4.everything (ecology) Flashcards
Define: species, population, community, ecosystem, abiotic factors, and biotic factors.
Species: a group of genetically similar living organisms that are able to interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
Population: A group of organisms of the same species that live in a particular area at the same time.
Community: A group of populations living and interacting in a particular area.
Ecosystem: A community and its abiotic environment.
Abiotic factors: Non-living factors, such as pH, salinity, wind speed, type of soil, etc.
Biotic factors: Living factors in an ecosystem, such as plants and animals.
Are members of a species always capable of reproducing?
Yes, members of a species may be reproductively isolated in separate populations due to geographical barriers, behavioral differences, or niche partitioning. For instance, populations of black rats ( Rattus rattus ) found in different parts of the world are reproductively isolated, as their members cannot come together in the same area to mate. However, we expect them to be able to mate and produce fertile offspring if their populations are united. If they are not able to mate and produce fertile offspring, it may be that speciation has occurred. In this case, they may have evolved to the point where they are too genetically different to produce fertile offspring.
Rank the biological levels of organization (skip cells, tissues, and organs)
1 - Organism
2 - Species
3 - Population
4 - Community
5 - Ecosystem
6 - Biomes
7 - Biosphere
Q: In a pond, two species of frogs feed on insects. The insects feed on the algae that live in the water. What constitutes a population in this ecosystem?
A) All the frogs of one species
B) All the living organisms
C) All the insects
D) All the animals
A) All the frogs of one species
Q: Which of the following statements about a species is false?
A) Organisms of the same species don’t necessarily look very similar.
B) A group of organisms that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
C) Members of a species that have lived in separated populations cannot reproduce to form fertile offspring.
D) A group of organisms that share a common gene pool.
C) Members of a species that have lived in separated populations cannot reproduce to form fertile offspring.
Define autotrophic, heterotrophic, and mixotrophs. Give examples
Autotrophic: a mode of nutrition that involves the organism making organic molecules using the abiotic environment. ‘Auto’ means self, while trophic has to do with nutrients. They (Almost all plants and some other organisms, for example, Cyanobacteria, Dinoflagellata, and Euglenida)
Heterotrophic: a mode of nutrition in which organisms obtain organic molecules from other organisms. ‘Hetero’ means other, while ‘trophic’, as stated above, has to do with nutrients (Fungi, Animalia)
.
Mixotrophs: organisms that use both autotrophic and heterotrophic modes of nutrition (Euglena gracilis).
Q: What best describes the nutrition of a heterotroph?
A) It takes in only non-living organic matter.
B) It ingests organic molecules from other organisms.
C) It synthesizes its organic molecules from chemical reactions using light.
D) It produces its organic molecules from inorganic substances.
B) It ingests organic molecules from other organisms.
Q: Name the mode of nutrition practiced by secondary consumers.
Heterotrophic
Which of the following statements is true?
A) Autotrophs obtain inorganic nutrients from the abiotic environment to create organic molecules.
B) Heterotrophs obtain organic nutrients from the abiotic environment.
C) Autotrophs obtain inorganic nutrients from their biotic environment.
D) Heterotrophs obtain organic nutrients directly from the abiotic environment.
A) Autotrophs obtain inorganic nutrients from the abiotic environment to create organic molecules.
How can heterotrophs be organized in?
By the way they get their organic molecules from other organisms.
Define all heterotroph classifications.
Consumers: Organisms that gain nutrients by feeding on other organisms using ingestion or absorption.
Detritivores: Heterotrophs that obtain their organic nutrients from detritus, which is waste or other organic debris, by internal digestion.
Saprotrophs: Heterotrophs that obtain their organic nutrients from dead organisms by external digestion (extracellular digestion). These organisms are sometimes referred to as decomposers as they feed on dead organic matter (derived from dead organisms). Fungi and bacteria are examples of saprotrophs. They secrete digestive enzymes on decaying organic matter on which they are feeding, to cause the breakdown of complex organic compounds into simpler organic molecules and minerals, which increases soil fertility. The soluble digested materials released are then absorbed and used by the saprotrophs themselves and can also re-enter the food chain when plants absorb them and use them for photosynthesis. Nutrient cycling by detritivores and saprotrophs is an important process in sustaining ecological stability.
What’s the difference between Primary Consumers, Secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers?
Consumers are further defined by what they eat. Primary consumers (1º) feed only on autotrophs, these organisms are also known as herbivores. Secondary consumers (2º) feed on primary consumers, and tertiary consumers (3º) feed on secondary consumers. Organisms that feed solely on other consumers are known as carnivores and can be classified even further by the type of consumer they eat, for example, the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is considered a carnivore, but more specifically an insectivore, which makes them secondary consumers in the food chain.
Tertiary consumers do not always feed exclusively on secondary consumers. Organisms that consume both plants and animals are known as omnivores.
Q: Certain fungi grow on fallen tree leaves. Which of the terms describes their mode of nutrition?
I. Saprotroph
II. Autotroph
III. Heterotroph
A) I and II only
B) I only
C) I and III only
D) I, II, and III
C) I and III only
Define ecology, symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, and predator-prey relationship.
Ecology is the branch of biology where scientists study ecosystems and the interactions of biotic and abiotic factors.
Symbiosis means ‘living together’ and refers to the following outcomes of interactions between populations.
Mutualism is a type of symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.
Commensalism is a type of symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is unaffected.
Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed.
A predator-prey relationship is one in which one organism hunts and feeds on another.
Q: In the following picture a cleaner wrasse is picking parasites off of a blue spotted stingray. This is an example of a ______ relationship.
mutualism
Scientists call the constant reuse of chemicals in an ecosystem ______
Nutrient cycles
Why are nutrients bound to be recycled?
They determine the maintenance of life in an area and are always reused because of the conservation of matter law.
Q: Which of the following correctly identifies a mesocosm?
A) It refers to the whole universe.
B) It can act as a model of a larger ecosystem, in which matter enters and leaves but energy does not.
C) It is a type of ecosystem.
D) It can act as a model of a larger ecosystem, in which energy enters and leaves but matter does not.
D) It can act as a model of a larger ecosystem, in which energy enters and leaves but matter does not.
Name the type of energy that is lost to the environment.
Thermal
Define food chain
A food chain is a model that shows how nutrients and energy are passed from producer to primary consumer, then secondary consumer, and so on. It clearly shows how each organism in the chain gets its food as well as the direction the energy flows through the chain. Food chains generally begin with plants and end with animals.
What’s a trophic level in a food chain?
Define food web
A food web shows the interconnections that exist among food chains. In a food web, each organism may have several sources of nutrition, or may be a source of nutrition for several other organisms
Q: Which organism(s) in the food web below is (are) both secondary consumer(s) and tertiary consumer(s)?
A) Eagle and fox
B) Eagle only
C) Eagle and skunk
D) Fox and skunk
A) Eagle and fox
Q: What is the energy transfer level from the woodlice to the moles in the following food web?
A) 0.25 × the energy transfer from the rabbits to the eagle
B) The same as the energy transfer from the slugs to the skunks
C) 0.5 × the energy transfer from the grass to the ladybirds
D) 3 × the energy transfer from the small birds to the eagle
B) The same as the energy transfer from the slugs to the skunks
Are energy pyramids formatted in triangles or blocks?
Blocks, triangles don’t actually represent the 90% loss of energy between each trophic level.
What is carbonic acid (H2CO3) and what are its effects?
The molecule that forms when CO2 combines with water. This molecule is unstable and dissociates easily in water into hydrogen ions (H+) and hydrogen carbonate ions (HCO3-). The H+ that is released in this dissociation lowers the pH of the water (makes it more acidic).
The carbon dioxide concentration in Earth’s atmosphere shows seasonal tendencies. In the northern hemisphere during the winter months, most plants are dormant because they lose many of their leaves which absorb CO2; producing little oxygen and taking up little carbon dioxide. So, during the cold winter season, the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere increases due to less absorption from plants. More fuel is burnt to heat houses and the heterotrophs are still respiring. During spring and summer, trees will grow more leaves, which are able to absorb the atmospheric CO2, so the concentration in the atmosphere will drop.
What is peat and how does it form?
Partially digested organic matter forms in acidic, water-saturated soil. Peat contains large amounts of carbon and can be compressed into coal over time.
Peat forms when organic matter is not fully decomposed because of acidic and/or anaerobic conditions in waterlogged soils.
In many parts of the world, dead leaf matter and other organic debris are digested by saprotrophs. This is an aerobic process (meaning it requires oxygen). However, there are some waterlogged areas where the stagnant water creates an anaerobic (no oxygen present) environment in which the saprotrophs cannot grow. The result is an environment that becomes progressively acidified over time. Any surviving saprotrophs die, and the remaining organic matter is only partially digested. New layers of leaf litter and other organic debris fall on top of this older layer of material, further compressing it. The result is peat. Peat exists across wide areas of our planet and can reach depths of 10m.
Why is Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) so important in nature?
Calcium carbonate – CaCO3 – an important source of carbon in the environment which makes up shells and exoskeletons and can eventually become porous sedimentary rock such as limestone.
Calcium carbonate dissolves in acid, but not in alkaline solutions. Most of our oceans are slightly alkaline, creating the right conditions for the formation of sedimentary rock such as limestone. It is estimated that 10% of all sedimentary rock on Earth consists of limestone. Considering that limestone is composed of approximately 12% carbon, these limestone formations lock up a large amount of carbon.
Below is a picture of the white cliffs of Dover in the United Kingdom. The cliffs contain large deposits of limestone. Many fossils, such as shells of molluscs, can be found in these deposits as the origin of the limestone.
Explain the greenhouse effect.
