Ecology#4

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ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:

1. During primary succession the landscape starts out with NO ​

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.

2. The first species (lichens and moss) to occupy an area of rocks during primary succession are known as ​

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.

3. The last stage of both primary and secondary succession is known as a ​

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.

4. If a natural disaster occurred (hurricane, fire, flood, etc.), then the formation of a new community of organisms is known as ​

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succession.

5. What type of organisms are always found at the base of an ecological pyramid? ​

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Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

soil

pioneer species

climax community

secondary

producers

herbivores

primary

maximum species

first settlers

predators

Conservation of Matter and Energy

• Conserve means to maintain at a constant

overall total.
▫ All over Earth, mass and energy are cycling

through different forms without being created or
destroyed.

• Matter is neither created or destroyed during

any chemical or physical change, it is changed
from one form to another

• Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Energy

is transferred from one form to another.

1

Types of Systems

• Isolated System:

▫ No matter or energy moves in or
out of the system

• Closed System:

▫ Matter cannot move in or out of the system, but

energy can

• Open System:

▫ Energy or matter
can move in and
out of the system

2

What is a cycle?

• A series of events that are

continuously repeated in the same
order.

• Cycles we will review:

▫ Water Cycle
▫ Carbon Cycle
▫ Oxygen Cycle
▫ Nitrogen Cycle

3

Water Cycle

4

• The continuous movement of water from the

Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back.

• This process is driven by the Sun

Evaporation:

• Liquid water is changed to a gas and rises

into the atmosphere
▫ From oceans, lakes, rivers, streams

• Plants/Trees release water into the atmosphere

too, this is known as transpiration

5

Condensation:

• Rising water cools and changes back into

a liquid

• This forms clouds

6

Precipitation:

• When liquid water droplets become large

enough to be pulled down to the surface
of the Earth by gravity
▫ Rain, snow, sleet, or hail

7

Multiple Choice

This provides the power to keep the water cycle running.

• The Sun

• The Earth

• The wind

• living things

Labelling

Drag the processes to correctly label the diagram.

Drag labels to their correct position on the image

precipitation

condensation

evaporation

Carbon Cycle

• Carbon is considered the building block of life
• CO₂ (carbon dioxide) from the air is used by

producers (plants) for photosynthesis.

8

Follow the carbon

• Photosynthesis:

▫ This process makes sugar which contains

carbon.

• Carbon is also used by plants to make other

organic parts/structures.

9

Where does the carbon go next?

• Consumers eat the producers (plants)

and then pass the carbon along the food
chain.

• Consumers then break down the sugar from

the food to make energy then they release
CO₂and water into the air.

10

What happens to all the
carbon-based organisms?

• Eventually all the carbon-based organisms

die and are broken down by
decomposers in the soil

• The carbon then becomes available

to be used again

11

Multiple Choice

What do 'plants' do with the carbon they receive?

• They turn it into water

• They don't need carbon

• They turn it into glucose (sugar) by photosynthesis

• They keep it forever

Multiple Choice

How do animals get carbon?

• Photosynthesis

• They absorb it from the atmosphere

• The sun

• They ingest other plants and animals

Multiple Select

How does carbon get from animals and plants back into the atmosphere? (CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY)

• Perform respiration and exhale CO₂

• After they die, they are broken down by decomposers

• More Photosynthesis and Respiration

• All of these choices

Oxygen Cycle

12

• Producers release oxygen

▫ They perform photosynthesis!

• Aerobic organisms take oxygen in

▫ To perform cellular respiration!

Carbon and Oxygen Cycles Together

13

Multiple Choice

Which statement is true about the carbon dioxide-oxygen cycle?

• animals breathe in nitrogen and release oxygen which is used by plants

• animals breathe in oxygen and release carbon dioxide which is used by plants

• animals breathe in nitrogen and release carbon dioxide which is used by plants

• animals breathe in carbon dioxide and release oxygen which is used by plants

Multiple Select

Which statement is an example of how plants and animals depend on each other?

SELECT ALL THAT APPLY!

• animals provide food for plants

• plants provide oxygen for animals

• animals provide oxygen for plants

• animals provide carbon dioxide for plants

Nitrogen Cycle

• Nitrogen is an important

component for building proteins
in animals and an essential
nutrient for plants.

• The air is about 78% nitrogen, but

organisms cannot use nitrogen in
the gas form.
▫ It is considered “free” nitrogen,

since it is not combined with any
other elements

• Nitrogen needs to be “fixed”

or combined with other elements.

14

Nitrogen Fixing

• Bacteria live on the

roots of certain plants.

• Bacteria and

lightning “fix” the

nitrogen from the air
into organic molecules
that the plant can use

15

• Nitrogen then cycles

from the producers to the
consumers.

• When the organisms die

decomposers then return
the nitrogen to the soil.

• Bacteria then breaks

down the nitrogen
compounds from the soil
and release it into the air
and the cycle continues.

16

Multiple Choice

Plants and animals cannot use nitrogen directly from the air.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

How nitrogen is "fixed" into useable form for plants...

• through action of bacteria only

• through lightning only

• through action of bacteria & lightning

• through photosynthesis

Multiple Choice

How do animals get the nitrogen they need?

• From the air they breathe

• From the water they drink

• From the food they eat

• From the sun

Multiple Choice

Organism that breaks down dead plants & animals and releases nitrogen back into atmosphere

• bacteria

• plants

• animals

• producers