ECOLOGY CONCEPTS

• the 5 ecological levels of organization are ORGANISM, POPULATION, COMMUNITY, ECOSYSTEM, BIOSPHERE
• ORGANISM is any form of life which includes plants and animals
• POPULATION is a group of organisms of the same species living within a particular area
• COMMUNITY is the population of different plants and animals living and interacting in an area at a particular time
• ECOSYSTEM is the community of organisms and populations interacting with one another and with the abiotic factor making up the environment
• BIOSPHERE is the summation of all ecosystems worldwide
• the 2 components of the environment are ABIOTIC FACTORS, BIOTIC FACTORS
• the 7 abiotic factors are LIGHT ENERGY, WATER, ATMOSPHERIC GASES, WIND AIR CURRENTS, TEMPERATURE, SOIL, PHYSIOGRAPHIC FACTORS
• LIGHT ENERGY is the photosynthetic activity of green plants with chorophyll
• LIGHT ENERGY affects day length caused by circadian rhythm which is the rotation of the earth in its own axis nocturnal and diurnal organisms
• WIND AIR CURRENTS carries water vapor which condense and fall as rain snow or hail
• WIND AIR CURRENTS plays a role in plant pollination and seed dispersal
• WIND EROSION removes and redistributes topsoil
• TEMPERATURE affects the distribution of organism in the surface of the planet
• TEMPERATURE is influenced by the revolution of the earth around the sun bringing about seasonal rhythm
• TEMPERATURE affects activities of organism dormancy migration germination
• SOIL TEXTURE supports different types of vegetation animals
• SOIL TEMPERATURE affects organic matter decomposition
• SOIL WATER SOLUTION PH influence biological activities and availability of certain minerals
• PHYSIOGRAPHIC FACTORS affects the vegetation zones presence of sun or rain bearing winds and temperature of the soil surface
• the 3 biotic factors AUTOTROPHS, HETEROTROPHS, DECOMPOSERS
• AUTOTROPHS capture energy such as the sunlight and use it along with inorganic nutrients to produce organic compounds
• AUTOTROPHS are producers
• HETEROTROPHS need a source of preformed organic nutrients and consume tissues of other organisms
• HETEROTROPHS are consumers
• DECOMPOSERS are non photosynthetic bacteria and fungi that extract energy from dead matter including animal wastes in the soil and make nutrients available
• the 6 nutritional relationships are COMPETITION, PARASITSM, PREDATION, COMMENSALISM, PROTOCOOPERATION, MUTUALISM
• COMPETITION is the idea that two organisms utilizing the same environmental resource interspecific or intraspecific
• PARASITISM is the idea that the parasite benefits at the expense of the host
• PREDATION is the idea that a predator feeds on a prey
• COMMENSALISM is the idea that the commensal benefits while the host is unaffacted
• PROTOCOOPERATION is favorable to both but not obligatory
• MUTUALISM is favorable to both but obligatory