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UNIT 1
The biosphere consists of all life on Earth and all parts of the Earth in which life exists, including land, water, and the atmosphere. The biosphere contains every organism, from bacteria living underground to giant trees in rain forests, whales in polar seas, mold spores drifting through the air—and, of course, humans. The biosphere extends from about 8 kilometers above Earth’ssurface to as far as 11 kilometers below the surface of the ocean. Species is a group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.
A population is a group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area.
An assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area is called a community
All the organisms that live in a place, togetherwith their physical environment, is known as an ecosystem.
A biome is a group of ecosystems that share similar climates and typical organisms
Our entire planet, with all its organisms and physical environments, is known as the biosphere
Ecology is the scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their physical environment. The root of the word ecology is the Greekword oikos, which means “house.”
The biological influences on organisms are called biotic factors. A biotic factor is any living part of the environment with which an organism might interact, including animals, plants, mushrooms, and bacteria.
Physical components of an ecosystem are called abiotic factors. An abiotic factor is any nonliving part of the environment, such as sunlight, heat,precipitation, humidity, wind or water currents, soil type, and so on. For example, a bullfrog could be affected by abiotic factors such as water availability, temperature, and humidity.
What methods are used in ecological studies? Regardless of their tools, modern ecologists use three methods in their work: observation, experimentation, and modeling. Each of these approaches relies on scientificmethodology to guide inquiry.
Energy, Producers, and Consumers Only algae, certain bacteria, and plants like the one
can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and convert it into forms that living cells can use. These organisms are called autotrophs.
Autotrophs use solar or chemical energy to produce “food” by assembling inorganic compounds into complex organic molecules. But autotrophs domore than feed themselves. Autotrophs store energy in forms that make it available to other organisms that eat them. That’s why autotrophs are also called primary producers.
Primary producers are the first producers of energy-rich compounds that are later used
by other organisms.
Photosynthesis captures light energy and uses it to power chemical reactions that convert carbon dioxide and waterinto oxygen and energy-rich carbohydrates such as sugars and starchesthese deep-sea ecosystems depended on primary producers that harness chemical energy from inorganic molecules such as hydrogen sulfide. These organisms carry out a process called chemosynthesis in which chemical energy is used to produce carbohydrates.
Animals, fungi, and many bacteria cannot directly harness energy from theenvironment as primary producers do. These organisms, known as heterotrophs must acquire energy
from other organisms—by ingesting them in one way or another. Heterotrophs are also called consumers. Organisms that rely on other organisms for energy and nutrients are called consumers.
Herbivores like this military macaw obtain energy and nutrients by eating plant leaves, roots, seeds, or fruits.Common herbivores include cows, caterpillars, and deer.
Omnivores are animals whose diets naturally include a variety of different foods that usually include both plants and animals. Humans, bears, pigs, and this white-nosed coati are omnivores.
Carnivores kill and eat other animals. include snakes, dogs, cats, and this giant river otter. Catching and killing preycan be difficult and requires...