ecosystems

• Ecosystem


  Abiotic and biotic factors, living together all the living organisms and the environment (non-living component)
• Community


  All populations of organisms that live together and interact in the same area
• Population


  The number of particular species living in a specific area
• Habitat


  An area where an organism lives
• Water cycle


  Continuous movement of water on, above, and below Earth
• Water cycle processes


  • Condensation
  • Precipitation
  • Water vapour
  • Transpiration
  • Evaporation
  • Percolation
  • Surface run off
  • Infiltration
• Water cycle


  1. Evaporation

  2. Condensation

  3. Transport

  4. Precipitation

  5. Surface run off

  6. Infiltration

  7. Transpiration
• Evaporation


  Water turns to a gas from a liquid
• Condensation


  After evaporation, water can cool and goes back to liquid, forming clouds
• Transport


  Water within clouds can be blown many miles by strong winds
• Precipitation


  Occurs when rain, snow, hail, and sleet fall
• Surface run off


  When the ground is already wet, some water can run along the surface
• Infiltration


  Occurs when water that has fallen as precipitation is absorbed into the ground
• Transpiration


  Some water evaporates as water vapour from plant leaves
• Carbon cycle


  Processes and events involved in recycling carbon in the environment
• Carbon cycle processes


  • Combustion
  • Respiration
  • Photosynthesis
  • Dissolution
  • Consumption
  • Decomposition
  • Fossilization
  • Extraction
• Photosynthesis


  Carbon dioxide is fixed through this process
• Respiration


  Releases carbon dioxide
• Decomposition


  Releases carbon dioxide
• Combustion


  Releases carbon dioxide
• Nitrogen cycle


  Reservoir of nitrogen in the atmosphere
• Decrease in oxygen availability affects the rate of decomposition
• Lack of oxygen means microorganisms respire anaerobically
• Anaerobic decay is slower than aerobic decay
• Biotic factors affecting communities

  • Predators
  • Disease
• Abiotic factors affecting communities

  • Light intensity
  • Soil pH
  • Temperature
• Parasitism


  Where one organism lives on another and takes nutrients from the other organism, beneficial to the parasite and detrimental to the host
• Mutualism


  Two organisms depend on each other and both benefit
• Commensalism


  Where one organism benefits but the other is unaffected
• Ammonia


  A compound of nitrogen and hydrogen
• Bacteria


  Microorganisms that can be beneficial or harmful
• Nitrifying bacteria


  Bacteria that convert ammonia into nitrates
• Denitrifying bacteria


  Bacteria that convert nitrates back into nitrogen gas
• Decomposers are organisms which break down organic molecules in dead organisms
• Detritivores


  Organisms that eat dead and decaying matter
• Detritivores increase the surface area of decaying matter
• Saprophytic nutrition


  Process by which saprophytes break down organic matter using enzymes
• Saprophytic organisms include bacteria and fungi
• Conditions needed for decay

  1. Oxygen present

  2. Higher temperatures

  3. Moisture
• Oxygen present


  Allows organic matter to respire aerobically