interactions and ecosystems

• what is enviromental monitoring

  way to check the condition of an ecosystem by comparing results of different investigations taken over different times
• when do we eviromental monitoring


  anytime but often could be before or after a disturbance ex. before clear cutting or before building a road
• long term monitoring 


  done by counting members of a species in an are like AMPHIBIANS who are super sensitive to enviroment changes
• what are indicator species

  species studied to see enviromental changes which are usually AMPHIBIANS
• baseline data


  starting point or the first data we collect - gives us starting measurement
• permanent plots


  areas classified as a permanent study zone for an area/ enviroment
• what is succession


  plants growing in areas without vegetation, such as rocks that begin small then then by accumulating and growing they turn into large, dense forests
• primary succession steps


  1.bare rock

  2. mosses and ferns use thin soil from decomposing lichen to grow

  3. soil thickens as mosses and ferns decompose, soil holds more moisture and can grow grasses

  4. bushes and trees begin to compete with grasses. trees win
• secondary succession


  happens in an area the previously was an ecosystem but destroyed by a disaster (human or natural).

  different than primary because there were already orgainisms before the succesion

  wildflowers and other plants appear first as pioneer species
• lake succession


  •sediments accumulate, filling in lakes

  • vegetarion chokes a swamp until it fills in completely

  • becomes a meadow
• ecology definition


  study of interactions between orgainisms and their enviroment
• what is an ecologist

  someone who studies the relationships bewteen orgainisms and their enviroment
• basic needs of most living this (4)

  food, air, water, shelter
• moisture and how enviroments provide it


  aka water, most orgainisms require water to surivive

  their enviroment provides it by rain, streams, ground water, tap, etc
• suitable habitat definition


  a habitat that will provide the orgainism with the type of enviroment it is meant to live in
• what are pioneer species

  the first species to arrive to an area that previously had no living orgainisms. can take HUNDREDS or THOUSANDS of years
• what is lichen


  a common pioneer species because it likes to live on rocks + acidic things

  breaks down rocks to soil where species of producers can start growing
• how does a climax community change to an ecosystem

  it forms an ecosystem when different species of plants start growing and are unlikely to be replaced
• what is an ecosystem

  made up of all the living and nonliving things in an area, could be large like a forest but small like a single log
• scientific term for not ever living

  ABIOTIC
• scientific term for living or dead

  BIOTIC
• what are adaptations


  things about an animal that helps thwm survive in their enviroment

  ex. a chameleon to blend into its surroundings
• types of adaptations + examples

  physical adaptations: type of body modification; webbed feet, blubber, etc

  behavioural adaptations: something the animal does; migration, hibernations, etc
• symbosis definition


  animals who are interdependent on each other, we call these long term interactions SYMBOSIS
• 3 types of symbosis

  mutualism: relationship where both orgainisms benifit

  commensalism: relationship where one orgainism benfits and the other isnt affected

  parasitism: relationship where one orgainizm benifits and the one harmed is called the host
• mutualisim, commensalism, or parasitism: bee + flower

  mutualism
• mutualisim, commensalism, or parasitism: wooly bats + pitcher plants

  commensalism
• mutualisim, commensalism, or parasitism: mosquitos + us

  parasitism
• ecosystem order


  producer, primary consumer, secondary, decomposer, predator, prey
• biomagnification 


  humans at the top of the food web/chain, making us eat food like tuna which means we are also ingesting mercury which is bad for us
• bioaccumulation


  pollutants (like mercury) are consumed by small organisms within an ecosystem then build up as you go up the food web
• why does the amount of energy lessen as you go up the food chain

  because there is less food avaliable
• how does carbon get into fossil fuels

  slow geologic processes trapped their carbon and transformed it into these natural resources
• order of consumers


  primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary
• carnivore


  eats meat
• omnivore 


  eats plants and animals
• herbivores


  eat plants- no meat
• 4 rs 


  reduce, reuse, recycle, recreate
• ecological footprint


  a calculation of the total area of land and water needed to supply all of the materials and energy that you use.
• pyramid of numbers


  as you move up the food chain there is less food available for each level