AP Biology notes

• chapter 50 ecology 
• ecology is the scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their enviorment ( Eco = homes...study of organisms in their homes) 
• the environment of any organism includes the following components 
• abiotic factors: non-living chemical and physical factors such as temperature, light, water, and nutrients 
• Biotic factors: the living components 
• population: s population is a group of individuals of the same species living in a particular geographic area 
• population ecology examines factors that affect population size and composition 
• Community: a community consists of all the organisms of all the species that inhabit a particular area 
• Community ecology examines the interactions between populations, and how factors such as predation, competition, and disease affect community structure and organization 
• Organism- Population -Community-Ecosystem- Biosphere 
• Ecosystem: an ecosystem consists of all abiotic factors in addition to the entire community of species that exist in a certain area (biotic) 
• ecosystem ecology examines the energy flow and cycling of chemicals among the various abiotic and biotic components 
• ecologists have long recognized distinct global and regional patterns in the distrubution of organisms 
• problems with introduced species. transplanted species often explode to occupy an new area. The African honeybee and zebra mussel are good examples of this expolsion 
• biotic factors affect the distrubution of organisms. Example: predator removal expirements can show how predators limit distrubution of prey species 
• abiotic factors affect distrubution of organisms 
• temperature: some organisms can only tolerate specific ranges of temperature 
• water: some organisms can only tolerate either fresh or salt water 
• sunlight provides energy that drives nearly all ecosystems 
• the intensity and quality of light, and photoperiod can be important to the developments and behavior of many organisms 
• Abiotic factors \
• wind amplifies the effect of temperature by increasing heat and water loss ( wind-chill factor) 
• Rocks and soil: the physical structur and mineral composition of soils and rocks limit distrubution of plants and the animals that feed upon them 
• climate is the prevailing wather conditions in an area 
• temperature, water, light and wind are major components of climate 
• temperature and water are the major climatic factors that determine distrubution of organisms 
• clamte and biomes 
• climate determines the makeup of biomes, the major types of ecosystems. 
• transplanted species often explode to occupy a new area