Ecology

• Adaptations of cacti

  • Shallow roots, spines to prevent being eaten, ability to store water in leaves
• Madison an ecosystem includes other animals, plants, everything living within a certain area
• Humans are top consumers in the food chain
• Animals need to adapt to their environments to survive
• A species needs food, water, air, and sometimes a mate to survive
• Adaptations of snow foxes

  • White fur for camouflage, small ears to retain heat, thick coat
• Abiotic factors

  Nonliving factors such as light intensity, temperature, water levels, pH, iron levels, wind, carbon dioxide levels, and oxygen levels
• Carbon cycle


  Carbon moves between various locations such as the air, oceans, plants, animals, dead organisms, and fossil fuels through processes like combustion, photosynthesis, respiration, and decay
• Biotic factors

  Living factors such as food, predators, and pathogens
• Animals eat plants


  They can't survive without doing that
• The community of plants or animals in an ecosystem are all dependent upon one another and cannot survive without each other
• Investigating plant growth in fields

  Use of quadrats or transects to estimate plant population per area
• Food chain


  Starts with the Sun providing energy, then plants grow and get eaten by other organisms, leading to a flow of energy
• Types of pollution

  • Air pollution, Water pollution, Plastic pollution
• Carbon cycle


  Constantly moving around from carbon dioxide in the air to carbon compounds in animals, plants, dead animals, and then being inserted into fossil fuels which can then lead to the release of carbon dioxide back into the air. This is a very complicated process that happens over millions of years
• Deforestation


  Large parts of the world are suffering from trees being cut down, impacting biodiversity and habitats
• Microorganisms are part of the system and biotic and abiotic factors that help break down old things, like old food, so that the components can be recycled back through the system
• Pollution impact

  Chemical changes affecting the water, animals struggling to survive, chemicals moving up the food chain, air pollution affecting animals' breathing and camouflage
• Decay and decomposition

  Breaking down organic matter generally happens by microorganisms. Enzymes are relied upon to break things down, and the process is affected by temperature, water levels, and oxygen availability
• Biodiversity is the range of plants and animals that live within their habitats. Humans have a massive impact on biodiversity through activities like deforestation, pollution, and habitat destruction
• Composting

  Decomposing organic matter in a controlled environment to get rid of unwanted things and take the nutrients for reuse. Compost can get hot, release gas, and the gas can be harvested and used
• Water cycle

  Water evaporates due to the Sun's warmth, condenses to form clouds, rains (precipitation), infiltrates into the ground, flows into rivers or lakes, gets taken up by plants for photosynthesis, transpires, and the cycle starts again
• Deforestation leads to soil erosion
• Global warming leads to climate change, affecting different regions in various ways
• Polar bears


  At risk due to melting ice caps, affecting their hunting and resting habits
• Deforestation destroys habitats for plants and animals
• Increasing food production

  Can enhance food security by reducing reliance on other countries
• Deforestation


  Has massive effects on animals, affecting their breathing and ability to camouflage
• Developing new food sources

  Such as culturing microorganisms can help in securing food supply
• Approximately 10% of energy is transferred between trophic levels, with some energy lost through various processes
• Food chains

  Can be represented as pyramids showing trophic levels and energy transfer
• Peat is a non-renewable resource that provides a habitat for plants and animals
• Reasons for deforestation

  • Logging
  • Clearing land for agriculture
• Global warming

  Impacts animals' habitats and food sources
• Climate change


  Affects the spread of diseases like mosquitoes moving to new areas
• Food security


  Depends on a country's ability to produce its own food and trade agreements with other countries
• Sustainable fishing


  Can contribute to food security by ensuring responsible fishing practices
• Various gases contribute to global warming, including carbon dioxide, water, and methane