Ecosystem Dynamics and Abiotic Factors

Abiotic Factors

• Non-living parts of an ecosystem (e.g., temperature, light, water, soil) influence organisms

Atmosphere

• The layer of gases surrounding Earth, crucial for life and shielding from harmful radiation

Asthenosphere

• Earth's mantle layer, beneath the lithosphere, involved in tectonic movements

Biotic Factors

• Living components of an ecosystem (e.g., plants, animals, bacteria)

Biosphere

• Global sum of all ecosystems, encompassing all living organisms and their environments

Carbon Cycle

• Carbon movement through Earth systems (atmosphere, biosphere, oceans)
• Human activities (fossil fuel burning) increase CO2, impacting global warming

Carrying Capacity

• Maximum population size an environment can sustain

Chemosynthesis

• Process where organisms create food from chemicals (not sunlight), common in deep-sea ecosystems

Climax Community

• Final, stable community in an ecosystem after ecological succession

Commensalism

• Symbiotic relationship where one benefits, the other is unaffected

Common Sources of Phosphorus

• Found in rocks, soil, minerals, essential plant nutrient

Consumers

• Organisms that obtain energy by consuming other organisms (primary, secondary, etc.)

Decomposers

• Organisms (bacteria, fungi) that break down dead organisms, recycling nutrients

Eutrophication

• Water bodies become overly enriched with nutrients, harming aquatic life due to oxygen depletion

Extinction

• Permanent loss of a species

Exponential Growth

• Rapid population growth due to abundant resources, J-shaped curve

Evolutionary Success

• Species well-adapted to its environment, ensuring survival and reproduction

Function of Carbon Dioxide

• Key greenhouse gas, contributing to warming; essential for photosynthesis

Geosphere

• Earth's solid components (rocks, landforms)

Genetic Drift

• Random changes in allele frequencies in a population, impacting evolution

Greenhouse Effect

• Greenhouse gases trap heat in Earth's atmosphere, leading to global warming

Habitats

• Natural environments where organisms live, providing resources for survival and reproduction

Hydrosphere

• All Earth's water (oceans, lakes, rivers, groundwater)

Immigration

• Movement of individuals into a population, increasing its size

Limiting Factors

• Environmental factors restricting population growth (e.g., food, water, space, predators)

Lithosphere

• Earth's outermost layer (crust, upper mantle), involved in tectonic movements

Logistic Growth

• Population growth slowing as it approaches carrying capacity, S-shaped curve

Main Causes of Global Warming

• Primarily human activities (fossil fuel burning, deforestation, agriculture), increasing greenhouse gases

Migration

• Seasonal movement of organisms for breeding or food

Mutualism

• Symbiotic relationship where both species benefit (e.g., bees and flowers)

Negative Feedback Loop

• Change in a system countered by a response restoring equilibrium (e.g., body temperature)

Nitrogen Cycle

• Conversion of nitrogen between forms usable by organisms (nitrogen fixation, nitrification, denitrification)

Nonrenewable Resources

• Finite resources (fossil fuels, minerals) not replaceable on a human timescale

Parasitic Relationship

• Symbiotic relationship where one benefits at the expense of the other (+/-)

Photosynthesis (equation & understanding)

• 6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2 (Plants convert sunlight, water, and CO2 to glucose and oxygen)

Population Density

• Number of individuals per unit area or volume

Population Growth & Growth Curve

• Population growth can be exponential (unlimited resources) or logistic (limited resources); Growth Curve Shapes: J and S

Positive Feedback Loop

• Change in a system amplifying the change, leading to instability (e.g., melting ice and global warming)

Predator-Prey Relationship

• Interaction between predators and prey, influencing population dynamics

Primary Succession

• Ecosystem development in a soil-less area (e.g., after volcanic eruptions)

Producers

• Organisms (plants, algae) creating their own food (photosynthesis or chemosynthesis), base of the food chain

Renewable Resources

• Resources replenished naturally over time (solar, wind, biomass)

Respiration (equation & understanding)

• C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy (Organisms break down glucose for energy, releasing CO2 and water)

Resources

• Materials or energy sources needed by organisms (food, water, shelter)

Resource Consumption

• Use of resources by organisms impacting population sizes and ecosystems

Secondary Succession

• Ecosystem regrowth in a previously existing, disturbed area (e.g., after a forest fire)

Speciation

• Formation of new species through evolution

Sustainable Practices

• Meeting current needs without compromising future generations' needs.

Survivorship Curves

• Graph showing number of individuals surviving at different ages (Type I, II, or III)

Symbiotic Relationships

• Interactions between two different species, can be mutualistic, commensal, or parasitic

How Humans Affect the Carbon Cycle

• Human activities (fossil fuel burning, deforestation) release large amounts of CO2, disturbing the balance and impacting global warming.

Effects of Human Population and Activities on the Environment

• Increasing human population and activities: pollution, resource depletion, habitat destruction, climate change

Effects of the Nitrogen Cycle

• Human activities (fertilizers, fossil fuels) increase nitrogen in ecosystems, causing eutrophication and species composition change

Plate Tectonics

• Earth's lithospheric plate movement, causing earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain formation, impacting ecosystems.

Energy Transfer Between Trophic Levels

• Energy decreases moving up trophic levels (producers → consumers) Only about 10% of energy transferred to the next level.

Explore the fundamental concepts of ecosystems through this quiz, focusing on abiotic and biotic factors that influence living organisms. Topics include the carbon cycle, carrying capacity, and the intricate relationship between the atmosphere and various ecosystem components. Test your knowledge on the dynamics of life on Earth!