Unit 7 was all about ecology. Through vodcasts, class discussions and textbook reading, we learned about the main themes and concepts of ecology. We started the units with the main basics of ecology, talking about habitats, niches, biotic and abiotic factors. Habitats include all aspects of the area in which an organism lives, including all abiotic and biotic factors, while niches include all the factors a species needs to survive, stay healthy, and reproduce. Biotic factors are like plants animals, fungi, and bacteria, while abiotic factors are air, temperature, light, soil, etc. We also discussed the levels of ecosystem organization, starting with organisms, going a population, to a community, to an ecosystem. to a biome, then to a biosphere.
Next, we learned about food chains and food webs. Producers, or autotrophs, provide energy for themselves and make their own food from abiotic factors, and consumers, or heterotrophs, get their energy by eating other living or once-living resources. A food chain is a linear network of links that come from a food web. A food web is a diagram that shows energy transfer between different organisms in an ecosystem. The arrows on a food web point to where the energy is going. We also learned about trophic levels, which are levels in a food chain based on what organisms eat. There are five main trophic levels: Quaternary consumer, tertiary consumer, secondary consumer, primary consumer, and primary producer.
We also learned about ecosystem energy, and how the energy that is available in an ecosystem affects the populations at different trophic levels. Interestingly, only 10 percent of the energy that is produced at each level is passed on to the next level. 90 percent of the energy is lost as waste, heat, feces, etc. The way to show this transfer of energy between different trophic levels is through energy pyramids. Energy, which originates from the sun, is passed from producers up the food chain to top-level consumers.
Our next main concept in the unit, and the one that I found the most interesting was ecosystem recycling. We learned about how different cycles contribute to the stability and health of ecosystems. Ecological succession is the sequence of community and ecosystem changes after a disturbance. The order of succession begins with pioneer species after the incident, moving on to intermediate species, then to a climax. There are 4 main nutrient cycles. The water cycle, which consists of the processes of evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and movement through surface groundwater. The carbon cycle moves carbon from the atmosphere, through the food web and returns to the atmosphere. Both the nitrogen and phosphorous cycle are also essential to life.
One of the last concepts we learned in our unit was about ecosystem health, and why ecosystem health is extremely important not only for animals and other species but for humans as well. Healthy ecosystems have large populations of tertiary and quaternary consumers and diverse communities of producers and decomposers. Healthy ecosystems also have high biodiversity, includes genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. In the United States, 25 percent of prescriptions contain substances originally derived from plants, thus overall ecosystem health is important for human life. There are 4 main causes of species loss. Habitat Destruction, Introduced/exotic species, overexploitation, and change in climate.
I really wanted to learn more about the benefits and costs of having great biodiversity on our planet. We had an ecosystem health vodcast about it, and I was extremely intrigued. I found it fascinating that 25 percent of all prescriptions that are made in the United States contain substances that are originally derived from plants. Not only that, I did some research fo my own and found that plants are used in other medical situations as well, and are not just limited to prescriptions. Plants are currently being used to help treat diabetes and cancer, and are likely to be one of the main ingredients if we were to come up with a cancer cure.
Throughout our unit, we did a conservation biologist project, in which we, as groups, set out to solve the major problem treating a particular biome or ecosystem. Our group took on the task of fixing the root causes behind the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Collaboration is our group was nearly flawless, as each group member not only did his work but helped others whenever he/she could. Working as such an on-task, and effective group, allowed us to finish our work swiftly with little problems. Nearly everything went well, and I learned as long as everyone in the group knows their role and tries their best to execute their part, the group should do great.
Next, we learned about food chains and food webs. Producers, or autotrophs, provide energy for themselves and make their own food from abiotic factors, and consumers, or heterotrophs, get their energy by eating other living or once-living resources. A food chain is a linear network of links that come from a food web. A food web is a diagram that shows energy transfer between different organisms in an ecosystem. The arrows on a food web point to where the energy is going. We also learned about trophic levels, which are levels in a food chain based on what organisms eat. There are five main trophic levels: Quaternary consumer, tertiary consumer, secondary consumer, primary consumer, and primary producer.
We also learned about ecosystem energy, and how the energy that is available in an ecosystem affects the populations at different trophic levels. Interestingly, only 10 percent of the energy that is produced at each level is passed on to the next level. 90 percent of the energy is lost as waste, heat, feces, etc. The way to show this transfer of energy between different trophic levels is through energy pyramids. Energy, which originates from the sun, is passed from producers up the food chain to top-level consumers.
Our next main concept in the unit, and the one that I found the most interesting was ecosystem recycling. We learned about how different cycles contribute to the stability and health of ecosystems. Ecological succession is the sequence of community and ecosystem changes after a disturbance. The order of succession begins with pioneer species after the incident, moving on to intermediate species, then to a climax. There are 4 main nutrient cycles. The water cycle, which consists of the processes of evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and movement through surface groundwater. The carbon cycle moves carbon from the atmosphere, through the food web and returns to the atmosphere. Both the nitrogen and phosphorous cycle are also essential to life.
One of the last concepts we learned in our unit was about ecosystem health, and why ecosystem health is extremely important not only for animals and other species but for humans as well. Healthy ecosystems have large populations of tertiary and quaternary consumers and diverse communities of producers and decomposers. Healthy ecosystems also have high biodiversity, includes genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. In the United States, 25 percent of prescriptions contain substances originally derived from plants, thus overall ecosystem health is important for human life. There are 4 main causes of species loss. Habitat Destruction, Introduced/exotic species, overexploitation, and change in climate.
I really wanted to learn more about the benefits and costs of having great biodiversity on our planet. We had an ecosystem health vodcast about it, and I was extremely intrigued. I found it fascinating that 25 percent of all prescriptions that are made in the United States contain substances that are originally derived from plants. Not only that, I did some research fo my own and found that plants are used in other medical situations as well, and are not just limited to prescriptions. Plants are currently being used to help treat diabetes and cancer, and are likely to be one of the main ingredients if we were to come up with a cancer cure.
Throughout our unit, we did a conservation biologist project, in which we, as groups, set out to solve the major problem treating a particular biome or ecosystem. Our group took on the task of fixing the root causes behind the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Collaboration is our group was nearly flawless, as each group member not only did his work but helped others whenever he/she could. Working as such an on-task, and effective group, allowed us to finish our work swiftly with little problems. Nearly everything went well, and I learned as long as everyone in the group knows their role and tries their best to execute their part, the group should do great.
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| Great Pacific Garbage Patch |
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