Notes: Introduction to Ecology
Thoughts on Ecology…
Definition - Ecology is the study of the relationships between ______things and their ______
Characteristics of Living Things
A. All Living things ....
1. Are made of ______
2. ______to the surroundings (Response and Stimulus)
3. ______(either asexually or sexually)
4. Have ______to pass genetic material
5. ______- chemical activities of body (Ingestion, Digestion, Respiration, Excretion)
6. ______and ______
7. Maintain ______- inside of body stays same, even if outside changes
(examples - proper body temperature - warm or cold blooded )
Needs of Living things (requirements for life)
B. The Necessities for Life
1.______
2. ______
3. ______
4. ______
5. ______
Notes: Environmental Break-down Vocabulary
1. Abiotic Factors - ______
2. Biotic Factors- ______
3. Biosphere or Ecosphere – Sphere of the earth that contains ______
4. Ecosystem – Describes all of the ______and ______parts of an environmental area that are interacting.
5. Biomes – Areas of Earth with a specific ______and ______
6. Environment – Areas that contain all the living and nonliving factors an ______interacts with
7. Community – Only the ______part of the environment
8. Population – A group of organisms of the ______type living together in the same area
9. Species – A specific type of similar living organisms that can create ______
10. Habitat – Provides all the ______organisms need to ______(it is the home of the organism)
11. Niche – An organisms ______in its environment (each species has a ______niche)
Environmental Breakdown Challenge
Directions: Looking at the picture above, try to break down the environment using the vocabulary you just learned above.
1. List at least 3 abiotic and 3 biotic factors in the environment:______
2. Name this Biomes climate zone: ______
3. List parts of the environments community: ______
4. List particular groups of populations in this environment: ______
5. Name a specific species: ______
6. Name an organism: ______and its specific habitat: ______
7. Name an organism: ______and describe its niche: ______
Niche Notes:
A. What is a Niche?
- A niche is an organisms ______
- A niche includes:
______
- A niche is determined by the ______
B. Are there different Niches?
- There are different niches because of different ______
- If two species of the same type try to occupy the same niche, then ______
Notes: Food and Energy in the Environment
- An organisms Energy Role is determined by how:
1. it obtains ______
2. it interacts with ______
- What is the source of all energy in ecosystems? ______
A. Three Energy Roles
1. Producers
- Special ability to ______by using ______to turn ______into ______
- All organism that cannot make their own food rely on producers either ______, by eating them, or ______, by eating something that ate a plant. This make produces the source of all ______in an ecosystem
2. Consumers
- Consumers are organisms that ______
- There are many types of consumers (fill out the main types below and review the “Activity Doing” section on the left side of page 19 for more)
1. Herbivores -
2. Carnivores -
3. Omnivores -
4. Scavengers -
3. Decomposers
- Breakdown ______and return ______to the soil
- Examples of decomposers are: ______
- They are essential to the environment because they ______and return nutrients like ______back into the soil
o If the nutrient were not returned, ______
Notes. Organisms Interactions
A. Competition
- There are limited ______in ecosystems (food, water, shelter, light, mates, etc. . .)
- Organisms struggle to get limited ______, this is called ______
B. Predation
- The ______hunts, kills and eats the ______
- Competition and predation shape ______and control ______size
VII. Symbiosis
A. What is Symbiosis?
- Symbiosis is a close relationship between organisms where one lives ______, ______, or ______the other
B. Types of Symbiosis
1. Commensalism - ______organism benefits
Examples: ______
2. Mutualism - ______organisms benefit
Examples: ______
3. Parasitism - one organism is harmed (______) and one benefits (______)
Examples: ______
Notes: Adaptation
A. Natural Selection
· is when organisms best suited for their ______, survive to produce ______(their genetic information is passed on to the next generation)
B. Adaptation
· is a ______change over many ______, where organisms pass on the ______that allow them to survive and thrive in their environment
1. Adapting to predators
2. Adapting to competitors
3. Adapting to symbiosis
C. Evolution
· Evolution is the ______of a species over ______due to environmental pressures or mutations
· Evolution happens by the process of ______which allows organisms with the best suited adaptations to survive and thrive
Adaptation Review
• Animals able to ______and ______in their environments because of their ______are the one able to reproduce and produce offspring
• The offspring get and pass on the ______that allowed their parents to survive. This continues through generations making a species better able to ______the environment.
• This ______change over generations where only the best suited organisms pass on their genes to their offspring is called adaptation
• Organisms work with what they have - they ______create new characteristics
Summary
- Is a ______change over many ______, where organisms pass on the ______that allow them to survive and thrive in their environment
-Adaptations are the actual characteristics, features, or body parts that allow organisms to best ______and ______
Notes. Symbiosis
A. What is Symbiosis?
- Symbiosis is a close relationship between organisms where one lives ______, ______, or ______the other
B. Types of Symbiosis
1. Commensalisms - ______organism benefits
Example: ______
2. Mutualism - ______organisms benefit
Example: ______
3. Parasitism - one organism is harmed (______) and one benefits (______)
Example: ______
Note Answers: Cycles in Time
A. Rhythms of Life
- Biological clocks – is an internal timer that helps organisms stay in step with rhythmic cycles of change in the environment
o Example of biological clocks – snow geese migrate south, flowers open up during the day, organisms hibernate during winter
o Why don’t organisms get out of step in nature? Because biological clocks are set and reset by environmental changes
B. Daily Rhythms
- Diurnal – active during the day
o Example of diurnal - tamarin
- Nocturnal – active during the night
o Example of nocturnal - owl monkey
C. Lunar Rhythms
- The rise and fall of tides are controlled by the moon ( and also by the sun).
- Tidal Rhythms are example of Lunar Rhythms
- The two types of tidal rhythms are - high- and low- tide cycle and peak high tide (highest high tide every 2 weeks)
- An example of a tidal rhythm is – grunion laying eggs is controlled by the tides
D. Annual Rhythms
- Annual rhythms happen yearly and are associated with the seasons
- There are many examples of annual rhythms for example –
- Migration – organisms travel from place to place to breed and feed
- Hibernation – winter resting state
- Estivation – summer resting state
Notes. Cycles of Matters
A. What is Matter?
- Matter is the ______(atoms) that make something up
- Matter is ______or limited and must be ______in nature
- Matter (in chemical form) flows through the ______and ______parts of the environment and through the following layers (spheres) of Earth: ______, ______, ______, and ______.
- Examples of matter that must be cycled in nature:
1. ______
2. ______
3. ______
B. Oxygen Cycle
- Explain the role of producers in the oxygen cycle.
______
- Explain the role of animals in the oxygen cycle.
______
C. Carbon Cycle
- Carbon is an example of ______therefore it is limited and must be ______
- Carbon actually makes up most of our ______
- Using the diagram of the Carbon Cycle, discussions in class, and the text book to answer the following questions:
1. Where is carbon stored on Earth?
______
______
2. What happens to carbon on land?
______
______
3. How is carbon part of the water cycle?
______
______
4. What role do humans play in the cycle?
______
______
D. Hydrologic Cycle or Water Cycle
- What is the importance of the hydrologic cycle?
______
______
- Where does water cycle through?
______
______
- What allows to water cycle to continue cycling?
______
______
- What powers the water cycle? ______
Notes. Succession
Directions: From the Keynote, class discussions, video, and textbook, answer the following questions.
A. What is succession and how does it work?
- What is Succession?
______
- Describe the process of succession:
______
B. Describing the Steps of Succession (by filling in the missing information)
Step 1: Early Succession
- Pioneer species or colonizers are ______
o Examples of pioneer species: ______
o Colonizers are important because: ______
Step 2: Late Succession (Intermediate Species)
- The organisms move in after ______
- Late Succession organisms grow ______and live ______
Step 3: Climax Community
- These organisms represent: ______
- Climax plants and animals are ______and are adapted for the environment and therefore not ______
- If the climax community is wiped out by a disturbance event, there is ______way to predict the next ______
C. The 2 types of Succession
Describe the different types of Succession:
1. Primary Succession: ______
2. Secondary Succession: ______
D. Causes of Succession – Disturbance Events
- Natural Disturbance –
______
- Man-made Disturbances –
______
E. Is succession predictable?
______
Notes. Biogeography
A. What is Biogeography?
- Is the study of where ______and ______live throughout the world
- A biogeographer studies the relationships of ______and the ______where they live
- The types of animals living in area depends on the types of ______
- The plants in the area depends on the ______
B. Climate
- Climate is the average conditions of ______and ______in an area over a ______period of time
- List the climate regions: (1-6)
1. ______
2. ______
3. ______
4. ______
5. ______
6. ______
Climate video notes:
- What 5 factors affect climate?
- What changes climate?
- What affects does climate have on life?
C. Dispersal
- Dispersal is the ______of living things from one place to another
- Happens by: ______, ______, ______, and ______