Ecology

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Topic 6

• Ecology

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The environment is every living and nonliving
thing that surrounds an organism
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Ecosystem describes any portion of the environment
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All the living things in an ecosystem are called
biotic
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Non living influences are called abiotic factors
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The specific environment in which organisms live
is their habitat
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All the organisms of a species that live in the
same area make up a population
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All the different populations are combined to
form a community
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Collectively all of the Earths ecosystems make
up the biosphere
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The fundamental concept of ecology is that all
living organisms are interdependent, and they
interact with one another and with the physical
environment
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Competition is the struggle for resources among
organisms
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Factors in the environment that limit the size of
populations are known as limiting factors
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Predators kill and eat other organisms
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Prey are killed for food
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The number of organisms of any single species
that an ecosystem can support is referred to as
its carrying capacity
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DISCOVERY CHANNEL VIDEO CLICK ON PLANET EARTH
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The role that each species plays in the ecosystem
is called its ecological niche
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In predator prey relationships food chains show
what eats what
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Photosynthetic organisms make their own food.
They are known as autotrophs or producers
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Heterotrophs must acquire food by consuming other
organisms. Heterotrophs are also called consumers
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Herbivores are heterotrophs that survive on plant
tissues
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Carnivores are heterotrophs that eat other animals
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The wastes and dead bodies of all organisms are
consumed by decomposers
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Scavengers are consumers that eat dead organisms
they do not kill
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Parasites are organisms that attack other live
organisms (called host organisms) but rarely kill
them
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Food webs are diagrams that show more complex
feeding relationships
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Almost all organisms use the solar energy (the
sun) in food to power their life processes
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As energy is transferred, much of it is lost to
the environment
1000 Calories
990 Calories lost to the environment
9 Calories lost to the environment
10 Calories of plant matter available as food
1 Calorie available as food
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An energy pyramid is a diagram that illustrates
the transfer of energy through a food web or chain
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Carnivores
Herbivores
Producers
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Release of carbon dioxide
Dead animals
Release of oxygen (photosynthesis)
Decomposition
nutrients
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Biodiversity is a measurement of the degree to
which species vary within an ecosystem
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Many species may be lost when natural disasters
cause large scale destruction to habitats
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Species can also be lost when humans do not
consider the environmental impact of their action
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Endangered species
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Biodiversity also represents one of the greatest
resources known to humans. Medicinal herbs and
plants are one example
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The series of changes by which one habitat
changes into another is called ecological
succession
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Climatic changes, natural disasters, and the
activities of animals (including humans) can
alter stable ecosystems
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View the process of ecological succession as it
occurs in coastal lowlands by clicking on the
image below