Ch 18 & 20: Ecology
Indicators:
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Summarize the relationship between the climatic zone and the resultant biomes. (This includes
explaining the nature of the rainfall and temperature of the mid-latitude climatic zone that
supports the deciduous forest.)
Explain climate and weather patterns associated with certain geographic locations and features
(e.g., tornado alley, tropical hurricanes and lake effect snow).
Describe how matter cycles and energy flows through different levels of organization in living
systems and between living systems and the physical environment. Explain how some energy is
stored and much is dissipated into the environment as thermal energy (e.g., food webs and
energy pyramids).
Explain how living things interact with biotic and abiotic components of the environment (e.g.,
predation, competition, natural disasters and weather).
Relate how distribution and abundance of organisms and populations in ecosystems are limited
by the ability of the ecosystem to recycle materials and the availability of matter, space and
energy.
Conclude that ecosystems tend to have cyclic fluctuations around a state of approximate
equilibrium that can change when climate changes, when one or more new species appear as a
result of immigration or when one or more species disappear.
Describe ways that human activities can deliberately or inadvertently alter the equilibrium in
ecosystems. Explain how changes in technology/biotechnology can cause significant changes,
either positive or negative, in environmental quality and carrying capacity.
We continue our study of macrobiology by looking at entire systems of different
living and nonliving things. We will again be using the blue (old book for our study of
ecosystems, which is chapters 18 & 20. In the red (new) book it is chapters 3 & 4. We
will be studying levels of organisms in the biosphere as well as interactions of the
organisms there We will also look at nonliving factors in the biosphere and how they
are used.
Specifically, we will cover the following:
 how the biosphere is organized into biomes, ecosystems, communities
and populations.
 biotic an abiotic factors in ecosystems
 energy transfers (food webs, food chains, trophic levels) for living things
 material cycles in ecosystems (water cycle, nitrogen, cycle, etc.)
 how human activities can interfere with these processes
 interactions of organisms in ecosystems (predation, parasitism,
mutualism, etc.)
 how ecosystems recover from damage (succession)
At the end of the unit, there will be a mixed format test, multiple choice,
diagrams, short answer, etc. This will be in the 70% category.
Vocab. cards due: Monday, Mar. 17
RG due and Bookquiz: Monday, Mar. 17
Vocab: Ch 18 & 20: Ecology
+ if you’re an expert (can explain to someone else)
 if you’ve heard of it (and know a little)
0 if you’ve never heard of it
_____ ecology
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_____ interdependence
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_____ biosphere
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_____ ecosystem
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_____ community
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_____ population
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_____ habitat
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_____ biotic factor
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_____ abiotic factor
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_____ niche
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_____ generalist
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_____ specialist
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_____ producer
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_____ consumers
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_____ herbivore
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_____ carnivore
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_____ omnivore
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_____ detritivore
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_____ decomposer
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_____ food chain
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_____ food web
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_____ trophic level
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_____ water cycle
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_____ carbon cycle
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_____ nitrogen cycle
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_____ predation
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_____ symbiosis
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_____ parasitism
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_____ mutualism
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_____ commensalism
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_____ keystone species
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_____ ecological succession
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_____ primary succession
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_____ climax community
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_____ secondary succession
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_____ pioneer species
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Learning Targets/Skills:
_____ Describe an example showing the effects of interdependence on organisms in an
ecosystem (18.1)
_____ Differentiate between an ecosystem, community and population and give examples of each (18.1)
_____ Compare biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem and give examples of each (18.2)
_____ Differentiate between specialists and generalists in an ecosystem (18.2)
_____ Identify and give examples of different kinds of consumers in an ecosystem (18.3)
_____ Explain what a trophic level is, and identify an organism’s trophic level in an ecosystem (18.3)
_____ Relate the amount of energy in an ecosystem to trophic level (18.3)
_____ Explain the amount of energy passed from one trophic level to the next and reasons why (18.3)
_____ Identify/summarize the major steps in cycles in the environment (water, carbon, nitrogen) (18.4)
_____ Identify both positive and negative impacts humans have on natural cycles in the environment
(water, carbon, nitrogen) (18.4)
_____ Differentiate between different relationships that organisms can have in an ecosystem and give
examples of each relationship (20.1)
_____ Distinguish between types of succession (20.2)