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Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

Ecology

A

Study of organisms and their interactions with the environment

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2
Q

4 Levels of Ecological Study

A

Organismal Ecology
Population Ecology
Community Ecology
Ecosystem Ecology

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3
Q

Organismal Ecology

A

study of individual organisms

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4
Q

Population Ecology

A

study of a group of individual organisms of the same species

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5
Q

Community Ecology

A

study of all the species that inhabit a particular area

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6
Q

Ecosystem Ecology

A

study of community interactions with abiotic factors

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7
Q

Conservation

A

protection, management and renewal of natural resources

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8
Q

What makes up an ECOSYSTEM?

A

Biotic Factors
Abiotic Factors

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9
Q

Biotic Factors

A

living parts
(animals, plants, simple life)

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10
Q

Abiotic Factors

A

nonliving parts
Climate (weather-precipitation/temperature)
Geology (soils, rocks)
Light (latitude)
Wind (altitude)

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11
Q

COMPETITION

A

Organisms compete for these vital biotic and abiotic resources

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12
Q

NICHE

A

Organism’s role in the environment

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13
Q

CARRYING CAPACITY

A

of organisms a habitat or ecosystem can support is limited

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14
Q

Biomes

A

Major life zones characterized by vegetation type (in terrestrial biomes) or by the physical environment (in aquatic biomes)

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15
Q

Biome categories

A

-Aquatic
-Terrestrial

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16
Q

Aquatic biomes

A

Freshwater (Lakes/Ponds)
Marine
Rivers/Streams
Estuary
Wetland/Swamps/Vernal Pools

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17
Q

Terrestrial

A

Tundra (coldest)
Taiga
Temperate Deciduous Forest (ours!)
Temperate Grassland
Savanna
Chaparral
Desert
Tropical Forest (most diverse)

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18
Q

Distinguishing Features of an
Aquatic Biome

A

Freshwater vs Saltwater vs Brackish Water
Standing water or Flowing water
Depth of water
Permanent or Temporary water

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19
Q

CLIMAX COMMUNITY

A

Relatively Stable Community
-Greatest species diversity

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20
Q

What causes change?

A

Organisms
(particularly humans)
Climatic Changes
(global warming, ice ages)
Natural Disasters
(hurricanes, ice storms)

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21
Q

SUCCESSION

A

Sequence of changes within a community that eventually reach some stability

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22
Q

What are the steps of SUCCESSION?

A
  1. Primary Succession
  2. Secondary Succession
  3. Climax Community
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23
Q

PRIMARY SUCCESSION

A

beginning of succession in an area where there is no existing community

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24
Q

Pioneer Community

A

first groups of organisms to occupy an area
(hardy and live off of minerals)

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25
SECONDARY SUCCESSION
Succession on top of a change in the primary succession area
26
Fundamental Concept of Ecology
Living organisms interact with and are dependent on their environment and each other Resulting in… A flow of Energy Cycling of materials (matter) essential for life
27
Energy flows through ecosystems in one direction...
Energy starts from the Sun Energy used for life processes Therefore, Energy is lost very quickly!
28
Energy Pyramid (Trophic Levels)
-First Level (Producers) -Second Level (Primary Consumers – Herbivores) -Third Level (Secondary Consumers – Carnivores/Omnivores) -90 percent loss between levels
29
Food chains
Illustrative representations of predator-prey relationships
30
Predator
biotic factor that limit population sizes by killing or eating other organisms
31
Prey
organisms killed by predators for food
32
Components of a food chain
Producers Consumers Decomposers
33
Producers
source of energy for almost all living things (autotrophs) ex. Plants and algae
34
Consumers
must eat producers to obtain food Herbivores: heterotrophs that survive on plant tissue Carnivores: heterotrophs that eat other animals Omnivores: heterotrophs that eats both plant and animal
35
Decomposers
organisms that consume the wastes and dead bodies of all the other consumers and producers
36
Scavengers
consumers that eat dead organisms, nature’s “cleanup crew”
37
Parasites
organisms that attach to other live organisms, ex. ticks
38
Bioaccumulation
increase in concentration of a pollutant from the environment to the first organism in a food chain
39
Biomagnification
increase in concentration of a pollutant from one link in a food chain to another
40
PCB’s (polychlorinated biphenols)
Impairs reproduction
41
PAH’s (polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons)
Carcinogenic
42
Heavy Metals (lead, mercury, copper, cadmium)
May affect nervous and reproductive systems
43
Selenium
Reproductive failures and Death
44
Native Species
a population of organism that evolved in a specific area
45
Introduced Species
Human introduction of a non-native organism into a particular ecosystem
46
The Tens Rule
Statistical prediction that on average 1 in 10 introduced species becomes an established pest
47
Introduced Species that becomes a pest
Invasive Species
48
Our Natural Ecosystem affects humans by
Maintaining atmospheric quality Generating soil Control of the water cycle Nutrient recycling Waste recycling
49
Ways humans Impact Ecosystems
Population Growth Consumption Air and Water Pollution Deforestation Direct Harvesting Industrialization
50
Biodiversity
Concept that there is large amounts of variation amongst living things in an ecosystem, leading to STABILITY!!
51
Renewable sources:
given sufficient time those natural resources that can be replaced (example - trees)
52
Nonrenewable sources:
resources, such as fossil fuels and minerals, that cannot be replaced
53
Solutions to our problem of limited natural resources
Reduce waste Control population growth Reduce consumption Use renewable energy sources Development of new technologies
54
Climate Change can be changes in
Global Temperatures Greenhouse Gases Sea Levels Ocean Chemistry Weather Patterns AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!!!
55
Natural Causes of Climate Change
Changes in the Earth’s Orbit Changes in the Sun’s Intensity Volcanic Eruptions
56
Natural causes of climate change lead to...
-Ice ages -Dinosaur extinctions
57
Greenhouse Gases
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Methane (CH4) Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
58
Recent changes in climate are
anthropogenic = HUMAN CAUSED!
59
Likely Consequences to non-living systems as a result of Climate Change:
Global Warming Greater Climate Variability Increased Storm Frequency Sea Level Change Ice Melting
60
What will climate change do to humans?
Health Changes: -influence the frequency/ transmission of infectious disease -alter heat- and cold-related mortality and morbidity Agriculture Changes: -crop distributions will change -hotter and drier conditions increasing the potential for agriculture / forestry
61
What will climate change do to non-humans?
Species Extinction/Biodiversity loss because… Loss of Habitat Ocean Acidification/ warming Reduced Food Sources
62
Coral Bleaching
Oceans absorb ~25% of CO2 emissions Increased CO2 leads to ocean acidification

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