Ecology- chapter 1

All the interacting parts of a biological community and the community's environment.

Eg. Grasslands, Tropical Rain Forests, and Deserts.

A ecosystem that is able to stand pressure and give support to a variety of organisms

All organisms require a sustainable ecosystem to survive

Biotic characteristics includes all the living or recently living parts of an ecosystem.

• Examples: Plants- Producer
• Animals- Consumers
• Microorganism-bacteria- Consumer
• Fish- Consumer

The nonliving parts of an ecosystem that organism need to survive

Essential Abiotic characteristics: Air Oxygen, water light, nutrients, and soil

Hard part of earth's surface

 Includes rocks, the ground and soil.

Liquid part of earth's surface

Includes saltwater in oceans, lakes and seas.

Layer of gases above earth's surface; includes air.

Living parts of earth's surface; not separate other abiotic spheres includes life in soil, water and air.

eg. oceans, deserts and forests

Components in foods that an organism uses to survive and grow.

eg. carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and water.

-when nutrient levels in the ecosystem increase leading to an increase in population of primary producers.

-Pushes it beyond the normal nutrients cycle and sustainability.

• 
• The conversion of solar energy to chemical energy to be used as food.

Word equation: carbon dioxide + water( in the presence of light and a chlorophyll needed) ------> Glucose+ water

Categories of the organisms defined by how the organism gains energy

The food chain can be used to show the trophic level of an ecosystem

• Example:
• -1st trophic level are primary producers such as plants
• -2nd trophic level are primary consumers (Herbivores)such as insects
• -3rd trophic level are second consumers (carnivore) such as birds
• -4th trophic level are the top carnivores such as an Eagle

The total mass of living organisms in a defined group of area

A measure of the amount of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next trophic level.

The percentage is always less than 100% because organisms use most energy for life functions (10% based on)

Biomass decreases from one level of the trophic level to the next because not all the organism is eaten, not everything is digested and energy is lost by heat

A process in which materials, especially toxins, are ingested by a rate greater than they are eliminated.

• 
• Is a process that is related to bioaccumulation. Biomagnification is the increase in the concentration of a toxin as it moves from one level trophic level to another.

A process that releases energy from organic molecules in the presence of oxygen. Carbohydrates mostly. Used by most living organisms and is essential to life.

Word equation: glucose+oxygen---> carbon dioxide+water+energy

This is a process that releases energy from organic molecules in the lack of oxygen. Organisms such as bacteria and some fungi use fermentation to release the energy in glucose.

These are atmospheric gases that prevent heat from leaving the atmosphere, thus increasing the temperature of the atmosphere.

eg. Water vapour, carbon dioxide and methane

These are atmospheric gases that prevent heat from leaving the atmosphere, thus increasing the temperature of the atmosphere.

• 
• Rain, snow, or fog that is unnaturally acidic due to gases in the atmosphere that react with water to form acids.