Assessment Anchor BIO.B.4 Ecology Review Packet

Vocabulary List for BIO.B.4.1 and BIO.B.4.2 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

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Abiotic A term that describes a nonliving factor in an ecosystem. Agriculture The artificial cultivation of food, fiber, and other goods by the systematic growing and harvesting of various organisms. Aquatic A term that describes an organism associated with a water environment. Autotroph An organism that is able to produce all of its required energetic molecules. Any organism that is able to carry out carbon fixation. Bioenergetics The study of energy flow (energy transformations) into and within living systems. Biogeochemical Cycles The movement of abiotic factors between the living and nonliving components within ecosystems; also known as nutrient cycles (i.e., water cycle, carbon cycle, oxygen cycle, and nitrogen cycle). Biology The scientific study of life. Biome A large area or geographical region with distinct plant and animal groups adapted to that environment. Biosphere The zone of life on Earth; sum total of all ecosystems on Earth. Biology The scientific study of life. Biome A large area or geographical region with distinct plant and animal groups adapted to that environment.

Assessment Anchor BIO.B.4 Ecology Review Packet 12. 13. 14.

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Biosphere The zone of life on Earth; sum total of all ecosystems on Earth. Biotic A term that describes a living or once‐living organism in an ecosystem. Cellular Respiration A complex set of chemical reactions involving an energy transformation where potential chemical energy in the bonds of “food” molecules is released and partially captured in the bonds of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules. Community (Ecological) Different populations of organisms interacting in a shared environment. Competition When individuals or groups of organisms compete for similar resources such as territory, mates, water, and food in the same environment. Consumer (Ecological) An organism that obtains energy by feeding on other organisms or their remains. Decomposer An organism that obtains nutrients by consuming dead and decaying organic matter which allows nutrients to be accessible to other organisms. Ecology The study of the relationships between organisms and their interactions with the environment. Ecosystem A system composed of organisms and nonliving components of an environment. Endemic Species A species that is found in its originating location and is generally restricted to that geographic area. Energy Pyramid A model that illustrates the biomass productivity at multiple trophic levels in a given ecosystem. Energy Transformation A process in which energy changes from one form to another form while some of the energy is lost to the environment. Environment The total surroundings of an organism or a group of organisms. Extinction A term that typically describes a species that no longer has any known living individuals Fixation The chemical processes that change an inorganic chemical into a form that can be used by organisms. For example, autotrophs are able to fix carbon when they change CO2 into CH2O. Food Chain A simplified path illustrating the passing of potential chemical energy (food) from one organism to another organism. Food Web A complex arrangement of interrelated food chains illustrating the flow of energy between interdependent organisms. Habitat An area that provides an organism with its basic needs for survival. Limiting Factor Chemical or physical factor that limits the existence, growth, abundance, or distribution of an individual organism or a population. Nonnative Species A species normally living outside a distribution range that has been introduced through either deliberate or accidental human activity; also can be known as introduced, invasive, alien, nonindigenous, or exotic. Organism A form of life; an animal, plant, fungus, protist or bacterium. Photosynthesis A process in which solar radiation is chemically captured by chlorophyll molecules and through a set of controlled chemical reactions resulting in the potential chemical energy in the bonds of carbohydrate molecules. Population A group of individuals of the same species living in a specific geographical area and reproducing. Producer (Ecological) An organism that uses a primary energy source to conduct photosynthesis or chemosynthesis. Producer (Ecological) An organism that uses a primary energy source to conduct photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Assessment Anchor BIO.B.4 Ecology Review Packet 36. 37. 38.

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Species The lowest taxonomic level of biological classification consisting of organisms capable of reproduction that results in fertile offspring. Succession A series of predictable and orderly changes within an ecosystem over time. Symbiotic Relationship A relationship between two organisms (i.e., mutualism, in which both organisms benefit; parasitism, in which one organism benefits and the other organism is harmed; and commensalism, in which one organism benefits and the other organism does not benefit or is not harmed). Temperature A measure of the average kinetic energy (energy of motion) of particles in a sample of matter. This physical property can determine the rate and extent to which chemical reactions can occur within living systems. It is commonly measured in degrees Celsius (°C) or Fahrenheit (°F). Terrestrial A term that describes an organism associated with a land environment. Trophic Level The position of an organism in relation to the flow of energy and inorganic nutrients through an ecosystem (e.g., producer, consumer, and decomposer).

Phelan sections that are relevant to this review packet: 12.14, 14.1, 14.2, 14.3, 15.1, 15.2, 15.15, 4.1, 4.1, 4.3, 9.5, 9.6, 9.7, 9.8, 9.9, 12.15, 13.7, 13.14, 13.16, 13.17, 13.18, 14.4, 14.5, 14.7, 14.8, 14.15, 15.6, 15.7, 15.8, 15.9, 15.10, 15.11, 15.12, 15.13, 15.14, 15.16, 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 16.5, 16.6, 16.7, 16.8, 16.9, 16.10, 16.11, 16.12, 17.9, 17.10, 18.7, 19.8, 22.1, 22.19, 24.11, 26.1, 26.2, 26.3, 26.4 A summary of this assessment anchor and its related content: Life on Earth is greatly affected by the environmental conditions of the ecosystems in which organisms live. For example, the adaptations of an animal in a cold, dry environment would be a lot different than the adaptations of an animal living in a warm environment with a lot of rainfall. The study of the ecology looks at the environments where living things are found and the biotic and abiotic factors within that environment. Biotic factors are other living things that affect an organism, such as a predator affecting prey. Abiotic factors are non-living things that also have an effect on an organism, for example how much light is available to a plant. All of these abiotic and biotic factors together make up the biosphere, which is the “zone of life” on Earth. Within the biosphere are the Earth’s terrestrial biomes, which are defined by the amount of sunlight, water and nutrients available to a given biome. For example, deserts are warm during the day and cold at night (due to amount of sunlight) and get very little water. Their soils are mostly sand and lack many of the essential nutrients for life. These abiotic factors (temperature, rainfall, lack of nutrients) will dictate which type of life can occupy this biome. Earth also has aquatic biomes. These biomes experience more constant temperatures, but nutrient availability is a major factor that affects life in aquatic biomes. Nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen are needed for every living thing and these nutrients are limited, especially in aquatic biomes. For example, a pond rich in nitrogen and phosphorus will have lots of algae growing in it. The presence of all of the algae will allow for many other things to exist in the pond. Without the nutrients, there is not enough algae and the life within this pond will change as a result. With too many nutrients, there can be an algae bloom and other things could die off. There is a balance! Everything is connected!

Assessment Anchor BIO.B.4 Ecology Review Packet Nutrients (necessary abiotic factors) are cycled and recycled through ecosystems in biogeochemical cycles. These cycles include the water cycle, the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle, and the phosphorus cycle. It is important to note that these resources are limited on this planet and the only way they move through the ecosystem is by nutrient cycling. For example, in the water cycle, liquid water evaporates and turns into vapor, this vapor eventually turns into rain and returns to Earth as liquid water. All of the cycles work like this. The pictures below summarize each of the cycles. Phosphorus Cycle

Water Cycle

Carbon Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle

Within each of the ecosystems there are also balanced interactions between the living things. Every living thing must obtain and use energy to carry out the processes of life. Living things that use the sun’s light and convert it into sugar are called autotrophs or producers. Plants and algae are good examples of autotrophs or producers. Producers get their name because they use the process of photosynthesis to produce sugar from the sun’s light. Living things that eat the producers (or plants) are called consumers. Consumers are also called heterotrophs and they cannot make their own sugar, they must consume it from other sources like plants and other animals.

Assessment Anchor BIO.B.4 Ecology Review Packet The interactions between producers and consumers can be seen in a food chain or a food web. In these pictures, the arrows show the direction of the flow of energy. Please also notice that animals that eat other animals are secondary consumers because they are 2 steps away from the producer and so on. Organisms that are higher up in the food chain, like carnivores, are not as prevalent because they need to eat other animals. Every step that gets farther from the producer is harder for an ecosystem to support because of the 10% rule. Only 10% of the energy is passed from one level to the next, so there is a limit to how many upper level carnivores an ecosystem can support.

In addition to organisms interacting with each other through eating each other, there are several other interactions between living things in a community. The term symbiosis is used to describe close interactions between two living things. When two organisms benefit each other, such as an algae and a fungus in a lichen, the relationship is seen as mutualistic. When one organism harms another, while it benefits, it is called parasitism. A good example is the deer tick living off of a deer to the deer’s harm. Living things also compete with each other in communities and in doing so create an environment where those with the best traits survive to reproduce. In any ecosystem there are a limiting number of resources available to the living things in that ecosystem. Those that are best fit will, in most cases, survive because of their ability to have access to these resources. Resources that LIMIT the size of a population are called limiting resources. Examples include things like food availability, predator number, clean water, and space. Each of these factors can limit how big a population can grow. Humans and their actions are one of the biggest threats today’s ecosystems face. Habitat loss due to burning, flooding, and development is causing an alarming amount of species extinction (not only animals but plants and other organisms too). Pollution is interrupting the natural biogeochemical cycles and as a result the delicate balance in the ecosystems has been lost. As part of these ecosystems, it is important that humans realize their impact and take action to minimize the ill effects of their actions.

Assessment Anchor BIO.B.4 Ecology Review Packet Sample Questions

Question A. Using the graph above, explain one limiting factor for the moose population.

Quesiton B: Using the graph above, explain one likely reason the wolf population increased rapidly from 1975-1980.

Question C: Predict what will happen to the moose population’s size after 1994 by describing the shape of the curve. In your answer, be sure to explain the reasoning behind your prediction.

Assessment Anchor BIO.B.4 Ecology Review Packet

Videos to help you study: Google” Bozeman Science”. Select “Biology” and focus on Unit 10: Ecology video series. Google “Khan Academy Crash Course Ecology”. The Khan Academy sponsors this series taught by Hank Green and he goes over major topics in Ecology. Specifically look at the following topics: Community Ecology I and II, Ecological Succession, Ecosystem Ecology, The hydrologic and Carbon Cycles, The Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycles, Population Ecology