Ecosystems Unit 6

Unit 6 – Ecosystems Vocabulary

1. Biotic factors2. Abiotic factors3. Biome4. Ecosystem5. Carrying capacity6. Limiting Factor7. Biodiversity8. Estuary9. Desert10. Grasslands11. Forests12. Coral Reef

13. Tundra14. Wetlands 15. Permafrost 16. Climax Community17. Primary Succession18. Secondary Succession19. Parasitism20. Predation21. Commensalism22. Mutualism23. Competition24. Invasive (nonnative)

species25. Native species

A large region characterized by a specific type of climate and certain types of plants and animal communities.

What is a biome?

Biomes are described by their vegetation ◦ plants that grow in an area determine the other

organisms that can live there Plants in a particular biome have

adaptations that allow the plants to survive in that biome.

These adaptations include◦ size◦ shape ◦ color

What determines a biome?

Biomes are defined by their plant life, but what factors determine which plants can grow in a certain area?

◦ The main factor is climate.◦ Climate varies with latitude and altitude.

Climate

Major Biomes

Fig. 4-5, p. 84

all of the organisms living in an area together with their physical environment. ◦An ecosystem is much smaller than a

biome For example, in the forests there is the rotting

tree stump ecosystem, the forest floor ecosystem, the canopy ecosystem, etc. They are all a part of one biome - the deciduous forest biome.

What is an ecosystem?

In order to survive, ecosystems need at least five basic components.◦ Energy◦ Mineral nutrients◦ Water◦ Oxygen◦ Living organisms

The energy in most ecosystems comes from the sun.

Components of an Ecosystem

An ecosystem is made up of both living and nonliving things.

Biotic factorsare the living and once living parts of an ecosystem◦ including all of the plants and animals.

Abiotic Factors Are the nonliving parts of the ecosystem.◦ include air, water,rocks, sand, light, and

temperature.

Biotic vs. Abiotic Factors

What are some biotic and abiotic factors?

Organism an individual living thing. You are an organism.

Species a group of organisms that are closely related and that can mate to produce fertile offspring.

All humans are members of the species Homo sapiens.

Population all the members of the same species that live in the same place at the same time. ◦ Example, all the field mice in a corn field in

North Carolina make up one population of field mice.

◦ An important characteristic of a population is that its members usually breed with one another rather than with members of other populations

Ecological Organization

Every population is part of a Community. Community a group of various species that

live in the same place and interact with each other◦ A pond community, for example, includes all of

the populations of plants, fish, and insects that live in and around the pond. All of the living things in an ecosystem are members of the same community.

Ecological organization

A relationship in which two organisms live in close association is called Symbiosis.

There are 5 symbiotic relationships

Symbiosis

Competition is a relationship in which different individuals or populations attempt to use the same limited resource.◦ Each individual has less access to the resource and

so is harmed by the competition.◦ Intraspecific competition occurs within the same

species.◦ Interspecific competition occurs between different

species.

Which type is most fierce?

Competition

An organism that feeds on another organism is called a predator, and the organism that is fed upon is the prey.

Predation

An organism that lives in or on another organism and feeds on the other organism is a parasite.

The organism the parasite takes its nourishment from is known as the host.

Parasitism

A close relationship between two species in which each species provides a benefit to the other is called mutualism. ◦ Certain species of bacteria in your intestines form

a mutualistic relationship with you. These bacteria help break down food that you could not otherwise digest or produce vitamins that your body cannot make. In return, you give the bacteria a warm, food-rich habitat.

Mutualism

A relationship in which one species benefits and the other species is neither harmed nor helped

Commensalism

Remoras have a commensal relationship with sharks. Remoras attach themselves to sharks in order to eat scraps from the sharks’ meals, or to hitch a ride elsewhere. The remoras cause neither benefit nor harm to the sharks. There are many examples of freeloaders and scavengers in nature.

How Ecosystems Change

Succession - a gradual process of change and replacement of the types of species in a community.

Primary Successiono The change in a community that no ecosystem previously existed.

o Example: New Island

o Pioneer species: ◦ The first species to populate an area. (Ex. moss)

The first pioneer species to colonize the bare rock will probably be bacteria and lichens, which can live without soil

Primary Ecological Succession

Fig. 5-19, p. 119

Primary Succession

Secondary Successiono The series of community changes which take place after a disturbance to an existing ecosystem.

o Disturbance examples: ◦Fire◦Tornado◦Farming◦Mining

Annualweeds

Mature oak and hickory forestYoung pine forest

with developingunderstory of oakand hickory trees

Time

Shrubs andsmall pineseedlingsPerennial

weeds andgrasses

Stepped Art

Fig. 5-20, p. 120

Secondary Ecological Succession

A final and stable community dominated by few long-lived plant species and is in balance with its environment.

Climax Community

Native species – Species that normally live and thrive in an ecosystem

Invasive (nonnative) species – Species that migrate or are introduced into an ecosystem

Native vs. nonnative species

Most species introductions are beneficial◦ Food◦ Shelter◦ Medicine◦ Aesthetic enjoyment

Nonnative species may have no natural predators or competitors

A deliberately introduced species - The Kudzu Vine Imported from Japan to help control soil

erosion. Grows extremely rapidly and difficult to control or kill.

An accidentally introduced species – Argentina fire ant Accidentally introduced in Alabama on ships

from South America. No natural predators exist so they spread rapidly and kill other ant populations.

Fig. 9-11a, p. 200

Deliberately Introduced Species

Purple loosestrife

European starling

African honeybee (“Killer bee”)

Nutria Salt cedar (Tamarisk)

Marine toad (Giant toad)

Water hyacinth

Japanese beetleHydrilla European wild boar (Feral pig)

Fig. 9-11b, p. 200

Accidentally Introduced Species

Sea lamprey (attached to lake trout)

Argentina fire ant

Brown tree snake

Eurasian ruffe

Common pigeon (Rock dove)

Formosan termite

Zebra mussel

Asian long-horned beetle

Asian tiger mosquito

Gypsy moth larvae

What are biomes? How are they described? Climates vary based on what? Know the 5 symbiotic relationships –

definition, examples, inter vs. Intra., etc. Invasive species – what are they, problems

with them, etc. Biotic and abiotic factors – examples from

list and picture. Limiting factors, carrying capacity Succession (primary vs. secondary), pioneer

species Read through ALL your notes!!

Study Guide