The Nonliving
Environment
Environmental factors
Biotic
factors-features that
are alive or once were alive
Abiotic factors-nonliving
features of the environment
AIR
Atmosphere-78%
nitrogen,
21% oxygen, 0.94% argon,
and 0.03% carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide used by
plants; oxygen used by most
living things
WATER
Essential
to life
Major ingredient in cells of all
living things
Metabolism takes place in
water
SOIL
 Mixture
of mineral and rock
particles, the remains of dead
organisms, water, and air.
 Contains living organisms and
remains of decaying ones
SUNLIGHT
The
energy source for
almost all living things on
earth.
Producers use it to make
their own food through
photosynthesis.
TEMPERATURE
 Proper
temperatures are
necessary for all life on land.
 Many organisms are adapted to
their environmental
temperatures.
 Latitude and elevation influence
temperatures.
CLIMATE
An
area’s average weather
conditions over time
Includes temperature,
precipitation, and wind
CYCLES IN
NATURE
Water Cycle
Evaporation-liquid
water
changes into water vapor.
Condensation-The process
of changing from a gas to a
liquid.
WATER CYCLE
Precipitation-Rain,
sleet,
snow, or hail which falls to
earth from the sky.
Runoff-the flow of water
from rain, snow or other
precipitation.
Water Cycle
 Model
that describes how water
moves from the surface of the earth
to the atmosphere, and back to the
surface again.
 Evaporation and transpiration,
condensation, precipitation
 See example on page 101.
Nitrogen Cycle
 Transfer
of nitrogen from the
atmosphere to the soil, to living
organisms, and back to the
atmosphere.
Nitrogen fixation
 Bacteria
in the soil forms
nitrogen compounds (from air)
that plants need.
Carbon Cycle
 Model
describing how carbon
molecules move between the
living and nonliving world.
ENERGY FLOW
Converting Energy
Photosynthesis-process
in
which producers convert light
energy into chemical energy.
CONVERTING ENERGY
 Chemosynthesis-the
production
of energy-rich nutrient
molecules from chemicals.
 Hydrothermal vent-deep crack
in the ocean floor through which
heat of molten magma escapes.
Energy Transfer
Food
chains-a way of
showing how matter and
energy pass from one
organism to another.
Energy Transfer
Producers-organisms
that
are capable of
photosynthesis or
chemosynthesis.
Consumers-organisms that
feed on producers or other
consumers.
Energy Transfer
 Food
chains–1st step sun
–2nd step producers
–3rd step consumers such as
herbivores.
–4th and higher steps are
carnivores and omnivores.
Energy Transfer
Food
Web-a model that
shows all the possible
feeding relationships among
the organisms in a
community.
Energy Pyramids
 Shows
the amount of energy
available at each feeding level
in an ecosystem.
 Bottom layer has the most
energy. Energy decreases as
you move up the pyramid.