ecology

Group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring

The environment in which a species normally lives or the location of living organism

Group of organisms of same species who live in same area at same time

Group of populations living and interacting with each other in an area

Community and its abiotic environment

Study of relationships between living organisms and between organisms and their environment

Organisms that synthesize organic molecules from simple inorganic substances (plants)

Organisms that obtain organic molecules from other organisms

Organisms that ingest other organic matter that is living or recently killed

Organisms that ingest non-living organic matter (earthworms)

Organisms that live on/in non-living organic matter, secreting digestive enzymes into it and absorbing products of digestion (mushroom)

< critical value, no association between organisms

Nutrient availability
Detoxification of waste products
Energy availability
Nutrients can be recycled but energy needs to be constantly supplied

Most ecosystems rely on supply of energy from sunlight
Light energy converted to chem energy by photosynthesis
Chemical energy in carbon compound flows through food chains by feeding
Energy released by respiration used in living organisms and converted to heat, heat cannot be converted to other forms of energy
Energy losses bewteen trophic levels restric length of food chains and biomass of higher trophic levels

Organism's position on food chain

Diagram that show how much energy flows through trophic levels in community
Kilojoules per meter squared per year

Some organisms die before they are consumed
Some parts of organisms are not eaten or indigestible
Energy released by cellular respiration and transferred out as heat
Energy used for mvt, making cells

As you go up tiers pyramid, levels of some toxins increase to dangerous levels
Mercury present in small amount in ocean water, plankton absorbs mercury, anchovies eat plankton, tuna eats plankton

Autotrophs convert carbon dioxide into organic carbon compounds through photosynthesis

Carbon fixation
Plants absorb carbon from atmosphere and hold in biomass until hetertrophs consume it
CO2 dissolves in solution in aquatic environments, split into hydrogen and hydrogen carbonate ions, decreasing pH (increasing acidity)
Most organisms undergo cellular respiration and return organic compunds back to atmosphere/water as CO2

Produced anaerobic conditions by methanogenic archeans, in atmosphere can be oxidized and converted to CO2

Peat forms when organic matter not fully decomposed due to anaerobic conditions
Acidic condition develop, which further inhibits organisms that prevent decomposition
Can be compressed and form coal

Reaction between carbon compounds and oxygen to produce CO2 and water
Burning fossil fuels, forest fires

Fossilized remains of shells and coral from living organisms
Shells made of calcium carbonate, removes CO2 from atmosphere

CO2, water vapor most significant, methane, nitrogen oxide small impact

Short wavelenth radiation comes in from sun, strikes Earth. Earth aborbs the light, re-emits it at longer wavelength and 70-85% absorbed by greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases re-emit radiation in all directions, some go back to Earth and cause it to warm
Greenhouse gases rising since industrialism, temperatures rising and took off since 1970

Melting glaciers, sea level rise
Thermal expansion of liquid water
Polar ice sheets break up
Permafrost melts, more decomposition of organic matter which increases CO2 more
Temperate species move north, altering food chains
Arctic species go extinct
Polar bear lose habitat on ice
More pests, diseases
More extreme weather events