BIOL208 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Photosynthesis, Leaf, Physiology
12 Oct 2018
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Department
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BIOL208
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Lecture 1: Ecosystems and Scientific Method
What is an ecosystem?
An arbitrarily defined geographic volume, containing interacting biotic and abiotic factors,
connected to other ecosystems by a series of inputs and outputs.
Additionally, they have a time dimension and humans may or may not be a part of this system.
Breakdo…
• Biotic- living (Organisms)
• Abiotic- non-living (Water, Rocks, Soil pH, Soil moisture, Temperature, Light)
Abiotic factors influence the biotic factors in an ecosystem.
Example: Water flow determines the type of organisms living in a stream and a lake and
the different types of adaptation they have.
• An arbitrarily defined geographic volume- the volume of an ecosystem can be measured
in any units and can be of any volume. Size of a water body is a contributing factor to the
type of ecology and organisms found in a lake and stream will not be the same.
• Connected to other ecosystems by a series of inputs and outputs: Nutrients from a
mountain can end up in a field during rainy season. Streams, lakes and rivers join a greater
ecosystem, ocean.
• They have time dimension: Ecosystems can slightly change over a short period of time
hence when talking about populations we only talk about one point in time.
Some important terms in ecology:
• Biosphere: The Earth
• Ecosystem: An arbitrarily defined geographic volume, containing interacting biotic and
abiotic factors, connected to other ecosystems by a series of inputs and outputs.
• Community: Population of species occurring in same time and space.
Example: trees, squirrels and grass population make up a community at the main quad.
• Population: Organisms of same species that are at the same place at one point in time.
Example: All squirrels in main quad.
• Individual: Unique (physically and genetically) living organism
Ecosystem concept: It is important to consider levels in an ecosystem when studying ecology,
because one individual cannot always give the data needed
The Scientific Method
1. Observation: We do not have palm trees in Edmonton
2. Questio: Why do’t e hae pal trees i Edoto?
3. Hypothesis: Must be testable and refutable
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Palm trees need a minimum temperature of 4 degrees Celsius to grow because they need
warmer climate to carry our metabolic processes.
Hypothesis should have directionality and mechanism ( in this case adaptation)
Null Hypothesis: Temperature is not the reason palm trees do not grow in Edmonton.
4. Prediction: If temperature increases, palm trees grow in Edmonton.
5. Test of prediction: Grow them in different temperature and see which ones survived.
6. Results: T > 0 All trees died
T>4 Only one out of 4 trees died
T > 10 All trees lived.
Hypothesis is supported.
7. If only hypothesis was not supported, we would change our hypothesis. Like test for light
other than temperature.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
An arbitrarily defined geographic volume, containing interacting biotic and abiotic factors, connected to other ecosystems by a series of inputs and outputs. Additionally, they have a time dimension and humans may or may not be a part of this system. Breakdo(cid:449)(cid:374) : biotic- living (organisms, abiotic- non-living (water, rocks, soil ph, soil moisture, temperature, light) Abiotic factors influence the biotic factors in an ecosystem. Streams, lakes and rivers join a greater ecosystem, ocean: they have time dimension: ecosystems can slightly change over a short period of time hence when talking about populations we only talk about one point in time. Example: trees, squirrels and grass population make up a community at the main quad: population: organisms of same species that are at the same place at one point in time. Ecosystem concept: it is important to consider levels in an ecosystem when studying ecology, because one individual cannot always give the data needed.
