Ecology Test

Habitat: place where an organism lives

Atmosphere: layer of gases surrounding the Earth
Made up of 78% nitrogen gas
21% oxygen gas
<1% of argon, water vapor, carbon dioxide and other gases
acts like a blanket and moderates surface temperatures
without an atmosphere. Earths surface temperature would drop from 15approximately -18 degrees.
Also blocks incoming solar radiation
Lithosphere
Rocky outer shell of Earth
Consists mainly rocks and minerals that make up mountains, ocean floors and the
rest of the solid landscape
50-150 km in thickness
Hydrosphere
consists of all the water on, above and below Earths surface
includes lakes, oceans, ice, groundwater and clouds
97% of the water is found in oceans
Biosphere
locations in which life can exist within the lithosphere, atmosphere and
hydrosphere
The Gaia hypothesis proposes that Earth behaves like a living organism
Ecosystem: all of the living organisms that share a region and interact with each other and
their non-living environment.
Biotic: living organisms, their remains, and their products or waste
Abiotic: nonliving physical and chemical components in an ecosystem like temperature,
wind, water, minerals and air
Population: individuals of the same species living in a given area
Community: all organisms living in the same ecosystem
Sustainability: ability to maintain natural ecological conditions or processes without
interruption, weakening or loss of value
*human interaction is a negative effect to the sustainability
An artificial ecosystem is not sustainable bc it needs to be maintained
Human actions can create and maintain artificial ecosystems such as an urban park or
farm

Like all species, humans are dramatically influenced by the biotic and abiotic features of
the ecosystems that surround them
Sustainability varies between ecosystems depending on the amount of diversity that
exists within each one. The more diverse an ecosystem, the more resilient it is to change,
thus more sustainable in the long run
All organisms require energy to stay alive and function:
Radiant energy: energy that travels through empty space
Light energy: visible forms of radiant energy
Thermal: the form of energy transferred during heating or cooling
radiant energy that has been absorbed by the hydrosphere and lithosphere and
converted (70%) into thermal energy
warms atmosphere, evaporates water, produces winds
30% trapped in the ozone
only 51% makes it to the surface, 19% absorbed by clouds, 35% total makes it to
the surface. 0.02% is photosynthesis.

Light energy can be used by some organisms, but cannot be stored and is not
available at night

Chemical energy can be stored in cells and released when required

Chemical is used by all organisms to preform functions (movement, growth,

reproduction)

Once used, chemical must be replaced

Photosynthesis: the process in which the Suns energy is converted into chemical energy
most producers use light energy to convert carbon dioxide & water into sugars
this releases oxygen gas into the environment

occurs only during the day

Producer: an organism that photosynthesizes to make its own food (algae)

Major producers are green plants
Contains Chlorophyll; captures light energy
Some sugar formed is stored as chemical energy 9roots, stems leaves)
Some sugars are used as building materials

Cellular Respiration
Photosynthesis produces stored energy
Cellular respiration makes that stored energy available for use
A chemical process in which energy is released from food

Occurs continuously
Consumer: an organism that obtains its energy from consuming other organisms
Humans depend on photosynthesizing organisms for food and oxygen
Ecological Niches
Every species interacts with others and its environment
Includes what it feeds on, what it eats, and how it behaves
Feeding role
Herbivore
carnivore
omnivore
scavenger

definition
Eats plants or other producers
Animas that eat other animals
Both plants and animals
Feeds on remains of another organism

Trophic level
The level of an organism in an ecosystem depending on its feeding position
along a food chain
Producers occupy the lowest trophic level (1st)
Herbivores occupy the second
Carnivores occupy the thirds and fourth (highest)
Higher levels have less energy
Food Webs: more sustainable, options
Highly complex
Represent feeding within a community
Useful to figure out what may happen if a species is removed or added to an
ecosystem
Numbers Pyramid
Shows the number of individuals of all populations in each trophic
Producers are more in numbers than herbivores
More herbivores than carnivores
Ecological pyramids can be used to display energy, number and biomass relationships
Biomass: the mass of living organisms in a given area
All life on earth requires water and nutrients. Water is the liquid component of cells.
Nutrients are the source of building materials and chemical energy
Biogeochemical cycles
Bio (living organism) geo (earth process) : chemical (chemicals involved)
Every particle of an organism is part of this cycle
Particles that makeup matter cannot be created or destroyed
Can only be rearranged into different chemical forms
All water and nutrients must be produced or obtained from chemicals that already
exist in the enviro.
Happens in a series of cycles where chemicals are continuously consumed,
rearranged, stored and used
Water cycle (hydrological cycle)
Series of processes that cycle water through the environment
Liquid water evaporates (water vapor in atmosphere)
Vapor condenses (rain hail snow)
Water on earth may enter (soil, ground, water, lakes, rivers or oceans)
Water taken by roots of plants may be released by leaves transpiration

Animals take in the water and its returned to the enviro through perspiration,
lungs, waste
Most of the water present is in the abiotic enviro

Carbon cycle
Biogeochemical cycle in which carbon is cycled through the lithosphere,
atmosphere, and biosphere
Carbon moves between abiotic and biotic parts of an ecosystem in the carbon
cycle
Most of this exchange occurs between carbon dioxide, (in atmosphere or water)
and photosynthesizing plants or micro-organisms
Carbon deposits
Most of earths carbon is not recycled
Stored as carbon-rich deposits (fossil fuels/natural gas)
Other deposits are sediment found on ocean bottoms (limestone); carbon is slowly
released back in atmosphere over millions of years
Carbon sinks are storage locations (oceans and plants) involved in the process of
removing carbon from the cycle
Oceans contain large amount of dissolved carbon dioxide
Forests and other plant communities store large amounts of carbon but it is
released when they die and completely decompose
Nitrogen cycle
Our atmosphere is 78% nitrogen gas. However plants and animals cannot aquire the
nitrogen from this atmospheric form. Bacteria in the soil are able to convert the nitrogen
gas (N2) into a usable from nitrates (NO3), nitrites (NO2), ammonia (NH4).
This process conversions of atmospheric nitrogen Gas into usable nitrogen containing
compounds is called NITROGEN FIXATION
Small amounts of nitrates can be made during thunderstorms via lightning
Humans also add vast amounts to soil from fertilizer
Within the ecosystem nitrogen is cycled back and forth through consumption, excretion
and ultimately decay, major role of decomposers
Nitrogen must also be cycled back into the atmosphere. Bacteria in the soil can also
reconvert Ammonia and nitrates into Nitrites & back into nitrogen gas. Process called
DENITRIFICATION
Limiting factor: any factor that limits the size of any populations
Tolerance range: physical conditions under which a species can survive.
Optimal range: where the species is best adapted
Both abiotic and biotic determine whether a species can live
Influence on abiotic:
Determines whether able to live

 Tolerance range
Optimal
Influence on biotic:
Determine a species success
Interactions between individuals such as: competition, predations, mutualism,
parasitism, communalism
Carrying Capacity
As a populations size increases, the demand for resources (food, water, shelter,
space) increases
Carrying capacity: maximum population size of a particular species that a given
ecosystem can sustain
Can be altered through natural or human activity when resources are added or
removed to an ecosystem
Irrigation or introduction to a new species also alters the capacity
3 abiotic features important to both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are light, water and
nutrient availability
Biome: large geographical region defined by climate (precipitation/temp) with a specific
set of abiotic and biotic features.
Examples: mountain forest, tundra, boreal forest, grassland, temperate deciduous forest
Watershed: the land area drained by a particular river
Cultural services;
Ecotourism- an example of a cultural service provided by ecosystems; it benefits the
economy with minimal negative impacts on our natural ecosystems
Ecotourists- environmentally responsible when they travel to relatively undisturbed
natural areas
Ecosystem products
Humans use products produced by ecosystems
We obtain food products and food
Forestry is one of the largest industries and employers in Ontario
The industry depends on natural ecosystems for most of its wood and wood fiber
products
Other ecosystem services
Ecosystems regulate and maintain many important abiotic and biotic features in the
environment
Ecosystems also help protect us from physical threats
Plants protect soil from wind and water erosion
Ecosystems act as sponges, absorbing water and release it slowly into the
groundwater and surface water; reduces erosion and protects against flooding
Filters water

 Protect land from storms along the coast

Equilibrium and Change
Equilibrium
Describes the state of an ecosystem with relatively constant conditions over a
period of time
Most natural ecosystems are in a state of equilibrium (biomass)
Biotic and abiotic features remain constant over time
Established when abiotic conditions are stable; energy flows, nutrients cycled,
populations are healthy
Smaller ecosystems are in a constant state of change (forest fire, disease outbreak)
Life will return after such a dramatic disturbance
Process of establishing and replacing a community following a disturbance is called
ecological SUCCESSION
Initiated by a disturbance (geological event, human activity)
Primary
Occurs on soil or bare rock where no life previously existed (after volcanic
eruption)
Secondary
Follows a disturbance that disrupts but does not destroy the community (regrowth
of area after forest fire: or severe pollution or industry activity (surface mining))
Succession results in gradual changes (plants, animals, fungi, and micro organisms
become established)
A typical terrestrial succession pattern: grass colonize-shrubs-small trees-large
trees
Animal species will also change
Biodiversity: the variety of life in a particular ecosystem
Canada is home to about 140000-200000 species of plants and animals (only
71000 identified)
Measured by counting the number of species in a specific habitat or ecosystemspecies richness
A diverse ecosystem will have high species richness (higher closer to the equator)
Tropical rain forest has the highest biodiversity (283 species of trees in 1 hectare
vs < 15 species for the same area in Ontario
Species at Risk
When a populations size declines below a critical level, the species can no longer
fill its ecological niche
In Canada the committee on the status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada
(CODEWIC) monitors the status of species

Data is then used to place species into one of four categories; extirpated,
endangered, threatened, special concern
Extinct: species has dies out and no longer occurs on earth
Extirpated: no longer exists in a specific area but still lives elsewhere
Endangered: species facing imminent extirpation or extinction
Threatened: species likely to become endangered if factors reducing its survival are not
changed
Special concern: species that may become threatened or endangered because of a
combination of factors
Approximetely 80% of Ontarios original forests cover are gone
Loss and fragmentation of terrestrial ecosystems
Fragmentation is the dividing up of a region to smaller parts
Fragmentation of natural ecosystems decreases sustainability
Some species that require large home ranges may not have enough area to survive (bears)
5 key factors enhance sustainability
These are considered when deciding which areas should be set aside to protect wildlife
and ecosystems
Size, number, proximity, connectedness, integrity
Invasive species: non native species whose intentional or accidental introduction
negatively impacts the natural environment. Impacts are, ecological, economic, tourism,
health.
Chemical control, mechanical control, biological control
Pollution- harmful contaminants released into the environment
Acid precipitation- precipitation that has been made more acid than usual by the
combination of certain chemicals in the air with water vapor
Neutralize- counteract the chemical properties of acid
Affects aquatic and terrestrial
Slower growth
Oil spills can be cleaned using skimming, bioremediation, burning, dispersal agents
Plastic cause significant damage to marine ecosystems
Engineered ecosystems cover a large portion of earth land
As human population increases, natural ecosystems are replaced with land uses to support
modern lifestyles
Farms (agroecosystems)
Urban centers
Roads
Ability of humans to manipulate for environment comes from 2 innovations : tools and
concentrated energy sources
Modern agriculture
Humans obtain very little of their food from natural ecosystems

Most is produced on large agricultural farms. Fruits/veg grown on large fields;

meats come from a few domesticated animals raised on the farm
Only native livestock in Canada is TURKEYS
All of major foods we produce in Canada were introduced from other parts of the
world
Non native plants and animals have been domesticated over thousands of years
Highly productive, nutritious and easy to produce in large amounts
Agroecosystems (farms) differ from natural ones
In natural, many species interact participating in and maintaining natural cycles
In agricultural ecosystems, very limited number of species interact and most
cycles directly altered by human community
Major differences
Presence of non native species rather than native species on farms
Farms have more uniform abiotic features
Farms have lower biodiversity
Intensively used by humand and must be maintained
Farmers grow crops in mono cultures of non native species in large fields(corn)
Consumers feeding on crops considered pests
Natural ecosystems sustain themselves over thousands of years
Engineered must be managed
Natural fertilizers made from plant nutrients that have been obtained from natural sources
and have not been chemically altered by humans (less concentrated)
Synthetic fertilizer: are manufactured using chemical processes (increases food
production)
Leaching- nutrients are removed from the soil as water passes through it
Has impact on groundwater
Agroecosystem- an agricultural ecosystem
Monoculture- the cultivation of a single crop in an area
Pest- any plant, animal or any organism that causes illness harm or annoyance to humans
Irrigation improves our ability to grow food because allows us to farm land that would
otherwise be too dry or wet
Adding fertilizer causes damage because leads to soil that has less natural organic matter
and stressed soil systems.
/soil compaction influences nutrient and water cycles because it allows water and
nutrients to pass through the soil to reach the roots and provide oxygen to plant roots and
soil organisms.
Agroecosystems have low biodiversity thus there is habitat loss and changes to water and
biogeochemical cycles.

 Support monoculture
Monoculture creates ideal enviroments for pests (insects weeds rodents)
Characteristics of pesticides
There are long lived and short lived pesticides. are obtained from natural sources less
than synthetic
Broad spectrum:
7 toxic to a wide variety of species
pros and cons
pros: Reduction in crop damage, increase in food population, controls population of bitng
insects
cons: some pesticides never reach target species as it is carried away by air or lands on
soil not on the species, this becomes a source of soil, air and water pollutions, can harm
non target species
Non target species:
Often kill species that were not intended to kill (broad spectrum)
Killing beneficial organisms means farmers become dependent upon pesticide use
Bioamplification
One of the most serious side effects of pesticide use is the tendency of it to
acumilate in individual organisms
Some pesticides are not broken down or eliminated from body
As the individual continues to consume contaminated foods it accumulates the
pesticides
Long lived pesticide could create a concentration of that pesticide within the
individual that is much than the concentration of it in the environment
Pesticides not soluble in water
But soluble in fat, cannot be easily excreted from body process called
bioaccumulation
The higher u go up the food chain, greater the concentration of pesticides
If a pesticide bioamplifies in a food chain, it may reach toxic concentrations