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ESS > 2. Ecology > Flashcards

2. Ecology Flashcards

(53 cards)

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1
Q

Biosphere

A

Ecological system composed of -individuals
-populations
-communities
-ecosystems.

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2
Q

An individual organism is

A

A member of a species

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3
Q

Species

A

A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

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4
Q

population

A

A population is a group of organisms of the same species living in the same area at the same time, and able to interbreed.

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5
Q

Ecological Relationships:

A
  • Intraspecific competition (inside)
  • Interspecific competition (in between)
  • Intra specific cooperation (mutual benefits exchanged)
  • Interspecific cooperation
  • Commensalism
  • Herbivory
  • Predation
  • Parasitism
  • Pathogenicity
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6
Q

What is intra specific competition (inside)

A

Competition for limited natural resources between individuals of the same species.
(+/- relationship)

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7
Q

Inter specific competition

A

Competition for limited natural resources between individuals of different species.
(+/- relationship)

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8
Q

Intra specific cooperation

A

Cooperation between same species from mutual benefit, ex: wolves hunting in packs
(+/+ relationship)

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9
Q

Inter specific cooperation

A

Cooperation between different species for mutual benefit.

Ex: Zooxanthellae in hard corals
50% of all terrestrial plants rely on the fungi around their roots to enable them to absorb inorganic compounds from the soil.
(+/+ relationship)

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10
Q

Commensalism

A

When only one of the species benefits, the other is unaffected.
(+/0 relationship)

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11
Q

Herbivory

A

Intraspecific relationship between organisms, usually animals (herbivores) feeding on plants.
(+/- relationship)

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12
Q

Predation

A

Where one organism feeds on another organism called the prey.
(+/- relationship)

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13
Q

Parasitism

A

When an organism relies on another, without needing to kill it, to satisfy its needs such as feeding. Ex: Ticks feeding on the blood of dogs.
(+/- relationship)

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14
Q

Pathogenicity

A

Pathogens cause a disease in host organisms benefitting the pathogen. (+/-relationship)

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15
Q

What are Autotrophs

A

Organisms able to generate nutritional organic substances from inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide.

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16
Q

Heterotrophs meaning

A

Organism deriving nutritional requirements from complex organic substances.

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17
Q

Ecological Niche

A

The role of a species in an ecosystem and how it responds to distributions of resources.

Interactions that influence:
Growth
Survival
Reproduction

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18
Q

Ecological levels of organization

A

Individuals, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biome, Biosphere

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19
Q

Density dependent factors that can affect population size

A

Water, food, mates, shelter - limited factors, once you reach a certain point there won’t be enough of the resources anymore.

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20
Q

Density independent factors that influence population size

A

Natural disasters, precipitation, light intensity, humidity, acidity.
- No matter how densely populated the area is, it will impact and decrease size of population.

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21
Q

Population growth curves

A

Exponential growth curve
And
Sigmoidal/logistic growth curve (carrying capacity)

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22
Q

Description of exponential growth curve

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A

Lag phase: initial slow growth
Log phase: exponential growth

23
Q

Description of sigmoidal growth curve

Study These Flashcards
A

Lag Phase: slow initial growth
Log Phase: exponential growth in population size
Plateau/Stationary Phase: population stabilizes near carrying capacity

24
Q

Why do we reach a stationary phase:

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A

Resources become more limited and individuals stop thriving. This decreases their energy to reproduce causing a stabilizing effect, where a plateau is reached in terms of population density.

25
Carrying Capacity meaning
The maximum size of a population determined by competition for limited resources.
26
Ecological footprint meaning
area of land and water required to sustainably provide resources that sustain life.
27
Fundamental Niche
The general preferences that a species has on biotic and abiotic factors required for survival.
28
Realized Niche
Specific role and conditions in which a species actually exists in an ecosystem influenced by direct and indirect interaction (such as: predation, competition)
29
Define nutrient
A chemical substance that a species requires to sustain life
30
Reductions in energy availability: (3 types)
Incomplete consumption: not eating bones of an animal or the fur/hair. - plants also don’t capture all sunlight energy shone at them. Incomplete digestion: Egestion of fiber as faeces - not all water is absorbed by their roots Metabolic heat loss: Our warm blooded body must keep body temperatures constant therefore we often lose heat energy to remain warm. - producers release heat though metabolic processes such as photosynthesis and respiration.
31
Formula for energy transfer
Energy in trophic level 2/ energy in trophic level 1) x 100 = % energy transfer
32
What is bioaccumulation and magnification
Processes which explain how certain toxins accumulate in tissues of consumers progressively as trophic levels increase.
33
Bioaccumulation
Increased concentration of a toxin substance in one trophic level, organism of the same species. (Over time, not trophic levels)
34
Biomagnification
Increased concentration of a toxin substance throughout different trophic levels. (Harms populations) Biomagnification relies on bioaccumulation.
35
Steps for Biomagnification
As DDT (pesticide) accumulates in fatty tissues of fish, other predators such as birds consume the fish and accumulate some of that DDT. Consumption occurs from a higher trophic level to a lower one where more individuals are consumed - magnification of the concentration of pesticides in indirectly related species.
36
Biodegradability
The ability of a product to be broken down into simpler substances
37
In Biogeochemical cycles ecosystems can act as 3 things:
Sinks, Stores, Sources
38
Sink meaning
More exchange of carbon, more input than output. Ex. Vegetation, oceans
39
Store meaning
Equal exchange of carbon in and out. Balanced input and output. Ex. Atmosphere
40
Source
More exchange of carbon out than in. Ex. Fossil fuels like oil
41
Regenerative agricultural techniques
- Crop rotation (planting different crops sequentially on the same soil) - Cover crops (protection and enrichment of soil (take nitrogen from air and transform to nitrates for richer soil) - Composting - Zero Tillage (growing crops without disturbing the soil through tillage)
42
Degenerative agricultural techniques
- Monoculture (only growing one crop) - Drainage of wetlands (carbon accumulates in wetlands and with drainage that carbon sequestered will be released) - Heavy tillage (heavy machinery requiring diesel and polluting fossil fuels)
43
How is carbon absorbed by oceans
Wind makes wave movement dissolve carbon dioxide coming from the atmosphere. Dissolved CO2 is then separated into carbonate ions and organic matter used by plants or stored in ocean sedimentation on the ocean floor.
44
Negative effects of CO2 dissolution in water
Increases ocean acidification thus harming marine wildlife.
45
Effect of insulation on biomes
More solar energy is absorbed as it hits the lower latitudes (goes straight into the earth and is reflected less)
46
Effect of latitude on biomes
More energy is absorbed at low latitude and less at high latitudes. High angle of incidence on lower latitude (sunlight is more concentrated)
47
Effect of temperature on biomes
Higher temperatures are seen where more solar light energy is absorbed rather than reflected, thus leading to hotter climates in latitudes closer to the equator (0 degrees)
48
Tricellular model of earth
Hadley cell (between 0 degrees and 30 degrees) Ferrel Cell (30 to 60 degrees) Polar cell (60 and above degrees)
49
Why is the tricellular model important
Explains atmospheric circulation and how heat energy is distributed as a worldwide system of winds moving thermal energy from equator to poles.
50
Environmental factors that cause zonation
Tidal level Latitude changing insulation Elevation/Altitude Altitude below sea level (light intensity, temperature, atmospheric temperature)
51
What are ecological successions
Process by which organisms colonize a barren environment, leading to formation of a new ecosystem over time.
52
Steps in a primary successions
1. Bare rock exposed, no signs of life (nutrient poor) 2. Pioneer species like lichens colonize the bare rock. Organisms survive harsh conditions and can break down bare rock. 3. Pioneer species die and decompose, adding organic material to the developing soil. 4. Grasses and small plants begin to grow as soil is established. Roots stabilize the soil and keep adding more organic matter. 5. Small trees begin to grow as the soil becomes richer in nutrients. 6. A stable self-sustaining ecosystem with large trees and diversity is established.
53
Secondary successions
Happen on bare soil rather than newly formed substratum with no soil. Places such as forests after a wildfire.

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