Honors Biology

Ecology Part 1
The Biosphere
I. The Biosphere
A. What is Ecology?
1. Ecology (from Greek oikos, meaning
“house”)
2. Aspects of Ecological
study
a. Biosphere-
Biosphere portion of the
Earth that supports life
1). Extends 8 kilometers
above Earth’s surface, to
as far as 11 kilometers
below the surface of the
Earth
2). Living things affected by both physical
environment and by other living things
a). Abiotic factors-
factors nonliving parts of an
organisms environment (air currents,
temperature, light, soil, etc.)
b). Biotic factors-
factors all living organisms that
inhabit an environment
B. Levels of Organization- ecologists study
interactions among organisms at several
different levels
1. Species-
Species group of organisms so similar to
one another that they can breed and
produce fertile offspring
2. Populations-
Populations group of individuals that
belong to same species and live in the same
area
3. Communities-
Communities group of different
populations that live together in a defined
area.
4. Ecosystem-
Ecosystem collection of all the organisms
that live in a particular place, together with
nonliving, or physical, environment.
5. Biomes-
Biomes geographical region containing
several ecosystems that have same climate
and dominant communities (climax
communities)
6. Biosphere-
Biosphere portion of the planet where
life exists.
II. Energy Flow- (core or every organism’s
interaction with the environment is its need for
energy to power life’s processes.
A. How Organisms obtain energy
1. Producers-
Producers make their
own food. Autotrophs-
Autotrophs use
energy from environment to
manufacture their own nutrients.
Two main types of producers
a. Energy from the sun- use solar energy in process
known as photosynthesis-
photosynthesis use light energy to
convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and
energy-rich carbohydrates

1). Plants main autotrophs

on land
2). Algae main autotrophs
in freshwater ecosystems
and photic zone of
ocean
b. Life without light- chemosynthesis-
chemosynthesis use
chemical energy to produce carbohydrates

1). Performed by several

types of bacteria
2). Live in remote places:
volcanic vents, deep-
ocean vents, hot springs
2. Consumers-
Consumers acquire energy from other.
Heterotrophs-
Heterotrophs organisms that rely on other
organisms for their energy and food supply. Many
different types a. Herbivores-
Herbivores obtain
energy by eating only
plants
b. Carnivores-
Carnivores eat animals
(snakes, dogs, owls, etc.)
c. Omnivores-
Omnivores eat both
plants and animals (e.g.
humans)
d. Decomposers-
Decomposers breaks
down organic matter
(bacteria and fungi)
3. Feeding Relationships
a. Energy flows through ecosystem in one
direction (from sun or inorganic compounds to
autotrophs to heterotrophs)
1). Food chains-
chains series of steps in which
organisms transfer energy by eating and
being eaten
2). Food Web-
Web network
of complex
interactions that links
all the food chains in
an ecosystem
together
a). Trophic levels-
levels
each step in food
chain or web

b). Producers
make up first
level, then
consurmers
4. Ecological pyramids-
pyramids used to represent amount
of energy or matter in each trophic level in a food
chain or web. (three types)
a. Energy pyramid-
pyramid
represents amount of
energy that is passed
onto each trophic level
(only about 10% is
available to
succeeding levels.
Remainder lost as
heat into the
environment.
b. Biomass pyramid-
pyramid represents the total amount of
living tissue within a given trophic level. ( biomass-
biomass
grams of organic matter per unit area)
c. Pyramid of numbers-
numbers represents number of
individual organisms at each trophic level. Shape
of pyramid not always the same as energy of
biomass pyramid
III. Cycles of Matter- unlike energy, matter is
recycled within and between ecosystems
A. Biogeochemical cycles-
cycles
process by which elements,
chemical compounds, and
other forms of matter are
passed (cycled) from one
organisms to another and
from one part of the
biosphere to another.
(cycles connect biological,
geological, and chemical
portions of biosphere)
1. The Water Cycle
a. evaporation-
evaporation process by which liquid water
changes to atmospheric gas
b. transpiration-
transpiration water evaporating from leaves of
plants
2. Nutrient cycles-
cycles cycling of nutrients (minerals and
other chemicals) that sustain life.
a. Nutrients are frequently in short supply
b. Nutrient cycling keeps many chemicals from
reaching toxic concentrations
c. Three main nutrient cycles
1). Carbon cycle- key ingredient in all living things.
(4 processes involved)
a). Biological processes- photosynthesis,
respiration, decomposition.
b). Geochemical processes- release CO2 by
volcanoes
c). Mixed biogeochemical- burial of carbon-rich
remains and conversions into coal and fossil
fuels by pressure of overlying earth
d). Human activity- mining, burning of fossil fuels,
cutting down/burning forests
2). Nitrogen cycle- need nitrogen to make amino
acids which are used to make proteins
a). 78% atmosphere is nitrogen (can only be
utilized by certain bacteria in process called
nitrogen fixation)
fixation
b). Nitrogen-containing substances found in wastes
produced by many organisms and in dead and
decaying organic matter.
c). Shows how different forms of nitrogen cycle
through the biosphere.
d). Denitrification-
Denitrification conversion of ammonia and other
nitrogen-containing nutrients into nitrogen gas
3). Phosphorus cycle-
cycle essential because forms part
of ATP molecule needed by all living things
a). Not very common in
biosphere. Exists mostly in
rock, minerals, ocean
sediment.
b). Inorganic phosphate
absorbed by plants and
turned into organic
compounds which can be
utilized.
B. Nutrient limitation- it nutrient in short supply, it
will limit an organism’s growth
1. Limiting nutrient-
nutrient when ecosystem is limited
by single nutrient that is scarce or cycles very
slowly
a. Farmers use fertilizers to
boost plant productivity
b. Bloom-
Bloom when aquatic
ecosystems receive large
input of limiting nutrient can
cause rapid growth of
producers
Extensive bloom of green algae
covers the shoreline of Tule Lake
in California
Red-tide (Florida)
Review
Chapter 3
The Biosphere
The branch of biology dealing with interactions
among organisms and between organisms and their
environment is called
a. economy.
b. modeling.
c. recycling.
d. ecology.
The branch of biology dealing with interactions
among organisms and between organisms and their
environment is called
a. economy.
b. modeling.
c. recycling.
d. ecology.
The part of Earth in which all living things exist is
called the
a. biome.
b. community.
c. ecosystem.
d. biosphere.
The part of Earth in which all living things exist is
called the
a. biome.
b. community.
c. ecosystem.
d. biosphere.
All of the members of a particular species that live in
one area are called a(an)
a. biome.
b. population.
c. community.
d. ecosystem.
All of the members of a particular species that live in
one area are called a(an)
a. biome.
b. population.
c. community.
d. ecosystem.
Green plants are
a. producers.
b. consumers.
c. herbivores.
d. omnivores.
Green plants are
a. producers.
b. consumers.
c. herbivores.
d. omnivores.
What is the original source of almost all the energy
in most ecosystems?
a. carbohydrates
b. sunlight
c. water
d. carbon
What is the original source of almost all the energy
in most ecosystems?
a. carbohydrates
b. sunlight
c. water
d. carbon
The algae at the beginning of the food chain in
Figure 3-1 are
a. consumers.
b. decomposers.
c. producers.
d. heterotrophs.
The algae at the beginning of the food chain in
Figure 3-1 are
a. consumers.
b. decomposers.
c. producers.
d. heterotrophs.
An organism that produces its own food supply from
inorganic compounds is called a(an)
a. heterotroph.
b. consumer.
c. detritivore.
d. autotroph.
An organism that produces its own food supply from
inorganic compounds is called a(an)
a. heterotroph.
b. consumer.
c. detritivore.
d. autotroph.
Which of the following organisms does NOT require
sunlight to live?
a. chemosynthetic bacteria
b. algae
c. trees
d. photosynthetic bacteria
Which of the following organisms does NOT require
sunlight to live?
a. chemosynthetic bacteria
b. algae
c. trees
d. photosynthetic bacteria
An organism that cannot make its own food is called
a(an)
a. heterotroph.
b. chemotroph.
c. autotroph.
d. producer.
An organism that cannot make its own food is called
a(an)
a. heterotroph.
b. chemotroph.
c. autotroph.
d. producer.
In which way are green plants in a sunny mountain
meadow and sulfur bacteria in a deep-sea volcanic
vent alike?
a. They both use photosynthesis to make their
own food.
b. They both produce carbohydrates and oxygen
c. They both use chemosynthesis to produce
their own food.
d. They both produce carbon and hydrogen.
In which way are green plants in a sunny mountain
meadow and sulfur bacteria in a deep-sea volcanic
vent alike?
a. They both use photosynthesis to make their
own food.
b. They both produce carbohydrates and
oxygen
c. They both use chemosynthesis to produce
their own food.
d. They both produce carbon and hydrogen.
Organisms that break down and feed on wastes and
dead organisms are called
a. decomposers.
b. omnivores.
c. autotrophs.
d. producers.
Organisms that break down and feed on wastes and
dead organisms are called
a. decomposers.
b. omnivores.
c. autotrophs.
d. producers.
What is an organism that feeds only on plants
called?
a. carnivore
b. herbivore
c. omnivore
d. detritivore