Ecology

Emily Zhu, Trevor Kelly, Hanna Hoyt, Benton Bickett Period 2

Ecology• The scientific study of interactions among

organisms and between organisms and their environment or surroundings.

Individual• An individual is a single organism of a certain

species.

Species• A group of organisms that are similar enough to

breed and produce fertile offspring.

Population• A group of individuals that belong to the same

species and live in the same area.

Communities• A collection of different populations that live in a

defined area.

Ecosystem• A collection of all the organisms that live in a

particular place together with their nonliving or physical environment.

Biome• A group of ecosystems that have the same

climate and similar dominant communities.

Biosphere• Contains the combined portions of the planet in

which all life exists, including land water and atmosphere.

Producers and Consumers

• A producer is an organism that can produce their

own food by capturing light from the sun. Also

called Autotrophs

• A consumer is an organism that relies on other

organisms for their energy and food supply. Also

called Heterotrophs.

Ecological Pyramids

• Energy• Shows the

relative amount of energy available at each trophic level.

• Biomass• Shows the

amount of organic matter at each trophic level.

• Population• Shows the relative

number of individual organisms at each trophic level.

A diagram that shows the relative amount of energy or matter contained

within each trophic level in a food chained or web.

Food Web• A chart that describes the relationships among the

various organisms in an ecosystem that form a network of complex interactions.

Habitat Vs. Niche• Habitat: where a population lives• Niche: the role a population fills in an ecosystem.

Community interactions • Predation: when one organism captures and feeds

on another organism.• Symbiosis: where 2 species live together closely.• Mutualism: where both species benefit from the

relationship.• Commensalism: when one member benefits and

the other is neither harmed nor helped.• Parasitism: where one organism lives on or inside

another organism and harms it.

Succession• A series of changes in a community in which new

populations of organisms gradually replace the existing ones.

PrimaryThe colonization of new sites, which takes place on bare rock with no soil. Takes a very long time.

SecondaryThe colonization of an existing

site that was disrupted by natural disasters or human

actions. Takes place on existing soil. Much quicker than primary succession.

Population EcologyGrowth rate: # of births + #of deaths populationCarrying capacity: the actual number of organisms that the environment can support.Limiting factors: environmental variables that limit the number of individuals in a population (food, space, water, predators)

1.) All of life on earth exists in a region known as :

A.)an ecosystem

B.) a biome.

C.) the biosphere

D.) ecology

2.) The total mass of living tissue at each trophic level can be shown in a(n)

A.) energy pyramid

B.) pyramid of numbers

C.) biomass pyramid

D.) biogeochemical cycle

3.) Autotrophs are organisms that

A.) rely on other organisms for their energy and food supply

B.) consume plant and animal remains and other dead matter

C.) use energy they take in from the environment to convert

inorganic molecules into complex organic molecules

D.) obtain energy by eating only plants

4.) What is a decomposer?

A.) An organism that breaks down and obtains energy from dead organic matter

B.) Organism that can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to

produce its own food from inorganic compounds

C.) Organism that obtains energy from the foods it consumes

D.) tiny, free-floating organisms that occur in aquatic environments

5.) Who are the first level consumers?

A.) the owl and the bird

B.) the mouse and the dragonfly

C.) the sunflower

D.) the ladybug, grass hopper, and caterpillar

6.) What are the biotic factors from the following list: Birds, grass, temperature, soil, insects

A.) Birds, grass, temperature

B.) soil, insects, grass

C.) Birds, grass, insects

D.) temperature, soil

7.) The orchid benefits from its perch in the tree as it absorbs water and minerals from rainwater and runoff, but the tree is not affected, what relationship is this?

A.) Mutualism

B.) Commensalism

C.) Parasitism

D.) Symbiosis

8.) If an area has been burned down and starts to regenerate what is this process called?

A.) Primary Succession

B.) Secondary Succession

C.) Ecological Succession

D.) None of the above

9.) If there is a group of 100 seagulls living in San Diego what is this called?

A.) Ecosystem

B.) Community

C.) Population

D.) Biosphere

10.) What are some factors that could limit population growth?

A.) human disturbances

B.) Immigration

C.) predation

D.) both A and C

Answers

1.) C2.) C3.) C4.) A5.) D 6.) C 7.) B8.) B9.) C10.) D