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| The scientific study of the relationships between organisms and their environment. Interralionships. Greek words "oikos"- the family household/ "logy"- study of. "Management of the household" |
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"eco"- relates to environment
"system"- implies that the ecosystem functions as a collection of related parts that function as a unit. |
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| living- plants animals microbes |
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| nonliving(physical and chemical)- atmosphere, climate, soil, H20 |
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| a group of individuals of the same species that occupy a given area. Populations of plants and animals in an ecosystem does not function independently of each other |
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| All populations of different species living and interacting within an ecosystem |
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| an area of land (or water) composed of a patchwork of communities and ecosystems |
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| Broad-scale regions dominated by similar types of ecosystems,such as tropical rain forests, grasslands, and deserts. |
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| Highest level of organization of ecological systems. The thin layer surrounding the Earth that supports all of life. |
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| Hierarchy of Ecological Systems |
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| Individual, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Landscape, Biome, Biospere |
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| An integrated set of hypotheses that together explain a broader set of observations than any single hypothesis. |
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| abstract,simplified representations of real systems. Allow us to predict some behavior or response using a set of explicit assumptions. |
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| Observations, Question, Hypothesis, Predictions, Hypothesis Testing |
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| All scientific studies begin with observations of natural phenomenon |
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| Observations give rise to questions that seek an explanation of the observed phenomenon |
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| An answer the the question is proposed that takes the form of a statement of cause and effect. "educated guess" |
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| The predictions that follow from the hypothesis must be tested through observations and experiments (field and lab). Data from these experiments mist then be analyzed and interpreted to determine if they support or reject hypothesis. |
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| (x) the cause or controlled variable |
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| collecting data-observations and measurements for testing hypotheses and drawing conclusions about populations |
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| the part of population that is observed |
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| qualitative-observations that fall into separate and distinct categories. |
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| subdivision of categorical data in which objects fall into unordered categories |
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| categorical data in which order is important |
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| presence or absence of a trait. |
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| "measured" based on some quantitative trait. |
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| subdivision of numerical data- only certain values are possible. |
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| subdivision of numerical data- ant value within an interval theoretically is possible limited only by the ability of the measurement device. |
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| A count of the number of observations (frequency) having a given score or value. |
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| Once ovservations have been grouped into categories, the resulting frequency distribution can then be displayed as this. X axis represents discrete intervals of body length, Y axis represents the number of individuals whose body length falls withing each given interval. |
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| When both variables are numerical. x and y axes each represent one of the two cariables being examined. |
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| Individual as the basic unit of ecology |
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| The individual through the process of reproduction passes genetic info to successive individuals, defining the nature of individuals that will compose future populations, communities, and ecosystems. The collective birth and death of individuals define the dynamics of populations and the interactions among individuals of the same and different species define communities. |
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| combination if temp, humidity, precipitation, wind, cloudiness, and other atmospheric conditions occurring at a specific place and time. |
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| long term average pattern of weather. Local, regional, global. |
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| (distribution of rainfall for example) are influenced by the solar radiation intercepted by Earth's atmosphere and Earth's rotation and movement. |
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| The electromagnetic energy or stream of photons produced by the sun. |
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| Behave as waves and particles depending on how they are observed. |
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| Measured in terms of wavelength and frequency. |
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| the physical distance between successive wave crests. Shorter wavelengths do more damage. |
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| The number of crests that pass a given point per second |
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| emitted by a very hot surface (sun=5800C) |
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| emitted by a cooler object (average Earth= 15C) |
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| Selective energy absorption by CO2 in the atmosphere, which allows short wavelength energy to pass through by absorbs longer wavelengths and reflects heat back to Earth |
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| wavelengths from 400-700nm aka PAR (photosynthetically active radiation because they include the wavelengths that plants use as a source of energy in the process of photosynthesis. |
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| solar radiation hits earths surface at a steeper angle. sunlight is spread over larger areas. Radiation must past through a deeper layer of air and so it encounters more particles in the atmosphere and is reflected. Solar radiation, temp, and day length increase. |
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| seasons are a result of the earths tilt (inclination) of 23.5 degrees |
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Eliptic- earth travels about the sun in this plane
rotates around an axis going through north and south poles. |
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| Vernal and autumnal equinox |
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| sun is directly overhead at the equator. exactly 12 hours of light and dark |
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| (hours of daylight and darkness) varies with the season everywhere on earth except the equator. |
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| Solar radiation falls directly on the Tropic of Cancer |
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| Solar radiation falls directly on the Tropic of Capricorn |
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| Increase in altitude (elevation) |
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| Temp decreases, air pressure and air density decrease |
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| amount of force exerted over a given surface area. Measured in terms of the total mass of air above that point. |
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| rate at which temperature decreases with altitude |
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| temp increases because exposed to more sunlight |
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| Stratosphere, Stratopause |
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| gets colder, no more molecules to collide |
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| very little molecules but sunlight is unfiltered so very hot. |
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| A decrease in air temp through expansion rather than through heat loss. Rate depends on the moisture in the air and slows with an increase in moisture. |
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| Air masses and all moving objects in the Northern Hemisphere are deflected to the right (clockwise) and in the Southern Hemisphere to the left (counterclockwise motion) |
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| Air heated in the equatorial zone rises upward creating a low pressure zone near the surface. |
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| The descending air forms a semipermanent high=pressure belt at the surface and encircling Earth. |
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| moves northward toward the pole, diverting to the right by the Coriolis effect. |
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| Also diverted to the right, southward flowing stream becomes strong reliable winds |
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| Zone of low pressure where surface coverges and rises. |
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| Southward moving air deflected to the right by Coriolis effect |
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| systematic patterns of water movement |
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| two great circular water motions |
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| The amount of energy released or absorbed (per gram) during a change of state. |
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| the amount of pressure that water vapor exerts independently of the pressure of dry air |
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| amount of water vapor in the air expressed as a percentage of the saturation vapor pressure. |
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| for a given water content of a parcel of air, the temp at which saturation vapor pressure is achieved. |
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| Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) |
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| narrow region where trade winds meet |
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| Winward side of a mountain supports denser more vigorous vegetation and different species of plant and associated animals than does the leeward side, where in some areas dry, desert-like conditions exist. |
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| El-Nino- souther oscillation (ENSO) |
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| phenomenon in the waters of Galapogos Islands. Ocean and atmosphere are connected to some major climatic variations occur at a regional scale. Recorded periods of unusually warm water. |
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| injection of cold water causing surface of east pacific to cool. Results in droughts in southern America and heavy rainfall and even floods in eastern Australia |
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| Light hear moisture and air movement that organisms live in (under rocks, etc) |
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| occurs from areas of high concentration to low concentration, because of kinetic energy of molecules bumping into each other |
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| water travels in sequence from the air to earth and returns to the atmosphere. |
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| Precipitation that reaches the soil moves into the ground |
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| this water occurs when soil is saturated |
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| some water entering the soil seeps down to an impervious later of clay or rock to collect. not a limitless resource. |
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| evaporation of water from internal surface of leaves, stems, and other living parts. |
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| entire water content of the atmosphere is replaced |
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polar. e- are unequally shared and spend more time around oxygen. specific heat=1.
Must absorb or lose great quantities of heat to change temp. |
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| energy required to raise 1 gram of water 1C |
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