1. Levels of Organization
1.1. Biospere
1.1.1. Layer of soil, water, and air that sustains life
1.1.1.1. An example of a biosphere is the earth
1.2. Biome
1.2.1. Geographic region of earth that is inhabited by a community of distinct types of plant and associated animal species
1.2.1.1. An example of a biome is a tropical ocean
1.3. Ecosystems
1.3.1. Group of living organisms that interact with one another and the nonliving physical environment as one unit
1.3.1.1. An example of an ecosystem is a beach
1.3.2. Biotic Factors
1.3.2.1. The living parts of an ecosystem
1.3.2.1.1. Some examples are migration, seed dispersal, plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms
1.3.2.1.2. Biotic vs. Abiotic- interact w/ abiotic factors in an ecosystem. Some example are water, light, minerals, and temperature.
1.3.2.1.3. Some other examples are competition for food, predators eat prey, microbes bring diseases, competition for homes, and competition for light.
1.3.3. Abiotic Factors
1.3.3.1. The nonliving parts of an ecosystem
1.3.3.1.1. Some examples are floods, erosion, drought, air, water, soil temperature, wind, and sunlight.
1.3.3.1.2. Some other examples are el nino(la nina)-winds over pacific, regional climate(tropical, polar), wind patterns and ocean currents, and rain shadows-no rain on other side of mountain.
1.3.3.1.3. Other examples are calcium(restrict distribution of land snails), sand(size of grain in soil can impact animals that burrow), and nitrogen(form of nitrogen used by plants).
1.4. Communities
1.4.1. Populations of living organisms that interact with one another in an ecosystem
1.4.1.1. An example of a community is fish, crabs, dolphins, and jellyfish all in one area
1.5. Population
1.5.1. Group of individuals of the same species found in a given area or located in the same area at a given time
1.5.1.1. An example of a population is a school of fish
1.6. Organism
1.6.1. Any form of life
1.6.1.1. An example of an organism is a fish
2. Energy Transfer
2.1. Producer
2.1.1. The organisms that produce their own energy from the sun
2.1.1.1. An example of a producer is grass
2.2. Primary Consumer
2.2.1. Eats producers(1st degree consumer)
2.2.1.1. An example of a primary consumer is a rabbit
2.3. Secondary Consumer
2.3.1. Eats primary consumers(2nd degree consumer)
2.3.1.1. An example of a secondary consumer is a fox
2.4. Tertiary Consumer
2.4.1. Eats secondary consumers(3rd degree consumer)
2.4.1.1. An example of a tertiary consumer is a mountain lion
2.5. Consumers
2.5.1. Are the organisms that get their energy by eating other organisms
2.5.1.1. An example of a consumer is a lion
2.6. Trophic Levels
2.6.1. Trophic means energy
2.6.2. Each step in the transfer of energy through an ecosystem is known as a trophic level
2.6.3. There is a 90% energy loss between trophic levels
2.6.4. There is only 10% of energy transferred to the next level
2.7. Food Chains
2.7.1. Show the sequence in which energy is transferred from one organism to the next as one eats the other
2.7.2. Three rules for making a food chain
2.7.2.1. Rule #1: choose an ecosystem that you want to focus on
2.7.2.2. Rule #2: choose an organism at each level that actually eats the one before it
2.7.2.3. Rule #3: think about the direction of arrows(always point where energy is going)
2.7.3. An example of a food chain is a Killer Whale eats a Leopard Seal which eats a Cod which eats Krill which eats Algae which gets its energy from the Sun
2.8. Food Webs
2.8.1. Show us what an ecosystem really looks like
2.8.2. Whole buch of food chains
2.8.3. Show us that organisms eat a lot more than just one thing
2.8.4. An example of a food web is a marine food web
3. Biomes
3.1. Rainforest
3.1.1. A tropical woodland with an annual rainfall of at least 100 inches
3.1.2. Marked by lofty broad-leaved evergreen trees forming a continuous canopy
3.2. Temperate Deciduous Forest
3.2.1. A forest that dominates in temperate areas
3.2.2. Trees are deciduous if they shed all their leaves in the winter season or during dryer periods
3.3. Coniferous Forest
3.3.1. A type of forest with mostly cone-bearing trees
3.3.2. World's largest biome
3.4. Desert
3.4.1. Arid land with usually sparse vegetation
3.4.2. Land having a very warm climate and recieving less than 25 centimeters of rainfall annually
3.5. Tundra
3.5.1. A level or rolling treeless plain that is characteristic of arctic and subarctic region
3.5.2. A region confined to mountainous areas of timberline
3.6. Grassland/Savannah
3.6.1. An ecological community in which the characteristic plants are grasses
3.6.2. A tropical or sub-tropical grassland containing scattered trees and drought-resistant undergrowth
3.7. Freshwater Biome
3.7.1. Containing fewer salts than the waters in the marine biome
3.7.2. Divided into two zones; running waters(rivers and streams) and standing waters(ponds and lakes)
3.8. Marine Biome
3.8.1. Relating to the sea
3.8.2. All the water on the earth's surface, covers 3/4 of the earth
4. Limiting Factors
4.1. conditions of the environment that limit the growth of a species
4.2. biotic and abiotic factors that prevent the continuous growth of a population
4.3. Carrying Capacity
4.3.1. the number of individuals of a species that an ecosystem can support
4.4. Ecological Succession
4.4.1. Primary Succession
4.4.1.1. occurs in places where an ecosystem has never existed
4.4.1.2. begins in a place without any soil
4.4.1.2.1. brand new land(newly formed islands), sides of volcanoes, extreme landslides that strip land to rock, and extreme flooding that strip land to rock
4.4.2. Secondary Succession
4.4.2.1. begins in an ecosystem when something has disturbed or destroyed the natural community
4.4.2.1.1. natural disasters that cause secondary succession are after forest fires, minor floods or landslides(that leave some soil)
4.4.3. Pioneer Species
4.4.3.1. is a hardy species that is one of the first to establish itself at the start of the process of succession
4.4.4. Climax Community
4.4.4.1. one that forms in the last stage of succession
4.4.5. Ecological succession is a process in which the communities of an ecosystem change over time
5. Biodiversity
5.1. Biodiversity is the variety of organisms in a geographic area that provides us, as humans, with essential natural resources.
5.1.1. Biodiversity provides us with food, fibers for clothing, and medicines.
5.2. When humans destroy the environment, there are three threats to the environment that they cause...
5.2.1. Habitat Destruction
5.2.1.1. this means that those organisms have to find a new place to live (deforestation)
5.2.2. Overexploitation
5.2.2.1. this means that some of the species can go extinct because we are hunting them faster than they can be replaced (deadliest catch-fish)
5.2.3. Introduction of exotic species
5.2.3.1. this means that they have to compete for food and they can die (fire ants on cargo ship)
6. Hot Spots
6.1. Biodiversity “hot spots” are where more than half of the Earth’s species are found and they are mostly found in the tropics.
6.2. These "hot spots" cover 2% of land area.
6.3. There are 17 regions on the Earth and they are very limited so they are sensitive to habitat degradation.
7. Population
7.1. Population Growth
7.1.1. increase in the number of people who inhabit
7.2. Black Plague
7.2.1. caused the largest decrease in population ever in history
7.3. Industrial Revolution
7.3.1. began in the mid 1700's in Great Britain
7.3.2. began by machinery replacing workers and other fossil fuels
7.3.3. caused increase in medicine, food, production, housing, and clothing
7.4. Exponential Growth
7.4.1. growth at a constant rate of increase per unit of time
7.5. Sustainablilty
7.5.1. the capacity to endure
7.5.2. is how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time
7.5.3. how society is able to meet their needs, while preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems
7.6. Logistic Growth
7.6.1. growth pattern is which the population's growth rate slows
7.7. J-curve
7.7.1. another name for exponential growth
7.8. S-curve
7.8.1. another name for logistic growth
7.9. Population Growth Rate
7.9.1. a measure of how quickly the number of people in an area increases
8. Water Pollution
8.1. contamination of water
8.2. Point Source
8.2.1. pollution that comes from a single source
8.2.2. Some examples are factories and wastewater treatment plants
8.3. Earth's Total Water Supply
8.3.1. Oceans(saltwater)= 97.2%
8.3.2. Fresh Water= 2.8%
8.3.2.1. ice caps and glaciers = 82.1%
8.3.2.2. groundwater (aquifers) = 14.3%
8.3.2.3. surface water (lakes, rivers, and streams) = 2.4%
8.3.2.4. air and soil = 1.2%
8.4. Non-Point Source
8.4.1. doesn't come from one specific source
8.4.2. comes from a combination of a town's residents going about their everyday activites
8.4.3. Some examples are fertilizing a lawn, driving a car, pesticides, pet waste, motor oil, household hazardous wastes, and fertilizer
8.5. Aquifer
8.5.1. any geological formation containing water, especially one that supplies water for wells and springs
8.5.2. like an underground river