34.1-34.3 Flashcards
(38 cards)
what is ecology
scientific study of the interactions of organisms with their environment
organisms are affected by what
abiotic and biotic factors
What is a biotic factor?
living component of the environment
What is an abiotic factor
the physical and chemical factors such as temperature, forms of energy available, water and nutrients.
What is a habitat composed of?
Biotic and abiotic factors
What is the smallest level ecology is studied on?
organisms: ecologists study one type of organism and how it adapts to its environment through physiology or behavior
Ex: elk
What is the fifth level of studying in ecology, greater than ecosystems?
an array of ecosystems that can be defined in an aerial view, for example the divide between the ocean and beach and their different ecosystems
Ex: the borders between the coniferous forests and temperate broadleaf forests of Wyoming
Finally, what is any level of ecology incorporate
A biosphere
2nd Level of ecology?
Population: a group of one species living in one area, ecologists study what factors affect the population as a whole
Ex: all of the elk living in Wyoming
3rd level of ecology?
Community: all of the interacting organisms in a population, ecologists study how different species affect each other within an ecosystem
Ex: all plants, animals, and microorganisms living in Wyoming
4th level of ecosystem
Ecosystem: all of the biotic and abiotic factors of an environment, ecologists study the availability of chemical nutrients, the flow of energy within an ecosystem
Ex: all of the organisms in Wyoming, as well as the climate, inorganic soil nutrients, and physical features
Thoughts on ecology in the 1950s
No thoughts! Embracing pesticides, nature should be tamed, etc.
Why was DDT so harmful, and who did it kill.
It remained in soil a long time after it was sprayed; birds of prey
How can ecology help humans understand how they affect their ecosystems?
analyzing environmental issues and planning for better practices using data from ecology
Is ecology the only thing that should be considered when making decisions about the environment.
No, of course not. Morals, ethics, economics (supply and demand) need to be considered. Human change is inevitable, we should just try to get the best result with the least harm to the ecosystem (see lumber–> deforestation example)
Common abiotic factors
energy sources, temperature, water, inorganic nutrients, other aquatic and terrestrial factors
Explain the abiotic factor energy source
Organisms need energy to live. In terrestrial ecosystems, plants use light to photosynthesize (this light can be in very limited supply in some cases). In aquatic environments, photosynthesis usually only happens near the surface of the water, so it cannot go deep.
How to organisms get this energy source in dark environments?
“extracting energy from inorganic chemicals to power their ecosystem”. Ex. Sulfur bacteria get these inorganic chemicals, and other organisms feed off them.
Explain the abiotic factor temperature
Temperature is important for the metabolism of organisms. Most are stuck between 0F and 45F, not being able to regulate temperature outside of that. Archaea can in hot, snowy owl in cold. Reptiles and amphibians are stuck in that range.
Explain the abiotic factor water
“Like energy, water is essential to life.” Plants and aquatic creatures adapted to be able to preserve the most amount of water.
What abiotic factors are important in aquatic ecosystems but not terrestrial?
Terrestrial ecosystems have plenty oxygen, aquatic needs the oxygen dissolved in water. Trouts are more attracted to the high level dissolved oxygen water/cold fast moving water, because they need more oxygen to survive. (warm, stagnant water has a low oxygen content).
Explain the abiotic factor inorganic nutrients
are literally nitrogen and phosphorus, they come from the soil in ecosystems. They determine the “distribution and abundance of photosynthetic organisms, such as plants, algae, and certain bacteria” Low levels of these limit growth of algae and bacteria, especially. N and Ph are the building blocks of amino acids and nucleotides, making them fundamental to growth
What abiotic factors are important in terrestrial ecosystems but not aquatic?
Wind: increases organisms rate of water loss by evaporation. This Evaporative cooling can be good in hot weather, very bad in cold.
What is a watertight covering in plants?
The waxy layer of the leaf: keeps the water from escaping. An adaptation so they can have the abiotic factor water.
