Chapter 3 – The Biosphere

Section 3-1: What is Ecology?

All organisms __________with the environment to understand these_______________, we study ecology

_________= the scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment (surroundings)

interactinteractions

Ecology

Ecology is all about ________________ this leads to a better understanding of the interactions that take place

_____________ = the combined portions of the planet in which all life exists, including land, water, air, or atmosphere

organization

Biosphere

There are 5 levels of organization within the biosphere; a species, populations, communities, ecosystems, and biomes

Species = a group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce offspring

This levels of organization looks at just _________________ most of the time

1. Species

an individual

2. Population

Population = a group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area at the same time

Communities = assemblages of different populations that live together in the same area at the same time

3. Communities

Ecosystem = collection of all the organisms that live in a certain area, together with the nonliving (physical) environment

4. Ecosystem

Biome = a group of ecosystems that have the same climate and similar dominant communities

5. Biome

Ecologists use a wide range of tools and techniques to study the living world

The 3 basic approaches ecologist use are _____________, __________________, and ____________

observingmodelingexperimenting

SECTION 3-2: ENERGY

FLOW

____________ is the main source of energy for life on Earth

Some types of organisms rely on energy stored in ___________ __________________________

In order for organisms to interact, they need energy!Sunlight

inorganicchemical compounds

________________ = organisms that can capture energy from the sun or chemicals to produce food

Includes plants, some algae, and certain bacteria

They are also called ______________ since they make their own food

Producers help _______the flow of energy through the biosphere

Autotrophs

producers

start

Most autotrophs we think of use ___________________ to use light energy to power chemical reactions that produce carbs

Land plants, as well as algae that remain in the sunlit portion of aquatic environments use photosynthesis

Photosynthesis adds ___________ to the atmosphere and removes _____

photosynthesis

oxygen

CO

2

Some autotrophs use ____________________ (chemical reactions) to produce carbs

Many ___________ use chemosynthesis

chemosynthesis

bacteria

_________________ = organisms that rely on other organisms for energy and food supply

They are also called

Heterotrophs

consumers

3. ______________ – eat both plants and animals (humans, bears, crows)

There are several different types of heterotrophs

1. ______________ – only eat plants (cows, caterpillars, deer)

2. _____________ – only eat animals (lions, snakes, owls)

Herbivores

Carnivores

Omnivores

4. ________________(scavengers) – feed on animal and plant remains and other dead matter (vultures)

5. _________________– break down organic matter (bacteria and fungi)

Detritivores

Decomposers

Energy flows through ecosystems in one direction; sun/inorganic compounds autotrophs heterotrophs

In a food chain, the arrows point in _______________ in which energy is transferred

Ex. Grass antelope coyote

_____________ = a series of steps in which organisms transfer energy by eating or being eaten

The amount of energy remaining is _______________ of what was available at the first transfer

Food chain

the direction

only a portion

Food webs can be ________________ because 1 producer can be food for several consumers and 1 consumer can feed on several types of producers as well as other consumers

____________ = shows the complex network of interactions within an ecosystem

Food webs link the food chains in an ecosystem together

Food web

very complex

_____________ are the 1st trophic level

______________ make up the 2nd, 3rd, or higher trophic levels

________________ = each step in a food chain or food web

Trophic level

Producers

Consumers

Each consumer depends on the trophic level below for energy

Ecologist have come up with ______________________ to model energy or matter in an ecosystem

_______________________ = a diagram that shows the relative amounts of energy or matter within each trophic level in a food chain or webThere are 3 types of

pyramids;

ecological pyramids

Ecological pyramids

energy, biomass, numbers

Only about _______ of the energy gets passed from one trophic level to the next

The transfer amount is small because organisms use much of the energy they obtain for basic processes like ______________, _____________, and ________________

The more trophic levels, the ______ energy reaches the top

1. Energy pyramid – shows the amount of energy available at each trophic level10%

respirationmovement reproduction

less

Biomass is usually expressed in

It represents the amount of potential ______ available for each trophic level

2. Biomass pyramid – shows the total amount of living mass (biomass) in a given trophic level

grams per unit area

food

Sometimes the shape of the numbers and biomass pyramid are the same because ______________________ produce food for a _________________ of consumers

Sometimes a numbers pyramid can be upside down when ____ _____________ can be food for ____________________ (Ex. one trees feeds many insects)

3. Pyramid of numbers – shows the number of individuals at each trophic level

lots of individualslesser number

oneproducer many consumers

Section 3-3: Cycles of Matter

Energy only flows one way, but matter is _________________________ ___________ ecosystems

__________________________ = connect biological geological, and chemical aspects of the biosphere to help recycle matter

Organisms need more than just energy to survive they need nutrients too!

Matter is never used up, it is transformed that is why it can be recycled

recycled within and between

Biogeochemical cycles

Water _______________ (liquid to gas) from lakes and oceans and becomes ________________

Plants release water vapor through

Animals release water vapor when they __________ (also when they perspire/urinate)

The water cycle is very important because all living things require water to live!evaporates

water vapor

transpiration

breathe

As water cools high in the atmosphere, it condenses on dust in the air to form clouds

Eventually the water vapor _____________ enough to fall as _________________

condensesprecipitation

Every living organism needs nutrients to build tissues and carry out essential life functions

The_________, ____________, and _______________ cycles are important nutrient cycles (oxygen is involved in each)

______________ = all chemical substances that an organism needs to sustain life

Nutrients

carbonnitrogen phosphorus

The carbon cycle! – we have already learned that carbon is a very important element

Carbon takes many forms and is a key ingredient of _______________

living tissue

4. _____________________ like mining, cutting/burning forests, and burning fuels

4 main processes move carbon through its cycle

1. _____________ processes like photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition2. _________________ processes like erosion and volcanic activity3. ____________________________ processes like burial and decomposition of dead organisms

Biological

GeochemicalMixed biogeochemical

Human activities

There are many different naturally occurring forms of nitrogen – even though the air is _____ nitrogen, most plants can’t use it

Certain _________ on plant roots can help convert the nitrogen in the air to usable nitrogen in ammonia (_____________________)

The nitrogen cycle! – nitrogen is essential for amino acids and protein building

78%

bacterianitrogen fixation

Animals eat plants and use the nitrogen proteins for various uses (__________________)

When animals _________, nitrogen is released back into the soil for plant use (the same thing happens when an animal ______)

Some soil bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen gas through

form muscles

urinatedies

denitrification

The phosphorus cycle! – phosphorus is important in the formation of DNA and RNAPhosphorus cycles in 2 ways______________ – when animals die, phosphorus is returned to the soil to be used again______________ – phosphates get incorporated into rock and other insoluble compounds – millions of years later that rock becomes exposed and erodes, releasing the phosphorus back into the local system

Short-term

Long-term

Since nutrients are so important to ecosystems, they can sometimes be limiting

_________________________ of an ecosystem = the rate at which organic matter is created by producers

Primary productivity is limited by

Sometimes an ecosystem is limited by a single nutrient (_____________________)

Primary productivity

available nutrientslimiting nutrient

Oceans are considered __________________ compared to land

An _______________ can occur when a large amount of the limiting nutrient is introduced to an aquatic ecosystem

These blooms can disrupt the ________________ of a system

nutrient-poor

algal bloom

equilibrium

Grand Lake on July 1st, 2011