Miss Morrow's Science Page

Lincoln East High School

Unit 1 Ecology

Ch 1. Studying Life pp. 17-21

Biology is the study of life… but what is life?

Most living things have these characteristics in common.

made up of cells
based on universal genetic code DNA
obtain and use materials and energy
grow and develop
reproduce
respond to their environment
maintain homeostasis or a stable internal environment
change over time

The study of biology has 10 central themes or main ideas

Cellular basis of life
Information and heredity
Matter and energy
Growth, development, and reproduction
Homeostasis
Evolution
Structure and function
Unity and diversity of life
Interdependence in nature
Science as a way of knowing

Ch 3.1 What is Ecology? pp. 64-67

Vocabulary:

Objectives:

1. List the levels of organization in order from smallest to largest

species
population
community
ecosystem
biome
biosphere

2. What are biotic and abiotic factors and how do they affect living organisms?

Matter and Energy in Ecosystems

Objectives:

Analyze how energy flows through different trophic levels in an ecosystem. pp. 69-78

Vocabulary

autotroph

primary producer

photosynthesis

chemosynthesis

heterotroph

consumer

carnivore

herbivore

scavenger

omnivore

decomposer

detrivore

Bill Nye: Deep Ocean Vents 5:23

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D69hGvCsWgA

Understand how matter and energy are conserved in an ecosystem. pp. 79-86

Modeling Ecosystems virtual lab

http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/virtual_labs/BL_02/BL_02.html

Chapter 3.4

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycles

www.youtube.com/watch?v=leHy-Y_8nRs

Chapter 4.2

Objectives:

Define niche
Describe the role competition plays in shaping communities
How do predation and herbivory shape communities?
What are three primary ways that organisms depend on each other?

1. Contrast a niche and a habitat p. 99-100

Habitat is the general place where an organism lives. IT is based on an organism’s upper and lower limit of tolerance for every environmental factor

A niche is not only describes what an organism does, but also how it interacts with biotic and abiotic factors inthe environment.

Niche is the range of physical and biological conditions in which a species lives AND the way the species obtains what it needs to survive and reproduce.

.

Tolerance is the ability to survive and reproduce under a range of environmental conditions

Every species has its own range of tolerance.

Resources and niche

a resource can refer to any necessity of life such as water, nutrients, light, food, or space

Physical aspects and niche

abiotic factors needed to survive such as proximity to water or temperature

Biological aspects and niche

biotic factors needed for survival such as when and how an organism reproduces, the type of food it eats, and how it obtains its food

2. Describe the role competition plays in shaping communities

Competitive exclusion principle

https://www.pearsonsuccessnet.com/snpapp/iText/products/0-13-366951-3-tr/media/mlbio10a1737.png

Example

Virtual lab link

http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/virtual_labs_2K8/labs/BL_19/index.html

Link to diagram in text

https://www.pearsonsuccessnet.com/snpapp/iText/products/0-13-366951-3-tr/media/mlbio10a1736.png

Questions:

Which organism, red or blue, is more likely to survive when living together? How do you know?

Invasive species:

Asian carp:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPeg1tbBt0A

UNL zebra mussels 5:12

http://vimeo.com/25673856

3. How do predation and herbivory shape communities?

Keystone species a single species that is not usually abundant in a community yet exerts strong control on the structure of a community

Otters primarily feed on sea urchins. Sea urchins are herbivores that eat kelp which form the giant coastal kelp forests.

The otter population was nearly wiped out due to hunting.

Predict the affect on the environment.

Sea Otter 7:19

http://science.kqed.org/quest/2014/02/25/balancing-act-otters-urchins-and-kelp/

Do activity Deer: Predation or starvation

4. What are 3 primary ways that organisms depend on each other?

Symbiosis

Video: Symbiotic relationships

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSmL2F1t81Q

Chapter 4.3 Succession

Objectives:

Describe how ecosystems recover from a disturbance?

Compare succession after a natural disturbance with succession after a human-caused disturbance

Ecological succession is a series of more or less predictable changes that occur in a community over time.

Ecosystems change over time, especially after disturbances, as some species die out and new species move in.

Primary succession

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLpc71YOtcE

Secondary succession

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ2Xl6ZqzRI

Compare primary and secondary succession

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8-LZdIyUQg

Helpful Review Videos:

Crash course biology

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZKIHe2LDP8

By mmorrow 10:52 am

Edit

1. Contrast a niche and a habitat p. 99-100

Habitat is the general place where an organism lives. IT is based on an organism’s upper and lower limit of tolerance for every environmental factor

A niche is not only describes what an organism does, but also how it interacts with biotic and abiotic factors inthe environment.

Niche is the range of physical and biological conditions in which a species lives AND the way the species obtains what it needs to survive and reproduce.

.

Tolerance is the ability to survive and reproduce under a range of environmental conditions

Every species has its own range of tolerance.

Resources and niche

a resource can refer to any necessity of life such as water, nutrients, light, food, or space

Physical aspects and niche

abiotic factors needed to survive such as proximity to water or temperature

Biological aspects and niche

biotic factors needed for survival such as when and how an organism reproduces, the type of food it eats, and how it obtains its food