Ecology: Cycling of Matter & Dynamic Ecosystems

• Unit 4 test study guide covers the cycling of matter and dynamic ecosystems.

Cycling of Matter

• Focus on the carbon cycle, greenhouse gases, photosynthesis, water and oxygen cycles, and nitrogen cycle.
• The nitrogen cycle picture will be provided on the test.

Carbon Cycle

• Specific questions will target the carbon cycle.

Water & Oxygen Cycle

• General knowledge of these cycles is expected.

Nitrogen Cycle

• A diagram of the nitrogen cycle will be provided during the test.

Greenhouse Gases

• Emphasis on types and effects of greenhouse gases.

Photosynthesis

• Must know the equation for photosynthesis and be able to explain the process.

Key Vocabulary

• Matter: Any substance in the universe that has mass and occupies space.
• Precipitation: Any form of water, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, that falls to the Earth's surface.
• Ecosystem: A community of living organisms (biotic) interacting with each other and their physical environment (abiotic).
• Decomposers: Organisms that break down dead plants and animals into simpler substances.
• Consumers: Organisms that obtain energy by feeding on other organisms.
• Producers: Organisms that produce their own food, usually through photosynthesis.
• Carbon Dioxide: A greenhouse gas produced during respiration, combustion, and decomposition.
• Microorganisms: Microscopic organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
• Fungi: A kingdom of eukaryotic organisms including yeasts, molds, and mushrooms.
• Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms lacking a nucleus.
• Photosynthesis: The process by which plants and other organisms convert light energy into chemical energy.
• Limestone: A sedimentary rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate, often formed from the remains of marine organisms.
• Respiration: The process by which organisms convert glucose into energy, releasing carbon dioxide and water.
• Methane: A potent greenhouse gas produced by anaerobic decomposition and other natural processes.
• Organic Compounds: Compounds containing carbon, typically found in living organisms.

Dynamic Ecosystems

• Includes prey/predator graph analysis, levels of organization, and energy flow.

Prey/Predator Graph

• Ability to read and interpret prey/predator graphs to answer questions based on data.

Ecosystems - Key Vocabulary

• Biosphere: The regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the earth occupied by living organisms.
• Population: A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area.
• Species: A group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding.
• Community: An interacting group of various species in a common location.
• Limiting Factors: Environmental conditions that limit the growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism or a population of organisms in an ecosystem.
• Carrying Capacity: The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can support
• Extinction: The state or process of a species, family, or larger group being or becoming extinct.
• Endangered Species: A species of animal or plant that is seriously at risk of extinction.
• Threatened Species: Any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
• Symbiosis: Interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both.
• Mutualism: Symbiosis that is beneficial to both organisms involved.
• Commensalism: A relationship between two organisms in which one benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped.
• Competition: An interaction between organisms or species in which both are harmed.
• Parasitism: A relationship between two species in which one organism (parasite) benefits at the expense of the other (host).
• Predation: The preying of one animal on others.
• Adaptation: The process of adjustment to actual or expected climate effects.
• Biotic: Relating to or resulting from living things, especially in their ecological relations.
• Abiotic: Physical rather than biological; not derived from living organisms.
• Interdependence: The dependence of two or more people or things on each other.

Levels of Organization in an Ecosystem

• Understanding the different levels of organization within an ecosystem.

Energy Flow

• Understanding how energy flows through an ecosystem.