Ecology Vocabulary
- Ecology
- Symbiosis
- Mutualism
- Parasitism
- Commensalism
- Animal Communication
- Pheromones
- Territorial
- Ecosystem
- Predator
- Prey
- Competition
- Population
- Population Dynamics
- Food Chain
- Food Web
- Energy Pyramid
- Radiant Energy
- Chemical Energy
- Producer
- Consumer
- Decomposer
- Secondary Consumer
- Tertiary Consumer
- Carbon Cycle
- Photosynthesis
- Cellular Respiration
- Decomposition
- Climate
- Greenhouse Effect
- Nitrogen Cycle
- Nitrogen Fixation
- Exponential Growth
- Carrying Capacity
Ecology Essential QuestionsUNDERSTAND AND BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THE FOLLOWING CONCEPTS
- How does carbon cycle through the atmosphere? What role to autotrophs and heterotrophs play in the cycle?
- What human and natural influences can affect the level of carbon in the atmosphere?
- How does nitrogen cycle through ecosystems? Explain the importance of nitrogen fixing bacteria.
- Where does energy originate and how does is move through organism trophic levels? Explain the 10% rule in relation to the energy pyramid.
- How do adaptations (such as transport and excretion, respiration, nutrition, and reproductive) aid organisms in survival success?
- What is symbiosis? What three relationships fall under this category?
- Explain the purpose of organism interactions, such as competition, communication, territorial defense, and courtship dances.
- Explain the relationship between predators and their prey. What happens to the prey population when there is an abundance of predators? A lack of predators? Be able to analyze a predator/prey graph.
- What is the difference between logistic and exponential growth?
- Define carrying capacity. What are limiting factors? Be able to label and analyze the graphs.
- How are ecosystem population affected by factors such as birth and death rates and disease?
- How do factors, such as acid rain, deforestation, invasive species, and bioaccumulation, affect the ecosystems of North Carolina?
- What steps can we as individuals and communities take to advocate conservation?
Bioaccumulation and Invasive Species Lab
Ecosystems and the Flow of Energy: Standard 2.1.1: Analyze energy pyramids for direction and efficiently of energy transfer. Within ecosystems energy flows from the radiant energy of the sun through producers and consumers as chemical energy that is ultimately transformed into heat energy. Continual refueling of radiant energy is required by ecosystems. Think about it: How does the sun ultimately fuel the energy for the food chain?
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Climate Change:
Standard 2.1.1: Identify factors that influence climate such as: greenhouse effect (relate to carbon cycle and human impact on atmospheric CO2) and natural environmental processes (relate to volcanic eruption and other geological processes).
Think about it: How are humans influencing the carbon cycle? What impact does this have?
Standard 2.1.1: Identify factors that influence climate such as: greenhouse effect (relate to carbon cycle and human impact on atmospheric CO2) and natural environmental processes (relate to volcanic eruption and other geological processes).
Think about it: How are humans influencing the carbon cycle? What impact does this have?
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Adaptations:
Standard 2.1.2: Analyze how various organisms accomplish life functions through adaptations within particular environments (example: water or land) to ensure survival and reproductive success. Relate prior understanding of survival and reproductive success to evidence of variations observed in species in three areas: behavioral adaptations, structural adaptations, and reproductive adaptations. Think about it: What structural/behavioral adaptations might you find in a carnivore vs. an herbivore? |
Populations and Carrying Capacity:
Standard 2.1.4: Generalizing that although some populations have the capacity for exponential growth, there are limited resources that create specific carrying capacities and population sizes are in a dynamic equilibrium with these factors.
Think about it: How can factors such as predators, disease, or birth rate affect a population?
Human Impact
Standard 2.2.1: 2.1 Summarize how humans modify ecosystems through population growth, technology, consumption of resources and production of waste. Explain factors that impact North Carolina ecosystems.Standard 2.2.2: Explain the impact of humans on natural resources. Exemplify conservation methods and stewardship.
Think about it: How can humans lessen the effects of human population growth on the surrounding ecosystems?
Standard 2.2.1: 2.1 Summarize how humans modify ecosystems through population growth, technology, consumption of resources and production of waste. Explain factors that impact North Carolina ecosystems.Standard 2.2.2: Explain the impact of humans on natural resources. Exemplify conservation methods and stewardship.
Think about it: How can humans lessen the effects of human population growth on the surrounding ecosystems?