My Life’s a Circle

Matter Cycles

the movement of INORGANIC materials from the atmosphere or soil into living ORGANISMS and back again.

WATER CYCLE

WATER IN ATMOSPHERE

PRECIPITATION EVAPORATION

WATER /ICE

WATER CYCLE

EVAPORATION - liquid to gas PRECIPITATION - gas to liquid Organisms return water to the

atmosphere through TRANSPIRATION, PERSPIRATION, and EXCRETION

Carbon/Oxygen Cycle

CARBON DIOXIDE

PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESPIRATION

OXYGEN

Carbon/Oxygen Cycle

Photosynthesis – plants use CARBON DIOXIDE and release OXYGEN

Respiration – plants and animals use OXYGEN and release CARBON DIOXIDE

Carbon/Oxygen Cycle

Burning of FOSSIL FUELS increases the amount of CARBON DIOXIDE in the atmosphere.

This may be increasing the temperature.

(GREENHOUSE effect)

Nitrogen Cycle

NITROGEN GAS

NITROGEN FIXATION

DENITRIFICATION

NITRATES

ANIMALS PLANTS

Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen is necessary to make AMINO ACIDS

Nitrogen FIXATION is done by plants containing rhizobium bacteria.

DENITRIFICATION is the returning of nitrogen into the atmosphere

Population

A group of individuals of the same SPECIES that live in the same AREA at the same TIME.

Population growth rate

CHANGE IN THE # OF INDIVIDUALS

TIME

Biotic Potential

The rate at which a POPULATION will grow if all individuals SURVIVE and REPRODUCE at maximum capacity.

Growth Curve

Lag Phase – little or no increase in a population

Exponential Phase – population DOUBLES in a specific time interval and keeps DOUBLING in increasingly shorter periods of time.

Exponential Phase

Time

Lag Phase

Carrying Capacity

The MAXIMUM number of individuals that the ecosystem is capable of SUPPORTING.

Carrying Capacity

Lag Phase

Exponential Phase

Time

Limits to Growth

Density-dependent factors Density-independent factors

Density-dependent factors

As the DENSITY changes, these factors change

Space Food Predators

Density-independent factors

Factors that affect population that have nothing to do with DENSITY

Climate changes Natural disaster

Oh Deer!

Succession

The gradual, SEQUENTIAL replacement of POPULATIONS in an area

Pioneer Species

The first SPECIES to colonize an area

Seral Community

Intermediate COMMUNITIES

Climax Community

A community that will remain STABLE as long as it is left undisturbed

Primary succession

The sequential REPLACEMENT of populations of an area that has not previously supported LIFE

Example: Sand dunes, volcanic rock, glaciers removing soil, pavement

Secondary succession

The sequential REPLACEMENT of populations in DISRUPTED habitats that have not been totally stripped of soil and vegetation.

Example: FOREST FIRE, LOGGING, FARMING, MINING

Old field succession – Replacement of populations in abandoned farm fields

Succession in lakes

The transformation of CRYSTAL CLEAR BODIES OF WATER to dry LAND

Eutrophication

An increase in the amount of NUTRIENTS in an environment

Oligotrophic

A lake that is so low in NUTRIENTS that few organisms can LIVE in it.

Eutrophic

A lake with many NUTRIENTS in it.