association
Commensalism: a relationship between 2 or more organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is neither harmed nor benefited
Parasitism: a relationship between 2 or more organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed
What is a biome?
a group of ecosystems classified by climate and plant life
what is a biomass pyramid?
represents the actual dry mass of all organisms in each trophic level of an ecosystem
Weathering
Absorption by plants
Absorption by animals
Return to the environment by decomposition
what are some terrestrial biomes and their features?
tropical rainforest (humid), savanna (dry and wet seasons), grassland (grass), deciduous forest (KY/TN forests), chaparral (hot and dry summers, mild and lost winters), desert (dry, hot in morning, cold at night), tundra (north and south pole, permanently frozen ground), taiga/boreal forest (north pole, few plants grow)
what's the difference between primary succession and secondary succession?
Primary succession: a new patch of land is created or exposed for the first time - barren rock
Secondary succession: when a climax community or intermediate community is impacted by a disturbance - soil
What is a biosphere?
the sum of all of Earth's ecosystems in land, water, or air
what is a pyramid of numbers?
based on the number of individual organisms in each trophic level of an ecosystem
can you explain the nitrogen cycle?
nitrogen is converted into many forms and passed from the atmosphere to the soil to organisms and back into the atmosphere
nitrogen-fixing bacteria do ammonification: N2 → NH3 or NH4+ THEN nitrifying bacteria do nitrification: NH3 or NH4+ → NO3- and NO2- THEN denitrifying bacteria do denitrification: NO3- and NO2- → N2
what are some aquatic biomes and their features?
MARINE --> ocean (zones), coral reefs (tropical and diverse), estuaries (salt and fresh water)
STANDING FRESHWATER --> ponds (sunlight can reach bottom), lakes (zones)
RUNNING FRESHWATER --> rivers and streams (oxygen, algae)
FRESHWATER --> wetland (terrestrial areas covered in water for part of the year)
growth rate of a population depends on 3 factors, what are they?
the number of births (exponential growth), the number of deaths (logistical growth), and the number of individuals that leave or enter (immigration/emigration)