EcosystemsReview

Bioticfactors:
livingpartsoftheecosystem(
ex:trees,birds,etc.
)
Abioticfactors:
nonlivingpartsoftheecosystem(
ex:rocks,water,etc.
)

PopulationCommunityEcosystem

Population:
groupoforganismsofthesamespecieslivingtogether
Community:
groupsofpopulationslivinginthesamearea
Ecosystems:
community+allthenonlivingsurroundings

PredatorPrey:
Predatorsfeedonotherorganisms.
Preyaretheorganismsthatgeteaten.

Thepreypopulationneedstobelargerthanthepredatorpopulation.Astheprey
populationincreases,thepredatorpopulationincreases.Ifthepreypopulation
decreases,thepredatorpopulationdecreases.

Predationkeepspopulationsizewithinthelimitsofavailableresources.

Symbiosis:
meanslivingtogetherthereare3typesofsymbioticrelationships
1. Parasitism:
thehostisharmedandtheparasitebenefits(
ex:humananda
tapeworm
)
2. Commensalism:
oneorganismisnotharmednorbenefitedandtheother
organismbenefits(
ex:treeandabird
)
3. Mutualism:
bothorganismsbenefit(
ex:clownfishandananemone
)

FoodChain:
representstheflowofenergyinanecosystemthearrowsrepresentthedirection
ofenergyflowandarecalled
trophiclevels,
thereareusually34trophiclevelsinafoodchain,
butnomorethan5levels

GrassInsectBirdHawk

Producer:
organismsthatundergophotosynthesis(
grass
)thesearealsocalled

autotrophs

Consumer:
organismsthatmusteatproducers/consumersthesearealsocalled

Heterotrophs

Primaryconsumer:
theseorganismseattheproducers(
insect
)

Secondaryconsumer:
theseorganismseattheprimaryconsumers(
bird
)

Tertiaryconsumer:
theseorganismseatthesecondaryconsumers(
hawk
)
1


Scavengers:
organismsthatfeedondeadanimals(
ex:vultures
)

Decomposers:
organismsthatbreakdowndeadorganicmaterial(
ex:fungi
)

Herbivores:
eatonlyproducers

Carnivores:
eatonlyconsumers

Omnivores:
eatproducersandconsumers

FoodWebs:
interconnectedfoodchains

`
Foodchain1:seedschipmunkgrizzlybear

Foodchain2:berrieschipmunkgoshawk

Pyramids:

EnergyPyramid

Only10%oftheenergy
fromonetrophiclevel
isusedbythenextlevel.
Therestoftheenergy
islostasheat.

NumberPyramid

BiomassPyramid

Theremustalwaysbemorepreythanpredatorsbecausethepredatorscannotusealltheenergythatis
consumedfromtheprey.Theloweranorganismisonthefoodchain,thehigherthenumbersofthese
organisms.Themoreorganismsthereareatatrophiclevel,themoremassthegroupoforganismshas.

BiologicalMagnification:

Ifachemicalortoxin(
ex:DDT
)entersthefoodchainatalowlevel(
ex:grass
)theamountof
thatchemicalincreasesasyoumoveupthefoodchain.