Chapter+5++++Awesome+Interactions+with+Extreme+Environments+and+Outstanding+Organisms

AWESOME LION!!!

Ecological Concepts, or as we like to call them "ECOCEPTS!": > > ** -Abiotic Factors ** > Categories; energy, matter, space, ecological processes -** Limiting Factors **- A resource or other factor that can restrict the success of a species.
 * Environments- Environments have:
 * -Biotic Factors **Categories; plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, viruses, paracites
 * Habitat- The space where an organism inhabits.
 * Niche- An organisms functional role in it's surrounding habitat.

The three main concepts of organisms are: Natural Selection- Natural selection is best explained in these five steps. Evolutionary Paterns
 * Evolution **
 * Genes- The pieces of DNA that deterimine the characteristics of an ividividual.
 * Population- All of the organisms found in an area that are the same kind.
 * Species- A population of organisms that has the potential to reproduce among themselves.
 * 1) Individuals within a species show genetic variation. These variations could be helpful or unhelpful.
 * 2) typically, most species produce more offspring than are needed to replace the parents because most offspring die.
 * 3) having exess individuals will result in a shortage of specific resources.
 * 4) Due to the variations among individuals, some individuals will have a greater chance of obtaining the resources they need. this means they will have a great chance of surviving to reproduce and pass on their genes.
 * 5) Over time, the process of natural selection will increase the percentage of favorable variations in a population and decrease the percent of unfavorable variations.
 * Speciation- Production of a new species from an exsisting one.
 * Extinction- The loss of an entire species.
 * Coevolution- Multiple species of organisms taht can influence each other.


 * Types of Organism Interactions **
 * Predation- One organism kills and eats another organism.
 * Competition- Two species striving to obtain the same resources.
 * Symbiotic- A close, physical relationship that is long lasing between two species.
 * Parasitism- One organism lives off another organism, diriving it's energy from the host.
 * Commensalism- One organism benefits and the other isn't affected.
 * Mutualism- both organisms involved are benefited.

Roles Energy Flow Nitrogen Cycle!
 * Interactions **
 * 1) Community- All the interacting organisms in one area.
 * 2) Ecosystem- A space in which interactions take place between communities.
 * Producers- Organisms that make organic energy from inorganic energy.
 * Consumers- Organisms that require organic matter as a source of food.
 * Decomposers- Organisms that use nonliving organic matter as a source of energy and raw materials.
 * Trophic levels- These are best demonstrated by using energy pyramids.
 * Energy Relationships- The best way to describe energy relationships is through food webs. This shows the transfer of energy between different organisms.

The nitrogen cycle is the cycling of nitrogen atoms between abiotic and biotic mediums through the ground, atmosphere and organisms. Nitrogen is an important part of life due to it's presence in amino acids that make up proteins and DNA. 1.As a plant or animal dies decomposers release nitrogen watses into the soil in the form of ammonia (NH3) that can either be absorbed by plants or bacteria. 2.Bacteria called Nitrifying bacteria can then converrt ammonia into nitrite ions (-NO2) and then into nitrate (-NO3) which can be absorbed by plants or yet again converted by more bacteria. 3. Nitrate ions can be converted into N2 by denitrifying bacteria and be released into the air. 4.From the atmosphere only another kind of bacteria called Nitrigen fixing bacteria can absorb the N2 and turn it into ammonia.

__**Questions:**__ Make a food chain. I didn't really make this... but oh well. I made a food web though: Explain what effect removing the fox from the food chain above would have on the evolution of the rabbit. With fewer predators, the rabbit would overpopulate, and possibly, depending on what the food source in its given area was, over-consume its food. The species of rabbit after sometime might start to eat each other, and the species might evolve to some larger, more vicious type through a process of natural selection. If the species did not enter a cycle of cannibalism, they might evolve to be smaller, scrawnier and more able to survive on less food. What trophic level obtains energy from every other trophic level? The highest tophic level obtains energy from every other trophic level. The organisms that occupy this are usually apex predators such as humans (though if velociraptors were still alive, I think they'd be the apex predators...). What kind of a relationship is mouse and a wolf? Well, the wolf-mouse relationship is complicated. The mouse wants to develop a friendship with the wolf, but the wolf just can't get over his primal desire to eat the mouse... wolf needs some anti-predation counseling for the friendship to work. What are the 2 organisms that produce ammonia? Nitrogen and Hydrogen produce ammonia. How can a change in one relationship end up affecting the environment? Well, for example, if there is a mutualistic relationship between a bird and a bison, wherein the bird cleans the dirt off of the bison in return for the safety of perching on a bison's back, they could get in a fight. And when the bird and bison break up, they tell all of their friends to follow suit (naturally). However, they lost the benefits they had gained in the murualistic relationship. Therefore, the bird does not have the security and the bison is dirty and has itchy little things in his fur. If the birds are too exposed, they could become extinct. THEN their food source would become WAY too populous and it would throw off the whole ecosystem. Why is the gecko so happy? The gecko (Phineus) is so happy because he is a HUGE jigglypuff fan, and he has been able to witness (multiple times) the ownage of pikachu by his favorite poke-master. Why is the amount of steps in the nitrogen cycle important? How do food webs contribute to the cycling of nitrogen and phosphorous?



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