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Name: _______________________________________________ Date: ________________________ Block: _________

Guided Notes Unit 7: Ecology

Chapter 13: Principles of Ecology

I. Concept 13.1: Ecologists Study Relationships

a. Ecology

i. Ecology: _______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

ii. Ecologists study ______________________________________ at different levels of organization.

b. Levels of Classification (of Ecological Study)

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c. Research Methods: Observation

i. Observation: the act of carefully watching something over time

ii. Observations of populations can be done by visual surveys:

1. _________________________ surveys (binoculars or scopes)

2. _________________________ surveys (looking for other signs of their presence)

iii. Sampling Techniques

1. Sampling techniques help ecologists estimate the size of a population

2. Types:

a. __________________________________________________

b. __________________________________________________

c. __________________________________________________

3. Quadrats

a. Quadrat: __________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

b. (Ecologists repeat this procedure in

several locations within the ecosystem

and average the results to estimate the

population density.)

c. The more quadrats they study, the more

accurate the estimate

4. Indirect Counting

a. Used on organisms that move around a lot or are difficult to see

b. This involves ______________________________________________________

____________________ to estimate population size

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5. Mark-Recapture

a. _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

b. (The biologist will again

capture these species after a

period of time, count the

marked and unmarked

organisms, and use a formula

to compare and estimate the

number of organisms in the

population.)

6. Limits to Accuracy

a. Sampling techniques involve making some assumptions about the population

being studied.

b. It is important to know that many factors play a role in the accuracy of these

methods - and they are not always the best method to determining the number of

a species in an ecosystem.

d. Research Methods: Experimentation

i. ______________________________________________________________________________

ii. Lab experiments:

1. Give researchers more control

2. Not reflective of the complex interactions in nature

iii. Field experiments:

1. Give a more accurate picture of natural interactions

2. May not help determine actual cause and effect

e. Research Methods: Modeling

i. Computer and mathematical models can be used to describe and model nature.

ii. Modeling allows scientists to learn about organisms or ecosystems in ways that would not be

possible in a natural or lab setting.

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II. Concept 13.2: Biotic and Abiotic Factors

a. Biotic Factors

i. ___________________________________________________

ii. Examples:

1. _______________________________

2. _______________________________

3. _______________________________

4. _______________________________

b. Abiotic Factors

i. ___________________________________________________

ii. Examples:

1. _______________________________

2. _______________________________

3. _______________________________

4. _______________________________

5. _______________________________

c. Biodiversity

i. Biodiversity: ____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

ii. Changing one factor in an ecosystem can affect many other factors.

Chapter 15: The Biosphere

I. Concept 15.1: Life in the Earth System

a. Biosphere

i. Biosphere: _____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

ii. Biotic and abiotic factors interact in the biosphere.

Chapter 14: Interactions of Ecosystems

I. Concept 14.1: Habitat and Niche

a. Habitat vs. Niche

i. Habitat: ________________________________________________________________________

1. (biotic factors & abiotic factors)

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ii. Niche: _________________________________________________________________________

1. (food, abiotic conditions, & behavior)

b. Resource Availability

i. Species can share habitats and resources.

ii. _________________________ occurs when two species use resources in the same way.

iii. _____________________________________ keeps two species from occupying the same niche.

1. Competitive Exclusion

a. Can result in:

i. One species is better suited to the niche and the other will either be

pushed out or become extinct.

OR

ii. The niche will be divided.

OR

iii. The two species will further diverge.

c. Occupying a Niche

i. Ecological equivalents are species that occupy similar niches but live in different geographical

regions.

II. Concept 14.2: Community Interactions

a. Competition

i. _________________________ occurs when two organisms fight for the same limited resource.

b. Predation

i. _________________________ occurs when one organism captures and eats another.

ii. Predator Adaptations

1. Fast, agile, camouflage, acute senses, claws, teeth, stingers, etc.

iii. Prey Adaptations

1. Retreat to safe locations, camouflage, warning coloration (think coral snake mimic), spines

and thorns on plants, etc.

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c. Symbiotic Relationships

i. ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

III. Concept 14.3: Population Density and Distribution

a. Defining Populations

i. Some populations can change drastically over time; others are more stable.

ii. Many factors can influence the size and how much it changes

b. Population Density

i. Population density: _______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

IV. Concept 14.4: Population and Growth Patterns

a. Population Size

i. The size of a population is always changing.

ii. Four factors affect the size of a population:

1. ____________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________

b. Population Growth

i. Population growth is based on available resources.

ii. Two Growth Patterns:

1. ____________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________

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iii. Exponential Growth

1. Exponential growth: ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2. Application: Choose between the following

options:

a. Receive $1,000 a day for a month

b. Receive $0.01 the first day of a month

and double your money every day for a

month

c. Which is the better choice?

_________________________

iv. Logistic Growth

1. Logistic growth: ___________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

c. Growth Pattern Influences

i. Sometimes, a population's growth cycle will be influenced by other populations in the environment.

ii. "Boom-and-bust": population increases rapidly ("boom") but then rapidly decreases ("bust")

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d. Limiting Factors to Population Growth

i. Limiting factor: __________________________________________________________________

ii. Two Types:

1. ____________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________

iii. Density-Dependent

1. Density-dependent limiting factors: ____________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

a. Predation

b. Competition

c. Parasitism and disease

iv. Density-Independent

1. Density-independent limiting factors ___________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

a. Unusual weather

b. Natural disasters

c. Human activities

v. When a limiting factor has changed a population's growth, the population has reached its

_______________________________________________.

e. Carrying Capacity

i. Carrying capacity: ________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

ii. In nature, exponential growth is stopped by some environmental factor that eventually limits a

population's growth.

iii. A population then stops growing or decreases.

f. Population Crash

i. Population crash: a dramatic decline in the size of a population over a short period of time

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Chapter 16: Human Impact on Ecosystems

I. Concept 16.1: Human Population Growth and Natural Resources

a. Human Population Growth

i. Earth’s human population continues to grow.

ii. Earth’s human carrying capacity

is ______________________________.

b. History of Global Population Growth

i. Population growth depends on birth rates and death rates.

ii. For the last few centuries, the human population has

grown so rapidly that it resembles an

________________________________ growth

curve.

iii. Changes in human culture have caused the increase

of the last few centuries. (wide-scale farming rather

than hunting and gathering, medicines, etc.)

c. Aids to Human Population Growth

i. ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________.

1. gas-powered farm equipment

2. medical advancements

d. Predicting Future Population Growth

i. Age structure: __________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

ii. Future growth can be difficult to

predict. Many predictions are based

on age structure.

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e. Human Pressure on Natural Resources

i. The growing human population exerts pressure on Earth’s natural resources.

ii. ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________. (coal, oil)

iii. Renewable resources cannot be used up or can replenish themselves over time. (wind, water,

sunlight)

iv. Growing use of nonrenewable resources may lead to a crisis.

v. ______________________________________________________________________________

f. Earth’s Resources in the Future

i. Effective management of Earth’s resources will help meet the needs of the future.

ii. Earth’s resources must be used responsibly.

iii. Careless use of resources makes them unavailable to future generations.

g. Ecological Footprint

i. Ecological footprint: ______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

ii. The land must produce and maintain enough:

1. ____________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________

iii. Several factors affect the size of the ecological footprint:

1. Amount and efficiency of resource use

2. Amount and toxicity of waste produced

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Chapter 14: Interactions of Ecosystems

I. Concept 14.5: Ecological Succession

a. Ecological Succession

i. Succession: ____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

1. First: a sequence of biotic changes

2. Second: damaged communities are regenerated

3. Third: new communities arise in previously uninhabited areas

ii. Types of Succession

1. Primary succession: when a community arises in _________________________________

____________________ (started by pioneer species)

2. Secondary succession: when a disturbance damages an __________________________

__________________________________ (started by remaining species)

Chapter 15: The Biosphere

I. Concept 15.4: Marine Ecosystems AND Concept 15.5: Estuaries and Freshwater Ecosystems

a. Types of Aquatic Ecosystems

i. __________________________________ (and parts within - like coral reefs, deep sea vents, etc.)

ii. __________________________________ (which is area where a river/stream merges with ocean

water)

iii. _________________________________________

iv. __________________________________________________________________

b. Life within Aquatic Ecosystems

i. Just how one would expect different organisms to live in a desert and a rainforest due to the

specific adaptations they have for those very different areas with very different abiotic factors, one

would also expect very different organisms to live in a river and the depths of the ocean for similar

reasons.

ii. ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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Chapter 16: Human Impact on Ecosystems

I. Concept 16.2: Air Quality

a. Pollution

i. Pollution: _______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

ii. Types of Air Pollution:

1. Smog

2. Acid rain

iii. Smog

1. Sunlight interacts with pollutants in the air.

a. (These pollutants are produced by fossil fuel emissions, made of particulates and

ground-level ozone.)

2. Damage to the Ozone Layer

a. Ozone: a gas that is found in the atmosphere that _________________________

___________________________ - shielding organisms from its damaging effects

b. CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) are

a major contributor to the

destruction of the ozone. (CFCs

are released from aerosol

containers, refrigerators, etc.)

CFCs have been banned in many

countries.

iv. Acid Rain

1. Acid rain is caused by _____________________________________________________.

2. It is produced when pollutants in the water cycle cause rain pH to drop.

3. It can lower the pH of a lake or stream.

b. Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

i. The levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide rise and fall

over time.

ii. High levels of carbon dioxide are typical of Earth’s

_______________________ periods.

iii. Causes for CO2 Levels to Change

1. Deforestation eliminates plants that would use CO2 for photosynthesis.

2. Burning of fossil fuels accounts for 80% of the CO2 added to the atmosphere by humans.

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iv. Greenhouse Effect

1. Greenhouse gas: a gas in the atmosphere that __________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ as it

is reflected and radiated from Earth's surface (CO2 is an example of a greenhouse gas.)

2. Greenhouse effect: ________________________________________________________

from Earth’s atmosphere

3. How does the greenhouse effect occur?

a. Sunlight penetrates Earth’s

atmosphere.

b. Energy is absorbed and reradiated

as heat.

c. Greenhouse gases absorb longer wavelengths.

d. Greenhouse gas molecules rerelease infrared radiation.

v. Global Warming

1. Global warming: __________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

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2. Scientists have many different hypotheses as to how much the Earth's temperature will

rise and what will happen in result of this rise.

3. Some examples include: polar ice caps and glaciers melting - leading to a rise in sea

levels; large weather pattern changes - leading to a change in biomes and causing species

to adapt in order to survive; etc.

II. Concept 16.3: Water Quality

a. Water Cycle Impacts

i. There are several factors influencing changes in the water cycle on Earth.

1. Deforestation:

a. Reduces the amount of water vapor (coming from trees) added to the atmosphere

2. Water Usage:

a. Rate at which humans use water may be faster than the rate at which the water

cycle can replace the water

b. Biomagnification

i. Biomagnification: ________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

ii. Pollutants can move up the food chain, predators eat

contaminated prey, and pollution accumulates at each stage

of the food chain.

iii. Top consumers, including humans, are most affected.

III. Concept 16.4: Threats to Biodiversity

a. Biodiversity

i. Biodiversity: ____________________________________________________________________

ii. Aspects of Biodiversity:

1. The number of species in an ecosystem

2. The variety of ecosystems in the biosphere

3. The genetic variety among individuals within a species

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iii. Why does biodiversity matter?

1. Many species in an ecosystem are interconnected - they depend on community

interactions for food, shelter, and other needs.

2. Organisms and ecosystems are a source of beauty and inspiration to many people.

3. People rely on a great variety of organisms as sources of oxygen, food, clothing, and

shelter.

4. Biodiversity has aided the development of many medicines.

b. Loss of Biodiversity Effects

i. The loss of biodiversity has long-term effects.

1. ________________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________________

c. Loss of Habitat Effects

i. Loss of habitat eliminates species.

ii. ______________________________________________ prevents an organism from accessing its

entire home range.

1. Occurs when a barrier forms within the habitat

2. Often caused by human development

iii. Habitat corridors are a solution to the problem. (Corridors can be road overpasses or underpasses

and allow species to move between different areas of habitat.)

d. Introduced Species

i. Introduced species: ______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________; can disrupt stable relationships in an

ecosystem; sometimes these are accidental, sometimes purposeful

ii. Introduced (non-native) species often prey on native species or compete with them for resources.

iii. These species can cause a loss in other species in an area - threatening the biodiversity of that

ecosystem.

e. Invasive Species

i. Invasive species: can have an

environmental and economic impact;

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

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IV. Concept 16.5: Conservation

a. Sustainable Development

i. Sustainable development: _________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________; meets needs without hurting future

generations; resources meet current needs; resources will still be available for future use

ii. Example:

1. Global fisheries have adopted several sustainable practices.

a. Rotation of catches

b. Fishing gear review

c. Harvest reduction

d. Fishing bans

b. Conservation Efforts

i. Conservation practices ___________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________.

ii. The habitat in which the species lives must be protected, and other species are protected because

they share the ecosystem.

iii. Protecting Earth’s resources helps protect our future.

iv. Examples of Conservation

1. The Endangered Species Act works to protect individual species from extinction.

2. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develops policies and regulations to

protect the environment. (like the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered

Species Act)

3. The National Park Service helps manage public lands.

a. (The park system includes over 390 areas, covering 84 million acres.)

4. There are several ways that people can help protect the environment.

a. Control population growth

b. Develop sustainable technology and practices

c. Protect and maintain ecosystems

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c. Hot Spots

i. Biodiversity "hot spots" are small geographic areas with ____________ concentrations of species.

1. (These areas are the central focus for many conservation biologists. Preserving and

conserving these habitats is the goal of many biologists, lawmakers, and local

communities. They are looking for ways to manage these areas with the goal of meeting

human needs, while still supporting the many other species living there.)