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Apr 2­7:48 AM

Unit 6: Ecology

What is Ecology?

Apr 2­7:51 AM

Unit 6 Key termsLevels of organizationOrganism: One individual living thing.Population: A group of the same species that lives in one area. Community: A group of different species that live together in one area. Ecosystem: includes all of the organisms as well as the climate, soil, water, rocks and other nonliving things in an area.

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Apr 2­8:03 AM

Biome: a major regional or global community of organisms. Usually defined by the climate and by the plant communities found in that area (Desert). Biosphere: Combination of all biomes on Earth. Biotic:Living things (plants, bacteria, fungi)Abiotic: Nonliving things (rocks, water, sunlight)

Apr 2­8:08 AM

Biodiversity: the variety of living things in an ecosystem.Producer (Autotroph): make their own food by photosynthesisChemosynthesis: The process of using chemicals, not sunlight, to create energy. Consumer (Heterotroph): get energy by eating other organisms

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Apr 2­8:33 AM

Build a BiomeCut out and color the organisms given to you.Arrange them by levels of organization starting with organism, to biome.

Apr 3­7:18 AM

Food Chain: Shows the feeding relationships for a single chain of producers and consumers.

Food Web: Shows a complex network of feeding relationships and the flow of energy.

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Apr 3­7:24 AM

Herbivores: Organisms that eat only plants.

Carnivores: Organisms that eat only animals. Omnivores: Organisms that eat both plants and animals.

Detritivores: Organisms that eat dead plant and animal matter

Apr 3­7:28 AM

Decomposers: Detritivores that break down plant and animal matter into simpler compounds. They return nutrients to the ecosystem. 

Without decomposers many of the essential elements and chemicals would be unusable.

Trophic Level: level of nourishment in a food chain (producers, primary, secondary and tertiary consumers)

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Apr 3­7:31 AM

Biogeochemical cycle: The movement of a particular chemical through the living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem . 

We will study the water (hydrologic), Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles 

What is a cycle?

Apr 3­7:32 AM

Carbon Cycle

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Combustion

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Apr 3­7:34 AM

Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria

Decomposers

AmmoniumNitrifying Bacteria

Nitrates

Denitrifying Bacteria

Unusable Nitrogenin the atmosphere

Apr 3­7:37 AM

Water Cycle

Evaporation

Condensation

Transpiration

Precipitation

Respiration

Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation on my mindThis is only the water cycle and it happens all the time

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Apr 3­10:24 AM

Energy Pyramids: compare the energy levels used by producers and consumers

Biomass Pyramid: Biomass is a measure of the total amount, or dry mass, of organisms in a given area.

Apr 4­7:39 AM

Pyramid of Numbersshows the number of individuals at each trophic level.

A large number of producers is required to support just a few top level consumers.