Unit 1

Ecosystems

Ecosystem - Interaction of biotic and abiotic factors that support each other and sustain life

One example of interaction is the termites with the termite mounds, the biotic termites use the ground to construct structures to live in.

Our beans do make an ecosystem, there are abiotic factors like water, sunlight and the paper towel, and biotic factors like Beans. They interact and make the beans grow

Terms

• Predation
  • A predator eats the prey in order to obtain energy ( + / - )
• Mutualism
  • Both organisms benefit from the symbiotic relationship ( + / + )
• Commensalism
  • One organism benefits, while the other organism neither is benefited or harmed (+ / ~)
• Parasitism
  • Long term relationship, parasite benefits while the host is harmed ( + / - )
    • ( + / - ) (+ / - ) …
• Competition
  • Occurs within or between species in an ecosystem where there are limited resources ( - / - )
    • Interspecific competition: different species
    • Intraspecific competition: same species

Birds on the tree, the birds have their own niche on the tree that they adapted to live in and feed. Keeping trees alive for future generations allows them to stay alive as well as reduce competition. Resource partitioning

BioGeoChemical Systems

BioGeoChemical Cycle - A self regulating, naturally occurring movement of chemical molecules through processes from sink to sink

Reservoir / Sink - Stores chemicals

• Short term reservoir - minutes to years
• Long term reservoir - millions to billions of years

Process / Flux - Moves or transforms chemical

| Carbon Cycle (element of life)ABIOTIC RESERVOIRBIOTIC RESERVOIRWaterPlantsAtmosphereConsumersCoalFungi Enters Biotic Sphere (process) • Chemosynthesis • Photosynthesis Returns to Atmosphere (process) • Cellular Respiration • Burning