ecology

Ecology
Unit 8

Multiple Choice

what is ecology?

• study of the Earth

• study of living things

• study of living and nonliving

• how organisms interact with living and nonliving

What is Ecology?
01

Ecology

Scientific discipline in which the
relationship between the living
and nonliving factors of the
environment.

Explain the Difference between

Biotic and Abiotic Factors.
01

Biotic Factors

Abiotic Factors

Living or once living factors

within the ecosystem.

Example:

Trees, birds, humans

Nonliving factors within the

ecosystem. Examples:

Rocks, climate, pH, sunlight

Biotic Factors Abiotic Factors

Directions: in this picture, place a circle around things that are living and an “X”

over the things that are non-living. You may resize the shapes as needed.

What are the levels of

Organization that Ecologist

might Study?

01

Organisms

An individual animal, plant
or single celled life form

Population

Individual organisms of the
same species that share
the same geographic
location

Ecosystem

All the biological
communities and all of the
abiotic factors

Biome

A large group of
ecosystems that share the
same climate and have
similar communities

Levels of Organization for Ecology

Community

A group of interacting
populations that occupy
same geographic area

Biosphere

Consist of the atmosphere,
hydrosphere and
geosphere

What is the difference between a

Habitat and Niche?
01

Habitat vs Niche

Where the organism lives

Ex. a bird in a tree or a bear in the cave

The role or position that the organism has

in its environment.

Ex. how the organism interacts with other

organisms or other non living factors.

Habitat

Niche

Name the major Biogeochemical

Cycles?

Make a Mnemonic device to

remember the cycles
01

Cycling of Matter

Matter- anything that takes up space and has mass

Nutrients- chemical substances that an organism must obtain from its

environment to sustain life and life processes.

Major elements needed to survive:

Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Sulfur, Nitrogen, Phosphorus

Some of these elements form compounds that are also vital for

organism like:

Water, Carbon Dioxide, Phosphates

Water Cycle

In your notebook draw the Water Cycle and
define the following term as you watch the
video on the Water Cycle:

Evaporation
Precipitation
Transpiration
Run off
Percolation
Ground water

Carbon Cycle

In your notebook draw the Carbon Cycle and
Explain the following:

1.How is CO2 exchanged between plant
and animals?

2.

How is CO2 absorbed into the
hydrosphere?

3.

How do fossil fuels play a role in in the
Carbon Cycle?

4.

What is the negative effect of to much
Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere?

Nitrogen Cycle

In your notebook draw the Nitrogen Cycle and
Explain the following:
How much of atmosphere is Nitrogen?
What does our bodies use Nitrogen for?
Which organism play a role in the process of
turning nitrogen in the atmosphere into useful
nitrogen?
Define the following:
Nitrogen fixation
Assimilation
Denitrification

Phosphorus Cycle

In your notebook draw the Phosphorus Cycle and
Explain the following:

What is the purpose of of Phosphorus in
organisms?
What form does Phosphorus take?
Name some places where phosphorus is found.
What is a negative effect of too much
phosphorus?

Symbiotic
Relationships

Symbiosis- relationship or interaction
between two different organism.

What are they types of symbiotic
relationships and give an example of
each?

Symbiotic Relationships

Predation- act of one organism
consuming another organism for
food

a. predator- one who peruses.

b. prey- one being pursued

Predation
Mutualism

mutualism- the relationship between
2 or more organisms that live
together and benefit from one
another.

Commensalism

commensalism- relationship in which
one organism is neither helped nor
harmed

Parasitism

parasitism- relationship in which one
organism benefits at the expense of
another organism

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