Chapter 4 – Ecosystems and Communities

Section 4-1: The Role of Climate

________ and ________ help dictate what organisms can live where they do

________ = the day-to-day condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place

Weather

Weather climate

________ = the average, year-after-year conditions of temperature and precipitation in a particular region

Climate is affected by several factors; heat trapped by the atmosphere, ________, the transportation of heat by winds and oceans, ___________, and the shape and elevation of the land

Climate

latitude

precipitation

_______________ = the natural situation in which heat is retained by a layer of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

_____, ________, and __________ are important in trapping heat let light and heat in, but only let limited heat back out

Greenhouse effect

CO2methane water vapor

_______ has an effect on climate since Earth has a tilted axis

Because Earth is tilted, different parts of Earth receive different amounts of ________

Differences in the angle of sunlight at different latitudes results in different ______________

Latitude

radiation

heating patterns

Earth has 3 main climate zones because of these differences; polar, temperate, and tropical

1. Polar zones – cold regions where sunlight strikes at a very low angle

These zones are located near the poles!

The climate in these zones ranges from hot to cold, depending on

2. Temperate zones – these are more affected by the change in the angle of the sun during the year

season

They tend to receive direct/near direct sunlight all year and stay warm

3. Tropical zones – these sit near the equator

Warm air _____ and cold air _____ this is what creates air currents

Ocean currents are similar warm water _____ and cold water ____

The uneven heating of Earth creates _____ and ____________

ocean currentswinds

rises

fallsrises

falls

__________ and ___________ can affect winds and currents

Both winds and currents are a way to transport __________ through the biosphere

Continents land masses

heat energy

Section 4-2: What

Shapes an Ecosystem

?

____________= the biological influences on organisms within an ecosystem (living factors)

_____________ = physical (nonliving) factors that shape ecosystemsEx. Temperature, precipitation, _________, wind, nutrient availability, ____, ________

Both ______ and ________ things help to shape an ecosystem

living nonliving

Biotic factors

Abiotic factors

humiditysoilsunlight

Together, biotic and abiotic factors determine the _______ and _______ of an organism as well as the productivity of an ecosystem

_______ = the area where an organism lives it include biotic/abiotic factors

survivalgrowth

Habitat

______= the full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which it uses its conditions

It can be thought of as an organisms __________

The biotic/abiotic factors in an ecosystem help determine the different niches there

Niche

occupation

A niche includes the types of food an organism eats, how it gets its food, and who it is food for

_________________ like temp and amount of water present are a large part of an organisms niche

No two species can share the same niche in the same habitat why do you think that is?

Different species can occupy _______ niches

Physical conditions

similar

____________ is a natural part of an ecosystem; organisms are trying to use the same resource at the same time

_________ = any necessity of life, such as water, nutrients, light, food, or space

___________ within ecosystems play an important role

Interactions

Competition

Resource

Direction competition results in a loser and a winner the loser fails to

The ___________________________ states that no two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time

survive

competitive exclusion principle

_________ = an interaction in which one organism captures and feeds on another organism

_______ = the organism that does the killing and eating

_____ = the organism that gets caught and eaten

Predation

PredatorPrey

_________ = any relationship in which two species live closely together

Symbiosis

There are 3 main classes of symbiotic relationships; mutualism, commensalism, and

parasitism

1. Mutualism = a relationship where both species benefit

Ex. Flowers/insects

2. Commensalism = a relationship where one member benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed

Ex. Barnacles/whales

3. Parasitism = a relationship where one organism lives on or inside another organism and harms it

Ex. Fleas and ticks/mammals

Ecosystems are constantly changing in response to natural and human

As an ecosystem changes, older inhabitants gradually die out and new inhabitant move in, which causes further change

___________________ = the series of predictable changes that happen over time

disturbances

Ecological succession

________________ = succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil exists

Ex. Surfaces formed after volcanoes erupt

_____________ = the first species to populate the area for primary succession

_______ (fungus and algae that can grow on bare rock) are often pioneer species and help break up the rock

Primary succession

Pioneer species

Lichens

__________________ = succession that occurs after an ecosystem has been changed by a large event like a fire, flood, or human destruction

Succession seems to go through predictable stages to produce a “________________” – a very stable community

Secondary succession

climax community

Section 4-3:

Biomes

_______ = a complex of terrestrial communities that covers a large area and is characterized by certain soil and climate conditions and particular assemblages of plants and animals

Not every species can live in every biome, it depends on their ___________

A biome

adaptations

___________ = an inherited characteristic that increases an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce

_________ = the ability to survive and reproduce under conditions that differ from their optimal conditions

Adaptation

Tolerance

_____________ = the climate in a small area that differs from the climate around it

Microclimates can make a difference to an organism since it is adapted to certain conditions

Microclimate

There are at least 10 different major biomes; tropical rainforest, tropical dry forest, tropical savanna, desert, temperature grassland, temperate woodland and shrubland, temperate forest, northwestern coniferous forest, boreal forest, and tundra

Home to more species than all other biomes combined

The tall trees for a dense covering =

The second layer under the canopy =

Hot and wet year-round with a lack of nutrients in soil

1. Tropical rain forest

the canopy

understory

Warm year-round, wet and dry seasons, rich soil

During the dry season almost all the trees drop their leaves to __________

______________ = a tree that sheds its leaves during a particular season

2. Tropical dry forest

Deciduous tree

save water

Characterized by

Spotted with trees and groves of trees

Warm temps, seasonal rainfall, compact soils,

3. Topical savanna

a cover of grass

frequent fires

Very dry with less than ______ of precipitation a year

Low precipitation, variable temps, mineral rich soil (low in organic material)

4. Desert

25 cm

Usually have a large mix of grasses and fertile soils

They once covered a vast area of

Warm/hot summers and cold winters, seasonal precipitation, fertile soils

5. Temperate grassland

the Midwestern/central US

Tend to have a mix of large wooded areas and grasslands

Hot/dry summer, cool/moist winters, thin soils, periodic fires

6. Temperate woodland and shrubland

Has a mix of both deciduous and coniferous trees

_______________ = trees that produce cones and most have needle-like leaves

Soils are rich in _______ – formed from decaying leaves and organic material (makes soil fertile)

Cold/moderate winters, warm summers, year-round precipitation

7. Temperate forest

Coniferous trees

humus

Moist air from the ocean helps create rain for the biome

Mild temps, much precipitation most of the year, cool/dry summers

8. Northwestern Coniferous Forest

Experience bitter cold winters, but summers are warm enough for growth

Long/cold winters, mild summers, high humidity, moderate precipitation

9. Boreal forest (taiga)

Characterized by _______ – a layer of permanently frozen subsoil

Thawing and freezing of soil if rough on plant roots, limiting plant growth

Strong winds, low precipitation, long/cold/dark winters, permafrost

10. Tundra

tundra

Some areas of Earth don’t fall into a specific biome, like

There is no definite line when crossing from one biome to another, habitats can gradually change

mountain ranges and polar icecaps

Section 4-4: Aquatic

Ecosystems

Aquatic ecosystems are determined by ______, flow, _____, and chemistry of the water

________ is also an important factor for aquatic biomes; polar, temperate, and tropical oceans can be very different

Water covers almost ¾ of Earth, so many organism live in aquatic habitats

depth temp

Latitude

Freshwater ecosystems are divided into 2 main types; flowing-water and standing-

water

Near the source of the flow there is lots of _______________ in the water and little plant life

Farther downstream, water slows and ________ builds up leading to more plant life

Flowing-water ecosystems – made up of _____, streams, ______, and brooks

Organisms must be adapted to the flowing water

rivers creeks

dissolved oxygen

sediment

________ = general term for the tiny free-floating organisms that live in fresh and salt water_____________ = unicellular algae plankton____________ = animal plankton

Standing-water ecosystems – made up of _____ and _____ The relatively still water

provides habitats for many organisms

lakes ponds

Plankton

PhytoplanktonZooplankton

________ = an ecosystem in which water covers the soil or is present at or near the surface of the soil for at least part of the year

Water can be flowing or ________; fresh, salt, or ________

Wetland

standing brackish

There are 3 main types of wetlands; bogs, marshes

and swamps

Trees, shrubs, and chemical make-up of the water make them different from each other

They have both fresh and salt water and are affected by the ____

Most are shallow so ____________ can take place

_________= wetlands formed where rivers meet the sea

Much of the organic material ends up as _______ – tiny pieces of organic material that provide food for organisms at the base of the food web

Estuaries

tides

photosynthesis

detritus

________________ = coastal wetlands that are widespread across tropical regions; dominated by salt tolerant trees called mangroves

____________ = temperate-zone estuaries dominated by salt-tolerant grasses and seagrasses

Salt marshes

Mangrove swamps

Marine ecosystems generally refer to salt-water ecosystems

___________ = the permanently dark zone of water

_____ is an important factor in marine ecosystems – it can only penetrate so far in the water

__________ = the well-lit upper layer of water where photosynthesis is limited to (only about 200 meters deep)

Light

Aphotic zone

Photic zone

The ocean is also divided into zones based on the depth and distance from shore; the intertidal zone, the coastal ocean, and the open ocean

________ = organisms that live attached to or near the bottom of the ocean

These ecosystems depend on food from organisms that grow in the photic zone

The ___________ covers the ocean floor, so it is not specific to any of the 3 zones

benthic zone

Benthos

Tides and currents create the extreme changes

Competition among organisms in the rocky intertidal zone often leads to ________ – the prominent horizontal banding of organisms that live in a particular habitat

The _____________ – experiences regular and extreme changes

intertidal zone

zonation

The continental shelf is usually shallow enough that it is in the photic zone

The ___________ – extends from the low-tide mark to the outer edge of the continental shelf

__________ and __________ are very productive habitats that are found in this zone

costal ocean

Coral reefs kelps forests

It is the largest marine zone and covers about _____ of the ocean

It generally has low levels of nutrients and low productivity

The __________ – begins at the edge of the continental shelf and extends outward

A lot of photosynthetic activity happens here due to

open ocean

90%

large surface area