Chapter 2 ecology (9:30 tuesday night sorry)

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Chapter 2 - Section 2 deals with the water cycle


The Water cycle- Water cycles through the environment through a number of different processes.
Evaporation- liquid water is converted to a gaseous water and rises into the atmosphere
Condensation- Gaseous water is converted into liquid water
Transpiration- evaporation directly from plant leaves.
Precipitation- general term for water that falls from the sky as solid or liquid
Respiration- organisms breathe out gaseous water

Section 1 of Chapter 2
Chapter 2- Ecology- Many factors contribute to organism success
Vocabulary: Biotic, abiotic, atmosphere, soil, climate, evaporation, condensation, water cycle, nitrogen fixation, chemosynthesis, food web, energy pyramids

Environmental factors-
Biotic factors- “biotic” means living- features of the environment that are or where once alive.
Abiotic factors- “a” means not “biotic” means living- non-living physical features of the environment.
What’s some of the most important abiotic factors in the environment? Water and oxygen

Abiotic factors-
1) Air- the atmosphere is 78 % nitrogen, 21 % oxygen, and small amounts of Carbon dioxide, argon, neon, helium, and others.
Organisms use air for feeding body cells in a process called respiration.

2) Water- most organisms are 50-95% water. The following processes only take place with water: respiration, digestion, photosynthesis.

3) Soil- The topmost layer of the earth’s crust. Soil contains rocks, minerals, dead organisms, and air. Soil is biotic and abiotic because it contains dead and living organisms and other non-living factors. Humus- decaying matter found in the soil

4) Sunlight- All life on earth relies on producers that get their energy from the sun. Photosynthesis!!

5) Temperature- Organisms survive mostly at temperatures from 0 deg C to 50 deg C. (Water freezes at zero degrees C)

Aside- Why is it hotter at the equator? Answer: The equator gets direct sunlight strait on. The poles get sunlight at an angle. This keeps them cooler. In winter the earth tilts causing less sun to hit at higher latitudes. This causes lower temperature. The southern hemisphere is in summer when we are in winter.

Climate- Refers to an areas average weather conditions. Includes temperature, precipitation, and wind. Temperature and precipitation are the most important for living things.
Wind- How is it created? Air molecules are heated by the sun. These warmer molecules rise up (warm air rises) and a current is created. This current is wind.

Test and Review questions. What’s the difference in abiotic and biotic factors? What are the examples of each? What parts of air are required for life? Why is soil both biotic and abiotic. Be able to label and draw the water cycle.