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Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

Microevolution vs Macroevolution

A

Microevolution - changes in allele frequency

Macroevolution - evolutionary change above species level

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2
Q

What is speciation?
What are the 2 types?

A

Speciation - process when one species splits into multiple
Allopatric - geographical barrier
Sympatric - resources and sexual selection

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3
Q

4 types of defining species

A

Biological Species Concept - viable fertile offspring
Morphospecies Concept - look different
Ecological Species Concept - their role within the ecosystem
Phylogenetic Species Concept - proximity in a phylogenetic tree

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4
Q

What is ecology

A

Study of interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of an organism

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5
Q

What is a population

A

A single species living in the same place at the same time

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6
Q

What is a Metapopulation

A

Group of separated populations (sub-populations)

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7
Q

Population Regulation?
Intrinsic vs Extrinsic?

A

tendency for a population to be maintained
intrinsic - internal to the population (competition, immigration)
extrinsic - other parts of communities (weather, food)

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8
Q

How do you determine population size

A

Sampling - count individuals then use density
Mark-Recapture - capture then release then recapture (use proportions)

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9
Q

What is r-selection

A

Density-independent selection
~ lots of reproduction

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10
Q

What is K-selection

A

Density-dependent selection
~ minimal reproduction lots of care

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11
Q

What are the 3 types of survivorship curves

A

Type I - full reproductive period (K-strat)
Type II - Mortality rate constant (rats)
Type III - pre-reproductive mortality (fish)

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12
Q

what is the demographic transition model

A

Phase I - birth and death rate high, low population
Phase II - high birth rate, lowering death rate
Phase III - falling birth rate, low death rate
Phase IV - birth and death rate low

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13
Q

What is ecological footprint

A

the aggregate land and water area needed to support a nation

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14
Q

what is an ecological niche?
2 types?

A

total of the organisms use of biotic and abiotic resources
generalist - broad niche
specialist - narrow niche

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15
Q

Phenology

A

study of plant and animal life cycles

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16
Q

Interspecific Competition?
3 types?

A

Competition of limited resources (same niche)
Competitive Exclusion
Resource Partitioning
Character Displacement

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17
Q

Competitive Exclusion

A

elimination of the competing species (one or both)

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18
Q

Resource Partitioning

A

changing their niche (fundamental => realized)

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19
Q

Character Displacement

A

changing resources then influencing phenology

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20
Q

Predation
2 types?

A

one species kills and eats other species
Colouring and Mimicry

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21
Q

What is cryptic colouring

A

blending into environment

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22
Q

what is disruptive colouring

A

colouration hides physical edges

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23
Q

Counter shading

A

light bottom and dark top (shading)

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24
Q

Aposematic colouring

A

poisonous = brightly coloured

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25
Batesian mimicry
animal lacks poison similar to one with poison
26
Mullerian mimicry
animal with a little poison similar to one with lots of poison
27
aggressive mimicry
attracts prey with a mimicked cry
28
what is symbiosis 3 types?
closely associated animals commensalism, mutualism and paraitism
29
Commensalism
one benefits and one is unaffected
30
Mutualism
both benefit from the relationship
31
Paraitism
an organism benefits at the expense of another
32
Species richness
the number of different species in a community
33
Relative Abundance
quantities of different species in communities
34
Effects on species diversity
Latitude - latitudinal gradient Productivity - rate of generational biomass (increase with biodiversity) Stability - resistancy to environmental change
35
Community Stability
Resistance - how much the system changes Resilience - how much of the system is retained
36
What is elasticity and amplitude
elasticity - how quickly it recovers amplitude - the degree that the system can move
37
Climax communities
when a community reaches a relatively stable state
38
Primary succession
when a community forms for the first time
39
Secondary succession
when growth and change is at its highest
40
3 types of biotic communities
Producers - produce their own food (autotrophs) Consumers - depend on producers (heterotrophs) Decomposers - break down remains
41
types of consumers
Herbivores - only plants/algae Carnivores - only animals Omnivores - both plants and animals Bacterivores - only bacteria
42
Trophic level
Feeding levels of organisms, biomass decreases as levels increase
43
biomass
the total mass of organisms at each stage of the food web in an ecosystem
44
Energy transfer efficiency
Flow of NRG decreases 10% left each different tropic level (lost to heat)
45
Difference between food web and food chain
food web - relationship of the community food chain - simple linear sequence
46
Dominant species
most abundant or most biomass
47
Keystone Species
key to maintaining biodiversity and the community structure
48
Bottom-Up trophic control
nutrients control the community
49
Top-down trophic control
predation controls the community
50
bio-accumulation
an organism cannot eliminate the toxin and it accumulates
51
bio-magnification
toxins become more concentrated with each trophic level
52
Ecosystem
the community and its abiotic factors
53
Primary Production
Quantity of biomass production by primary producers (light => chemical)
54
Gross Primary Production
total biomass produced in a given ecosystem
55
Net Primary Production
stored biomass available to consumers (lost to respiration)
56
Secondary Productivity
Rate at which consumers convert chemical energy into biomass
57
Biochemical cycles
nutrients cycling between biotic and abiotic parts of the ecosystem
58
What is the water cycle (parts)
evaporation, condensation, precipitation, ground and surface water movement
59
Humans impact on the nitrogen cycle
increase in groundwater from sewage and fertilizer agriculture removes nitrogen acid rain increases nitric acid
60
Steps of Phosphorus Cycle
rock weathering => soil => producers => consumers => soil
61
human impact on phosphorus cycle
increase of P in groundwater and soil from sewage, fertilizer and detergents
62
Short-term carbon cycle
roughly a year cycle through respiration and photosynthesis fluxuates due to the season
63
long-term carbon cycle
thousands-millions of years biomass, atmosphere, soil, oceans, sedimentary rock and sediment
64
Carbon Sinks
natural/artifical reservoir that accumulates and stores carbon-containing chemicals
65
Carbon Sources
Process of releasing carbon
66
What is the Anthropocene
new global era due to the human impact on the environment
67
what is fertilizer
used to boost primary production contain phosphates, nitrogen and potassium in soil until it rains
68
eutrophication
the excessive richness of nutrients
69
what is the ozone depletion from
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) - chlorine reacts with O3
70
Climate
pattern of long-term weather
71
Paleoclimate
the study of ancient climates through proxy variables (ex. trees)
72
Albedo
Reflection of sunlight
73
Total solar irradiance
the rate the NRG from the sun reaches the earths atmosphere
74
Sunspots
dark blotches that are cooler
75
Faculae
bright blotches release more radiation
76
Perihelion
when the earth is close to the sun in an elliptical
77
Aphelion
when the earth is farthest from the sun in the elliptical
78
Greenhouse Effect
Gasses creating a buffer in the earths atmosphere allows solar radiation to enter and traps the heat
79
Greenhouse Gas
the gas that traps and emits radiation CO2, CFCs, Methane and Nitrous Oxide
80
Climate Forcing
the difference of insolation absorbed by the earth and energy radiated back to space
81
Positive and Negative forcing
Positive - more incoming (warming) Negative - more outgoing (cooling)
82
Climate Change
Change of weather patterns over periods of time
83
Solar Radiation
changes in the irradiance of the sun
84
Melankovitch Cycles
Periodic changes in earths angle and orbit around the sun
85
Vulcanism
emits many greenhouse gases
86
anthropogentic climate change
climate change associated with the production of greenhouse gases by humans
87
CO2 Emissions - Fossil Fuels
fossil fuels are an inactive part of the carbon cycle which exacerbates the greenhouse effect
88
Ocean Acidification
the increase in CO2 increases oceanic H2CO3
89
Ice Coverage
ice and snow have high albedo increasing warming melting raises the sea level high inertia
90
Agricultural Yields
increase CO2 boost crop yields, decreases protein content
91
Species Range Shift
moving to different areas due to temperature change
92
Phenological Shift
the animal and plant life cycle due to temperature

Biology (9 decks)

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