Ecology

Question 1

Exploitation competition

Answer 1

Indirect interaction between two different species that causes a common resource to be depleted
Example: cheetahs deplete gazelle population which affects lions

Question 2

Interference competition

Answer 2

Occurs when one species directly prevents the establishment of another species that would compete for a mutual resource in a habitat
example: aggression

Question 3

Allelopathy

Answer 3

• A type of interspecific competition
• Production of biochemicals by organisms like plants that influences growth, survival and reproduction of other organisms

Question 4

Intraspecific competition

Answer 4

Occurs between members of the same species
Example: two rabbits competing for carrots

Question 5

Apparent competition

Answer 5

Occurs between two species that are preyed upon by one predator

Question 6

Symbiosis

Answer 6

Close, long-term interaction between two organisms in their environment
Three kinds: mutualism, commensalism and parasitism

Question 7

Mutualism

Answer 7

Subgroup of symbiosis
(+/+) both organisms benefit

Question 8

Commensalism

Answer 8

Subgroup of symbiosis
(+/0) one organism benefits and the other organism is neither helped or harmed (unaffected)

Question 9

Parasitism

Answer 9

Subgroup of symbiosis
(+/-) one organism benefits at the other organisms expense

Question 10

Primary producers

Answer 10

Lowest trophic level
* Autotrophs that convert the sun’s energy into chemical energy (ex: photosynthesis) to generate the biomass of an ecosystem
* ex: plants, photosynthetic protists, cyanobacteria, chemosynthetic bacteria

Question 11

Primary consumers

Answer 11

Often herbivores
Just above the primary produces and solely consume primary producers

Question 12

Secondary consumers

Answer 12

Primary carnivores
Prey on primary consumers (usually herbivores)

Question 13

Tertiary consumers

Answer 13

Secondary carnivore
Prey on secondary consumers

Question 14

Apex predator

Answer 14

The predator at the top of the food chain
No other organism prey on the apex predator

Question 15

Food pyramid

Answer 15

Only ~10% of energy in one trophic level can be converted to the next trophic
Less biomass is stored at higher trophic levels

Question 16

Aquatic biomes

Answer 16

Cover 75% of earth
Vast amount of photosynthetic algae here contribute most of earths atmospheric oxygen
Divided into freshwater and saltwater biomes

Question 17

Naturalized species

Answer 17

A type of non-native species that spreads beyond the place of introduction, and whose reproduction is sufficient enough for the species to maintain its population
If they become sufficiently abundant, they have the potential to have adverse effects on native plants and animals (key characteristics)

Question 18

Exotic species

Answer 18

A type of non-native species that lives outside its native distributional range, but arrived there through human activity (either deliberate or intentional or accidental)

Question 19

Which abiotic factors have the most important effect on biome distribution?

Answer 19

Rainfall and temperature, this is because areas with similar latitudes can have radically different biomes, even through they receive about the same amount of sunlight

Question 20

Sporophytes

Answer 20

Plants, fungi and microorganism that survive by breaking down or consuming dead or decaying organic matter (ex: a fallen tree)
They are decomposers that work with scavengers to contribute to the organic recycling process

Question 21

Littoral zone

Answer 21

The part of the euphotic zone where sunlight penetrates all the way down to the floor of the ocean

Question 22

Keystone species

Answer 22

Play a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community, helping to determine the number of various other species in the community

Without keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exists all together

Question 23

Microbiome diversity is a measure of:

Answer 23

Community complexity

Question 24

What does microbiome diversity depend on?

Answer 24

Number of different microorganisms in the community (species richness) and their relative abundance (species evenness)

Larger numbers of species and more even abundance of species leads to higher microbiome diversity

Question 25

abiotic factors

Answer 25

all nonliving things which directly or indirectly influence the life of an organism, examples include: temperature, climate, light, water availability and topology

Question 26

aphotic zone

Answer 26

• zone with no light penetration
• no photosynthetic species, only heterotrophic, some bioluminescent and select fish that can survive off dead matter

Question 27

(T/F) species can occupy the same niche indefinitely

Answer 27

FALSE: NO two species can occupy the same niche

Question 28

fundamental niche

Answer 28

a range an organism can live in as determined by the biotic and abiotic factors that an organism requires to survive

Question 29

realized niche

Answer 29

the ways in which the organism interacts with, exploits, and changes its environment –> where an organism truly lives which dictates the role these organisms play within its ecological community

Question 30

population

Answer 30

specific species that reside in the same, specific location

Question 31

(ecological) community

Answer 31

all the interacting populations living in the same area

Question 32

ecosystem

Answer 32

the interrelationships between organisms (biotic factors) and their surrounding environment (abiotic factors)

Question 33

habitat

Answer 33

type of place where an organism lives, including other organism (biotic) and physical and chemical environment (abiotic)

Question 34

poikilothermic

Answer 34

• cold-blooded organisms
• internal temperatures are greatly affected by their surrounding environment temperature
• temperature and metabolism match the temperature around them

Question 35

what are tannins in plants?

Answer 35

• secondary compounds in plants
• an example of coevolution: plants evolved tannin in response to another species evolving herbivory
• bitter taste to discourage herbivores from eating them

Question 36

aposematic coloration

Answer 36

• warning coloration
• conspicuous pattern or coloration of animals that warns predators that they sting, bite, or poisonous

Question 37

mullerian mimicry

Answer 37

when multiple dangerous species evolve similar shapes, coloration, or behaviors as one another to warn predators (ex: yellow jacket, bees and wasps)

Question 38

batesian mimicry

Answer 38

when a harmless species evolves similar shape, coloration or behavior as a dangerous species

Question 39

what is coevolution and examples of coevolution?

Answer 39

• species evolving adaptations in direct response to another species’ adaptations
• secondary compounds, cryptic coloration, aposematic coloration, pollination and mimicry are all examples

Question 40

species richness tends to decline on a _________ gradient

Answer 40

latitudinal: higher richness near the equator and lower richness further away from the equator

Question 41

species diversity is made up of:

Answer 41

species richness and relative abundance

Question 42

primary succession

Answer 42

• occurs after large disturbances in areas that have never previously supported living things (ex: volcanic island, lava flows)
• soil building is essential
• begins with pioneer species (ex: lichen, fungi, algae)