1. ECOLOGY 1

2. WHAT IS ECOLOGY OBJECTIVES: 3.1 Identify the levels of organization that ecologists study. Describe the methods used to study ecology. 2

3. _______ is the scientific study of interaction among organisms (_____) and between organism and their environment (biotic and ______). Biosphere is the combined portion of the planet in which all life exists, including ____, _____, and ___. atmosphere hydrosphere lithospherebiosphere 3

4. Levels of organization ______ – a group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce fertile offspring. _________ – groups of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area. ____________ – assemblages of different populations that live together in a defined area. 4

5. _________ – a collection of all the organisms that live in a particular place, together with their nonliving (abiotic) environment. ____ – a group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities. Ecological research uses ____ basic approaches: observing, experimenting, and modeling. 5

6. ENERGY FLOW OBJECTIVES: 3.2 Identify the source of energy for life processes. Trace the flow of energy through a living system. Evaluate the efficiency of energy transfer among organisms in a ecosystem. 6

7. _______ is the main energy source for life on earth. 7

8. Some types of organisms rely on the energy stored in _________ chemical compounds BLACK SMOKER 8

9. _________ – organisms that capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce food. Autotrophs are aka _______. kelp trees algae 9

10. ________ is the process used by some producers to power chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and energy-rich carbohydrates (______). 10

11. _____________ is the process by which some producers use chemical energy to produce carbs. BLACK SMOKER 11

12. Heterotrophs (_______) – rely on other organisms for their energy and food supply. _________ – eats only plants (producers) ________ – eats other animals _________ – eat both producers and consumers ________ – eats detritus (dead matter) _________ – breaks down organic matter 12

13. Energy flows through an ecosystem in _____ direction, from the sun or inorganic compounds to producers and then to various consumers. 13

14. In some marine ____ _____ the producers are _______ that are eaten by _________. 14

15. A ____ ___links all the feeding relationships in an ecosystem. FOOD WEB 15

16. ENERGY PYRAMID Each step in a feeding relationships are called a ______ level. Only about ____of the energy available within one trophic level is transferred to organisms at the next trophic level. 16

17. _______ – the total amount of all living tissue (organic matter) Biomass pyramid shows the amount of potential food available for each trophic level in an ecosystem. Pyramid of _______ shows the number of individual organism at each trophic level. 17

18. CYCLES OF MATTER OBJECTIVES: 3.3 Describe how matter cycles among the living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem. Explain why nutrients are important in living systems. Describe how the availability of nutrients affects the productivity of ecosystems. 18

19. _____________ cycles – are the processes in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another. _______ are the building blocks of the body. Nutrients are all the chemicals that an organism needs to sustain life. 19

20. WATER CYCLE The sun heats the air, moist air rises and cools, water vapor condenses and forms clouds, precipitation (___, sleet, ____, hail) falls to earth 20

21. CARBON CYCLE 21

22. NITROGEN CYCLE 22

23. PHOSPHORUS CYCLE _______ is essential to living organisms, it forms part of important life-sustaining molecule such as DNA and RNA. 23

24. ________ productivity is the rate at which organic matter is created by producers. A ________ nutrient limits an organisms growth because it is scarce or cycles very slowly. When an aquatic ecosystem receives a large input of a limiting nutrient (ex. ______) the results is often an immediate increase in the amount of algae and other producers. 24