Name_______________________________

Section: ____________

Week of 10/7/13 Homework Packet #1

Directions: Complete all questions and turn this into the homework bin at the start of class on Friday, October 11th. VOCABULARY TERM DEFINTION The study of how living things interact with each other and their environment. EXAMPLE

Ecology

Biosphere

All the areas of the Earth that support life, together with the organisms that live in them, are called the biosphere. (Earth is sphere shaped!)

The Earths life-supporting areas. (we only know of one Earthso far.)

Biome

A group of ecosystems with similar climate and organisms (like a rainforest. The ecosystems in a biome do not have to be in one area of the Earth.

Desert biome, rain forest biome, tundra. All the communitites in Crotona Park, together with the rocks, air, temperature, sun, water, and other abiotic factors in the park. All the populations in Crotona Park, like: grass, maple trees, squirrels, pigeons, mice, ants, earthworms, bacteria, bees, etc.

Ecosystem

A community of organisms TOGETHER WITH its nonliving (abiotic) surroundings make up an ecosystem.

Community

All the different populations that live together in an area make up a community. (There can be hundreds of populations in an area.)

Population

All members of one species in a particular area are called a population.

All the squirrels in Crotona Park.

Species

A group of organisms that are physically similar and can mate with each other and produce offspring that can also mate and reproduce.

Zebras are their own species. Horses are their own species. (Zebras and horses are similar, but they dont mate.) Major groups of autotrophs: plants, algae, phytoplankton, some bacteria.

Autotroph

An organism that makes its own food. (AUTO = self, TROPH = food).

Name_______________________________

Section: ____________

Week of 10/7/13

Heterotroph

An organism that cant make its own food. It has to get its food somewhere else. An organism that makes its own food. It means the SAME THING as autotroph. Producers are important because they bring energy into the ecosystem. They are at the bottom of every food chain.

Consumers, like: Humans, birds, cows, spiders, amoeba Decomposers, like: fungi (mushrooms), most bacteria (Same examples as AUTOTROPHS). Major groups: plants, algae, phytoplankton, some bacteria. All carnivores (like lions, spiders, sharks), herbivores (like rabbits, cows, leaf-eating insects) and omnivores (like humans, bears, rats) are consumers. Fungi (mushrooms, molds), most bacteria, worms. Cows, deer, giraffes, rabbits, caterpillars, leaf-eating insects, pandas, koalas, bees (eat nectar), crabs & shrimp (eat plankton) Sharks, spiders, lions, tigers, polar bears, killer whales, praying mantises, frogs, anteaters, ladybugs. Humans, rats, bears (eat berries and fish), racoons, many birds (eat berries and worms / insects), cockroaches, goats.

Producer

Consumer

An organism that EATS (consumes) other organisms for food.

Decomposer

An organism that gets its food by breaking down dead organisms.

Herbivore

Organisms that eat PLANTS ONLY.

Carnivore

Organisms that eat MEAT ONLY.

Omnivore

Organisms that eat BOTH PLANTS and MEAT.

QUESTIONS 1. (a) (b) (c) Identify the correct levels of organization in Ecology going from largest to smallest Species, Population, Community, Ecosystem Species, Community, Population, Ecosystem Ecosystem, Community, Population, Species

Name_______________________________

Section: ____________

Week of 10/7/13

2. What is the difference between a community and a population? A community is many populations of many different species) living in one area, while a populations is just all the individuals of one species living in one area.

3. (a) (b) (c) (d)

Identify the producer from the list of organisms below: Cat Grasshopper Cow Algae

4. Is an omnivore classified as an autotroph or heterotroph and why? An omnivore eats both plants and animals. Since it has to eat to get its food (it cant make its own food using energy from the sun), its a HETEROTROPH.

5. (a) (b) (c) (d)

Which of the following is NOT a decomposer? Mushroom Bacteria Fungi Algae

6. Are decomposers classified as autotrophs or heterotrophs and why? Just like omnivores in question 4, decomposers are HETEROTROPHS because they cant make their own food using the suns energy. They have to get their food / energy by breaking down dead organisms.

7. Why are producers important in an ecosystem? Producers are important in an ecosystem because they are the organisms that bring ENERGY into the ecosystem. All other organisms depend on producers (either directly, if they are herbivores, or indirectly, if they are carnivores). Without producers, there would be no food chains or food webs.

Name_______________________________

Section: ____________

Week of 10/7/13

8. Why are decomposers important in an ecosystem? Decomposers break down dead organisms, and return important NUTRIENTS to the soil. NUTRIENTS are things that organisms need to grow. Nutrients include food, but also important minerals such as nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, etc). Plants dont get their food (energy) from the soil, but they DO take up these other nutrients. Then, when we or other animals eat plants, we get these additional nutrients from the plants. Our bodies use these nutrients for normal life functions. For example, iron is important for transport of oxygen in our blood, and calcium is an important mineral for the formation of strong bones and teeth.

9. Are the terms autotroph and producer interchangeable? Why or why not? YES these terms are interchangeble (meaning they can be switched for each other all the time, and they always mean the same thing.) Autotroph and producer both always refer to organisms that make their own food (for energy), using the energy of the sun. They mean exactly the same thing.

10. Are the terms consumer and heterotroph interchangeable? Why or why not? These terms are NOT interchangeable. If you look at the class notes from the handout below, you can see that although all consumers are heterotrophs, not all heterotrophs are consumers (some heterotrophs are decomposers.) So, you cant switch consumer and heterotroph because they dont mean exactly the same thing.