1. Topic 1: What is Ecology?
Defined: Studying how life interacts within the biosphere is called Ecology
All life interacts within the biosphere
Area within the deepest ocean trenches to the highest mountains

2. Populations Defined: Group of one species living in the same area
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Defined: Group of one species living in the same area
Population changes based on:
Births, Deaths, Immigration, Emigration, Available resources

3. Limiting Factors Defined: Factors that control population sizes
Disease, food, predators, climate, space, mates
Carrying Capacity: greatest number of individuals that a population can sustain
What stage is the human population in?

4. Communities
Defined: Populations of many species living in the same area at the same time
Each organism has it own HABITAT
Habitat: Place where an organism lives
Each species has its own NICHE
Niche: The role/needs of a species
Ex: Termites return nutrients to the soil

5. Desert Communities
have many species

6. Ecosystems
Defined: Community of species interacting with the living & non-living
Desert Biotic Factors:
Animals: Mice, Reptiles, Insects
Plants: Cactus, Flowers, Shrubs
Desert Abiotic Factors: Sand, rocks, sunlight
Ecosystem changes affect biodiversity
Keystone species greatly alter ecosystems

7. (biotic + abiotic factors)
Desert Ecosystems
(biotic + abiotic factors)

8. What is a Biome?
Defined: Large area with distinct climate, plant, and animal life
Climate factors: sun, rain, topography
Climate determines life

9. Part 2: Ecosystem Components
Producers
Basis of an ecosystem’s energy
Autotrophs: perform photosynthesis to make sugars
Chemotrophs: Bacteria which use minerals from deep-sea vents to make energy
Consumers
Heterotrophs: Consumes others for energy
Omnivores, herbivores, carnivores, decomposers

10. 4.5897 kcal 45.897 kcal 458.97 kcal 4589.7 kcal 45,897 kcal
Trophic
Levels
kcal
kcal
Defined: Feeding level of an ecosystem
Trophic levels consist of producers, consumers, and decomposers
~10% of energy is passed to the next level
Few trophic levels
kcal
kcal
45,897 kcal

11. Defined: Organisms that create their energy through photosynthesis
AKA: Autotrophs
Convert sunlight into glucose (sugar)
Bottom of food chain (1st trophic level)
Ex: Plants, Algae, Cyanobacteria
Producers

12. Consumers Primary Consumers Secondary Consumers Tertiary Consumers
Feed directly on producers
Herbivores
Secondary Consumers
Feed on primary consumers
Carnivores & omnivores
Tertiary Consumers
Feed on secondary consumers
Quaternary Consumers
Feed on tertiary consumers

13. Decomposers
Decomposers: break down dead matter into simpler substances
Returns nutrients to the soil
Feed on any trophic level

14. Name the tropic levels in this food pyramid
tertiary consumer
secondary consumer
primary consumer
producer

15. Food
Webs
Defined: Group of interrelated food chains
Arrows show direction energy (nutrients) travel

16. Tertiary consumer
Secondary consumer
Primary consumer
producer

17. Quaternary consumer
Tertiary consumer
Secondary consumer
Primary consumer
producer

18. Topic 3: Succession

19. Primary Succession
Defined: Establishment and development of an ecosystem in an uninhabited environment
Volcanic lava creates new land
Glaciers retreating exposing new land

20. Bare Rock
Lava cools and hardens into rock

21. Pioneer Species Defined: First organisms to inhabit new land
Moss and lichen grow on bare rock
Dead matter accumulates with rock pieces
Thin soil layer begins to accumulate

22. The Process Continues Seeds enter the area and grow
Small flowers & shrubs accumulate more organic matter
With new plants, small animals inhabit the area

23. The Process Continues
Small trees take root in the accumulated organic matter
More animals use the trees as a habitat

24. Climax Community Large trees take root New animals inhabit new forests
Overcrowd and out-compete original trees
New animals inhabit new forests

26. Secondary Succession
Changes that take place after a disturbance occurs in an established ecosystem
Forest fires, floods, tree falls…
Faster scale (soil preexists)

32. Topic 4: Biogeochemical Cycles

33. Oxygen Cycle Autotrophs: Release O2 into atmosphere via photosynthesis
All life: Absorbs O2 to be used during cellular respiration
Respiration: creates ATP energy for cells

34. Carbon Cycle
CO2
CO2
sugars
Carbon = (organic molecules) carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids
Plants & autotrophs:
Intake: Absorb CO2 from atmosphere
Output: Create carbohydrates by photosynthesis

35. Carbon Cycle Consumers
sugars
Consumers
Intake: Carbon moves up the food chain as 1 feeds on another
Output: Release CO2 during respiration

36. Carbon Cycle Decomposers Input: Feed on dead organic matter
sugars C C C
Decomposers
Input: Feed on dead organic matter
Output: Release CO2 during respiration
Output: Organic molecules returned to soil during decomposition

37. Carbon Cycle Human Industry
CO2
Human Industry
Output: Release CO2 into atmosphere when fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) are burned

38. Nitrogen Cycle N = 78% atmosphere (most unusable) Soil Bacteria
Ammonia
Nitrates
N = 78% atmosphere (most unusable)
Soil Bacteria
Nitrogen fixation: convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia
Nitrification: ammonia converted into nitrates

39. Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrates
Plants
Absorb nitrates through their roots

40. Nitrogen Cycle Animals
Nitrates
Animals
Ingest nitrates through the food chain (plants eaten)

41. Nitrogen Cycle Decomposers Feed on dead organisms
Nitrates
Nitrates
Ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia
Decomposers
Feed on dead organisms
Return ammonia to soil by feeding on dead matter

42. Phosphorus (P) Cycle No phosphorus in atmosphere Rocks
Phosphorus released by weathering of rocks P P

43. Phosphorus (P) Cycle
Plants
Absorb P into their roots P

44. Phosphorus (P) Cycle Animals Ingest P when plants eaten
P continues to move up food chain P

45. Phosphorus (P) Cycle Decomposers
Breakdown dead matter and release P into soil P P

46. Phosphorus (P) Cycle Human Contribution P P P P
Adding excess P from fertilizers
P washes into lakes, etc…
Excess P causes extreme algae growth P P

47. Topic 5: Community Interactions
when organisms live together in an ecological community they interact constantly.
Three types of interactions
Competition
Predation
Symbiosis

48. Competition occurs due to limited resources
water, nutrients, light, food.
Competitive exclusion principle - no two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time

49. Competition

50. Predation
Predation- when an organism captures and feeds on another organism.
Predator- hunter
Prey- hunted

52. Symbiosis
Symbiosis- any relationship where two species live closely together. (3 types)
Mutualism
Commensalism
Parasitism

53. Symbiosis Mutualism - both species benefit from a relationship
Flower: gets pollinated
Moth: gets nectar

54. Mutualism example: Cleaner birds and Crocodiles

55. Symbiosis
Commensalism – One member of a symbiotic relationship benefits and the other is neither helped or harmed
Anemone: gains nothing
Fish: protection

56. Symbiosis Parasitism- One creature benefits and one creature is harmed
Insect larvae will feed on the caterpillar

57. Topic 6: Environmental Issues

58. Ozone Layer Depletion Ozone Function: Block UV radiation from sun
Problems:
CFCs thinning the ozone layer
More UV radiation reaches the surface
Effects: Crop damage, skin cancers, Eye damage
Solution: Reduce CFCs, regrow trees UV UV
Ozone layer
Ozone layer
CFCs

59. The Greenhouse Effect G.H.E. is naturally good (it warms Earth)
Problem: Excess heat trapped near the earth’s surface
Fear: Climate patterns change, ice caps melt
Main Cause: CO2 from burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)
Solutions: Reduce use of fossil fuels, regrow trees, alternative energy sources

60. What’s in a name?
The purpose of a greenhouse is to trap heat year round

61. Earth Some heat escapes into space heat
Some heat naturally trapped by Earth’s atmosphere
heat
heat
Earth

62. Earth

63. Earth Less heat escapes into space
More heat trapped near Earth’s surface
Excess CO2 in atmosphere
Earth

64. The Greenhouse Effect is naturally GOOD!
Mars: No Greenhouse Effect
Earth: Balanced Greenhouse Effect
Venus: The Extreme Greenhouse Effect
Little heat is trapped by the thin CO2 atmosphere. High temperatures can be around 20⁰F.
Heat is trapped by the thick CO2 atmosphere. Temperatures reach 750⁰F.
Average global temperature is 57⁰F.

65. Deforestation Defined: Clearing of forested areas Reasons: Problems:
High demand for wood products
Create farmland
Problems:
Species lost
Excess CO2 released
Solutions:
Recycle
Improved farming techniques

68. The Smog and Ground-Level Ozone
Reason:
Burning of fossil fuels & industry
Problems:
Respiratory illness
Ozone gas is poisonous
Causes:
Particulates rise into air and react with sunlight to make air pollution
Solutions:
Reduce use of fossil fuels
alternative energy sources
Plant trees

69. Non-native Species Introduction
Defined: Foreign organisms are introduced to a new habitat
Reason:
Pet industry, “free ride” organisms, pest control
Effects:
Foreign species outcompete native species
Food webs unbalanced
Economic damage
Solutions:
Laws preventing foreign goods into new countries
Introduce predators
Zebra mussels
Kudzu vines

70. Acid Rain Defined: Precipitation with a below normal pH Cause:
Fossil fuel pollution rises into the air & then falls as rain
Effect:
Waterways more acidic
Kills plant and animal life
Solutions:
Reduce fossil fuel usage
Add buffer (base) to waterways

71. The Big Problem: Overpopulation
Over 6.7 billion people
Many natural resources are nonrenewable
Fossil fuels take millions of years to form
More people means:
1) More forests removed
2) More resources consumed
3) More CO2 released