1. ECOLOGY
CH 13-15

2. Ecology is the study of relationships among organisms and their environment
Ecologists study environments at different levels of organization
Organism- individual
Population- group same species
Community- group of different species in an area
Ecosystem- all organisms and non living parts
Biome- major area characterized by plants and climates

3. Biome
Biome

4. Research Observation- Experiments- Computer/mathematical
Visual surveys
direct- count
indirect- looking for other signs
Experiments-
Lab
Field
Computer/mathematical
Modeling

5. Every ecosystem includes both living and nonliving factors
Abiotic vs biotic factors
Biotic- living
Plants
Animals
Fungi
bacteria
Abiotic- non living
Ex. Moisture
Temperature
Wind
Sunlight
soil

6. Keystone species- species with large effect on its ecosystem
Biodiversity
-variety of living things in an ecosystem
-Ex rain forests
Keystone species- species with large effect on its ecosystem
creation of
wetland
ecosystem
increased waterfowl
Population
increased fish
population
nesting sites for birds
keystone species

7. Life in an ecosystem requires a source of energy
Producers- provide energy for others
Get energy from the sun or chemicals
Photosynthesis
chemosynthesis
Called autotrophs
Consumers- get energy from others
Called heterotrophs
Herbivores- plants only
Carnivores- animals only
Omnivores- both
Detritivores- dead organic matter
Decomposers- break down dead organic matter

8. Food chain -Links species by feeding relationships
-follows from producer to consumers within an ecosystem

9. Tropic levels -primary consumers -secondary consumers
-tertiary consumers
-omnivores
-herbivores eat producers -carnivores that eat herbivores -carnivores that eat secondary consumers -eat both and listed in any place in food chains

11. Specialists- consumers that eat one specific organism
Generalists- varying in diet

12. Food web-shows all the possible feeding relationships in an area
-multiple feeding relationships in an ecosystem
-complicated feeding relationships and energy flow

13. Matter cycles in and out of an ecosystem
-water
-oxygen
-carbon
-nitrogen
-phosphorus
Called biogeochemical cycles

14. Pyramid Models Energy Biomass Numbers energy transferred energy lost
tertiary
consumers
secondary
primary
producers
75 g/m2
150g/m2
675g/m2
2000g/m2
Pyramid Models
Energy
Biomass
Numbers
tertiary
consumers
secondary
primary
producers 5
5000
500,000
5,000,000

15. Every organism has a habitat and niche
Habitat vs Niche
Habitat- lives
Biotic vs abiotic factors
Niche- job/role
Food, abiotic conditions, behavior
Resource availability
Can be shared
Competition comes when 2 species want some resource

16. Competitive exclusion keeps 2 species from same niche
Outcomes
1 species pushed out or extinct
Niche will divide
2 species diverge more

17. Ecological equivalents
Species that occupy similar niches but live in different areas of the world
Madagascar
South America

18. Community interactions
Competition- 2 organisms fight for same limited resource
Might be same or different species

19. Predation- 1 organism captures and eats another

20. 3 symbiotic relationships
Symbiosis- living together
Mutualism- both organism benefit

21. Commensalism- 1organism benefits, the other is unharmed
Parasitism- 1 benefits the other is harmed _
Hornworm caterpillar
Parasitism +
Human eyelash
Demodicids Eyelash mites find all they + Ø
Commensalism

22. Parasitism Ectoparasites (leeches) outside
Endoparasites (hookworms) inside

23. All populations have…
Density
Dispersion
Reproductive strategies

24. Density
Measurement of the number of individuals in an area
calculated

25. Dispersion- how individual of a population are spaced
3 types