Topic 2

2.1 1. Biotic: living (animals/plants). Abiotic: non-living (climate, soil) 2. Trophic level: organisms position in a food chain 3. T1producers (water hyacinth). T2herbivores (capybara). T3 consumer (jaguar) 4. see Guide, pg 25 5. pg 48 in book. Biomass pyramid: amount of dry material @ each level. Bioaccumulation (build up of toxins in organisms body over time) vs. Biomagnification (chemicals concentration increases up the pyramid). Only 10% of nutrients reach next level, so top are most vulnerable. 6. Species: type of organism; seagull. Population: group of same species in same area; seagulls at Zuma beach. Habitat: species normal environment; a beach. Niche: how organism lives/interaction w/ its environment. Community: group of populations in same place; beach is community of seagulls, seals, kelp, sandcrabs. Ecosystem: community & its abiotic environment; community + seawater, sunlight, temperature 7. Competition: intraspecific (within same species; ex seagull colony), interspecific (different species; ex plants competing for light).can result in sharing or exclusion (one species is ousted). Parasitism: parasite lives on/in host; ex vampire bats. Mutualism: both species benefit; ex clown fish & sea anemonefish feeds anemone & anemone protects fish. Predation: one animal eats other; lion & zebra. Herbivory: eats plants; ex rabbit & grass 2.2 1. atmosphere, climate (light intensity, temperature range, precipitation), soil structure, water makeup, seasons, pollution level, wind speed 2. Marine: salinity, pH, temperature: probe. 2.3 1. Dichotomous key; only 2 options per level 2. Quadrats: see pg 315. Frame divided into subsections to count number of each species; those square things (like we did @ Malibu Lagoon). Size & number used depend on size & number of organisms sampled. Can be done randomly, placed in a successive line (accurate, but takes a while), systematic (placed at regular intervals)

Percentage cover: estimate the % of each quadrat covered by each species' leaf area. The total % in a quadrat do NOT have to total 100./ Density of individuals: how many per square meter./ Frequency of individuals: % of the number of quadrats where a particular species is found Capture-mark-release-recapture: Catch animal, mark it so it can be tracked, released, recaptured later. *Lincoln Index: N= (n1, # first marked & released, x n2, # captured in 2nd sample)/ m2, # of marked in 2nd sample. Assumes marks arent harmful to animal, marks dont disappear, no immigration/emigration/death/birth between capture times 3. Biomass: mass of living, dry material/energy contained at a trophic level. Use Lincoln Index to calculate # of organisms, find average mass of an organism and multiply together. Do for each species. 4. Diversity: abundance of organisms in ecosystem. # of species & # of organisms per species. More even distribution= higher diversity 5. Simpsons diversity index: compare diversity of ecosystems. D= diversity index, N=total # of organisms of all species, n=# of organisms of a certain species. D= [N x (N1)]/ [sum of n(n1)] 2.4 1. Biome: collection of similar ecosystems 2. see page 3342 2.5 1. Producers: make own food/autotroph. Base of system. Consumers: eat producers/heterotroph. Decomposers: eat dead organisms 2. see guide pg 28 3. see book pg 7785 4. Water Cycle: Transferred from river to ocean. Transformed from liquid as it evaporates or transpires into vapour, condenses into rain, freezes into ice/snow. Comes down in precipitation and travels back to ocean by surface runoff, streams & groundwater flow. Stored in oceans, glaciers, atmosphere or groundwater. Carbon Cycle: Fixed by photosynthesis and released through respiration, fossil fuel combustion, as well as cutting/burning wood, and decomposing organisms.

Nitrogen Cycle: Nitrogen in atmosphere is converted to ammonium ions by bacteria or lightening so plants can get it. Soil bacteria convert ammonium to nitrites and those to nitrates. Other bacteria denitrifies it into gas again. Dead organisms decompose and provide nitrogen, animals eat plants and assimilate it. 5/6. Gross productivity (GP): total gain in energy/biomass by an organism b4 respiration. Net Productivity (NP): total gain in energy/biomass by an organism after respiration. Gross primary productivity (GPP): total gain in energy/biomass by green plants by photosynthesis. Net Primary productivity (NPP): total gain in energy/biomass by green plants after respiration. NPP= GPP R 7. Gross secondary productivity (GSP): total gain in energy/biomass by animals through eating. Net secondary productivity (NSP): total gain in energy/biomass by animals after respiration 2.6 1. Limiting factors reduce/stop population growth. Densitydependent factors are biotic and increase w/ larger population. Internal factors (food supply, territory size) External factors (predation, disease). Carrying capacity is place where population #s stabilize and environment can sustain itself. 2. S-curve is normal growth, J-curve shows exponential growth followed by a crash. 3. see guide pg 31 4. K-strategists have few offspring & are attentive parents. Population is close to carrying capacity. R-strategists have tons of babies & are awful parents. 5. HELP!! 6. 2.7 1. HELP!!! 2. 3.