define environment, habitat , population, community, ecosystem and niche
1-the biotic and abiotic components surrounding an organism in a habitat 2-a place where organisms live seeking food shelter and reproduction 3-organisms of the same species living in a certain area at a certain time 4-all the living organisms in a habitat 5- the living and non living elements of the environment interacting together 6-the role of a living organism in its habitat
define productivity
the rate at which plants convert light energy to chemical energy
define gpp
the rate at which plants convert light energy to chemical energy
define npp
the rate at which plants convert light energy to chemical energy subtracting energy lost in respiration
mention causes of energy loss between sun and producers
1-not all wavelengths of light are absorbed some are reflected
2-some light may fall on a non-photosynthesizing part of the plant
3-some light energy used in transpiration to evaporate water
mention causes of energy loss between producer and primary consumer
1-not all parts of plant are digested
2-respiration of producers
3-not all parts of plants are eaten
mention causes of energy loss between primary and secondary consumers
1-not all parts of animal are eaten
2-not all parts are digested
3-some energy lost in respiration
4-some energy lost in movement
mention biotic factors affecting composition of an ecosystem and explain
1-diseases as they might kill organisms or cause them to not have enough energy to hunt and reproduce
2-decomposers which feed by saprophytic nutrition they recycle elements in ecosystem and prevent accumulation of dead matter
3-predator prey relationship; as prey population increases predator eats more and respires more and reproduces more so predators increase so they eat the prey causing it to decrease then they decrease too as theres no food
state whats meant by carrying capacity
maximum number of organisms an environment can support
mention abiotic factors affecting composition of an ecosystem and explain their effect and how they are measured
1- temperature; it affects enzymatic activity and metabolic reactions and is measured by digital thermometers as they are stronger than glass thermometers and allow for data collection
2- light intensity; affects rate of photosynthesis, greening of plants and activity of animals, measured by light sensors at the same level in the field
3- water availability; some organisms are adapted to lack of water , too much water causes water logging which is when there’s too much water in the soil so it blocks air spaces so oxygen decreases so less aerobic and more anaerobic respiration and its measured by electronic hygrometers
mention edaphic factors and what they affect and how they are measured
1- soil ph; affects enzymatic activity and is measured by removing a sample from soil and adding barium sulphate then testing with ph indicator
2-soil moisture; too much water causes water logging and its measured by removing a sample from soil and placing it in an 80 degree oven and reweigh until u get 3 successive results
3-soil type; affects water holding capacity and mineral availability to know it determine type of plant growing in the area
4-soil depth
define biomes
horizontal subdivisions of the biosphere sharing similar climatic conditions
define succession
its the progressive change in the composition of an ecosystem over a very long period of time until a stable climax community is reached
describe primary succession sequence
pioneer species such as moss enter the area, they die an decompose forming a layer of organic matter called humus which improves soil conditions for plants such as grass, then it dies and decomposes improving soil conditions and depth for larger trees such as shrubs then small trees then large trees, this continues until a stable climax community is reached
What is a climax community?
A stable and mature ecological community that has reached a point of equilibrium, where species composition remains relatively unchanged over time.
Climax communities are typically characterized by a diverse array of species and are often the final stage of ecological succession.
describe sequence of secondary succession
a disturbance happens in a climax community such as a fire which removes the community but the soil remains, plants that were initially dominant grow fast and they die and decompose allowing for gross of larger plants, it takes a lot less time than primary succession
mention two types of climax community and explain them
1-climatic climax which is when the abiotic factors determine the type of community reached after succession
2-plaigo climax which is when human interference prevents succession from completing its natural course
