Ecology: The study of the _____ of organisms with one another and with their _____.

Intro to Ecology (3:07)

Ecosystems are very complex.

They could contain hundreds or thousands of interacting _____.

Understanding their _____ can be beneficial for all organisms within that _____.

Understanding ecosystems by asking two questions:

Where does the _____ for organisms come from?

Where do _____ and inorganic substances come from for organisms?

Species – an individual (harlequin poison dart frog)

Population – group of same _____ living in the same _____

Community – groups of different _____ living in an area (pond community)

Ecosystem – communities plus the _____ parts; first level to study nonliving parts

Biome – groups of _____ put together in a large geographic area; same _____ and similar dominant _____

Biosphere – the _____ and upper _____ where life can be found

Autotrophs/Producers The organisms that take in _____ from their surroundings (light, inorganic chemicals) and store it in complex _____. P_____ A_____ B_____

Heterotrophs/Consumers Organisms that obtain their _____ by consuming other _____

A_____ P_____ F_____ B_____

Decomposers Organisms that obtain _____ by consuming organic _____ (feces, urine, dead plants and animals) F_____ B_____

Herbivores: _____ eaters

Usually found at the _____ trophic level.

Carnivores: _____ eatersUsually found at the _____ trophic level or above.

Omnivores: organisms that eat both _____ and _____

Detritovores: organisms that eat dead and decaying _____ _____

Energy pyramid _____ of energy is passed on through each _____ _____; remaining _____ released as _____ or used by organism

Biomass pyramid: total amount of _____ _____ within a _____ _____; in this example, 10,000 g/m2 of _____ are required to support only 10 g/m2 of _____ _____

Pyramid of numbers: displays the _____ of organisms located at each _____ _____; can be _____

Food chains show the _____ flow of _____ within an ecosystem; also show _____-_____ relationships (who eats whom)

Food web shows the movement of _____ through an _____ in a _____ _____ of feeding _____; more complex and descriptive than a _____ _____

Food Chains/Webs (2:40)

Symbiosis = A close long-term _____ between two or more species.

Marine Symbiosis (6:00)

Parasitism = A relationship between at least two organisms where one derives _____ from the other (the host).

Parasite _____; host is _____

Mutualism = A symbiotic relationship in which all participating species _____

Commensalism = is an ecological relationship in which one species _____ and the other is neither _____ nor _____.

Crash Course - Ecology (10:00)

78% of the _____ is composed of nitrogen.

The nitrogen cycle is the flow of atmospheric _____ through an ecosystem.

It is helped by _____-_____ bacteria on the _____ of some plants.

Animals then take up the _____ from the plants and return it to the soil in _____ and _____ as well as death (_____).

The water cycle is very dependent upon _____.

If plants are removed from the cycle many other nutrient cycles will be _____.

CO2 in atmosphere from: _____ activity _____ activity _____ (breathing) CO2 from _____ Natural _____ of organic material

Plants remove CO2 from both the _____ and _____.

Carbon Cycle (2:55)

Phosphorus exists mainly in _____ and _____ minerals and in ocean sediments as _____.

Phosphorus found in the nucleic acids _____ and _____

Aquatic: Phosphates dissolved by _____ phosphorus goes into bodies of _____ organisms consume the _____.

Terrestrial: Phosphorus is taken up by _____; animals then eat plants and obtain _____

Biodiversity = The number of _____ living in an _____ and how common each species is; very important within an ecosystem

Importance of Biodiversity (6:50)