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lecture 3ecology

Terms in this set (55)

ecology
-Study of the distribution and abundance of organisms
-ESPECIALLY interactions between living things and the environment •Understanding ecological concepts helps us see how environmental changes affect living things•Ecology is a hierarchy of studies
species
-Group of individuals that share certain characteristics distinct from other such groups
population
-Individuals that make up an interbreeding group -It refers only to individuals of a species in an area
community
-Grouping of populations in an area -All vegetation, animals, and microscopic organisms that are constantly interacting
biota
is a community
abiotic
•Nonliving chemical and physical factors: example-water,climate
ecosystem
-Interactive complex of communities and the abiotic factors affecting them
•Forests, grasslands, wetlands, coral reefs, humans
-Lack distinct boundaries and are not isolated•Species may move between them
ecotone
-Transitional region between ecosystems-Shares species and characteristics of both ecosystems-May have more or fewer species than the ecosystems
landscape
-Cluster of interlocking ecosystems
biome
-Large area on Earth's surface that have similar climates and vegetation
biosphere
all living things on earth
condition
•Factors that vary in space and time•Not used up or made unavailable to other species
-Temperature, Wind, pH, Salinity
resources
•Factors that are consumed by organisms
-Water, Nutrients, Light, Oxygen
optimum
-Conditions and levels of factors that allow and organism to grow the best
range of tolerance
-Conditions and factors that allow any growth
limits of tolerance
-The end points of any growth, resulting in decay or death of the organism
stress
-Factors that inhibit growth
habitat
-The place a species is biologically adapted to living
niche
-Sum of all of the conditions and resources under which a species can live-What the animal eats, where it feeds and lives, how it responds to abiotic factors -Species coexist in an area but have separate niches
matter
-Anything that occupies space and has mass -All solids, liquids, and gases-All living and nonliving things
atoms
-Smallest unit that displays all of the physical and chemical properties of that element
Law of Conservation of Matter
-Chemical reactions do not create or destroy atoms-Atoms are just rearranged-Example: The same number of carbon atoms that existed before a chemical reaction will be present after
molecule
-Two or more atoms bonded together-Can be the same atom, or different atoms
compound
-Two or more different atoms bonded together
organic compound
-Chemical compounds making up tissues of living organisms
-Six Key Elements•Carbon (C)•Hydrogen (H)•Oxygen (O)•Nitrogen (N)•Phosphorus (P)•Sulfur (S)
inorganic compound
-Chemical compounds without C-C or C-H bonds
Natural Organic Compound
•Compounds that make up living organisms-Living tissue, etc.
synthetic organic compound
•Human-made organic compounds-Plastics
atmosphere
...
hydrosphere
...
Lithosphere/Geosphere
...
energy
-Affect matter and cause changes in position or state-Ability to move matter-Do not have matter•Light, Heat, Electricity
kinetic energy
Energy in action or motion-Light, Heat, Motion
potential energy
•Stored energy-Gravity, Stretched rubber band, Fuels•Chemical energy is a form of potential energy
chemical energy
•Chemical energy is a form of potential energy
First Law of Thermodynamics
-Energy is neither created or destroyed, but converted from one form to another
Second Law of Thermodynamics
-Some useable energy is lost during energy conversion-Increasing entropy
entropy
-Measure of disorder in a system-Naturally increases without energy input
producers
-Change low-potential-energy raw materials into high-potential-energy organic molecules
photosynthesis
-The conversion of water and carbon dioxide into useable glucose in plants with sunlight
cellular respiration
breakdown of glucose to obtain energy for cell functions
Describe what makes a community. Pick a type of community and provide examples of its biotic and abiotic components.
all things living in yellowstone
-abiotic is the water that they drink
What is an ecotone? Describe an example.
-Transitional region between ecosystems-Shares species and characteristics of both ecosystems-May have more or fewer species than the ecosystems
What is a condition in the context of this topic? List and describe 3 examples.
•Factors that vary in space and time•Not used up or made unavailable to other species
ex:-Temperature, Wind, pH, Salinity
What is a resource in the context of this topic? List and describe 3 examples.
•Factors that are consumed by organisms
ex-Water, Nutrients, Light, Oxygen
Explain what the range of tolerance represents. What happens to organisms living in their optimal range (optimum)? What happens to organisms living within their range of tolerance, but outside their optimal range (optimum)? What happens to organisms living outside their range of tolerance?
...
What is the difference between organic and inorganic compounds? Provide 3 examples of each.
Organic:
-Chemical compounds making up tissues of living organisms-Six Key Elements•Carbon (C)•Hydrogen (H)•Oxygen (O)•Nitrogen (N)•Phosphorus (P)•Sulfur (S)-Very large, complex molecules-Mainly carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen-Typically contains C-C and C-H bonds

Inorganic: -Chemical compounds without C-C or C-H bonds
What are the differences between potential and kinetic energy? How does chemical energy fit into this? Provide 3 examples each of kinetic and potential energy.
-Kinetic Energy:Energy in action or motion
ex:-Light, Heat, Motion

-Potential Energy:
Stored energy
ex:-Gravity, Stretched rubber band, Fuels

*•Chemical energy is a form of potential energy
Explain how the transfer and conversion of energy relates to the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamic.
energy changes between forms
Describe the process of photosynthesis. What does it use, and what is formed? What is the equation? What type of carbon is used, what kind is formed (organic or inorganic)?
-The conversion of water and carbon dioxide into useable glucose in plants with sunlight
6CO2+6H2O+light------>C6H12O6+6O2
Carbon dioxide +water+light----->glucose(sugar)+oxygen
Describe the process of respiration. What does it use, and what is formed? What is the equation? What is the main reason we eat to help respiration (What does it produce)?
breakdown of glucose to obtain energy for cell functions
C6H12O6+6O2--->6CO2+^H2O+Energy
Sugar(glucose)+oxygen--->carbon dioxide+water+heat
What is the carbon cycle and how are humans impacting it?
major source: air
human impact: burning fuel moves it to air from underground
What is the phosphorus cycle and how are humans impacting it?
major source: rock
human impact: fertilizer use adds it to waterways
What is the nitrogen cycle and how are humans impacting it?
major source soil/air
human impact: fertilizer moves it to soil, burning moves it to air
What is the sulfur cycle and how are humans impacting it?
major source: rock
human impact: burning moves it to air, rain and mining move it to soil and water
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