Ecology Flashcards
(111 cards)
1
Q
Food Web
A
a pictorial relationship of a predating relationship among organisms in an ecosystem
2
Q
Food Chain
A
a step-by-step sequence linking organisms that are feed each other (Note: Food chains always begin with a plant)
3
Q
Scavengers
A
carnivores that eat the remains of dead animals
4
Q
Omnivores
A
consumers that eat both animals and plants
5
Q
Decomposer
A
breaks down organic matter and waste into its components
6
Q
Sustainability
A
the ability to maintain balance overtime
7
Q
Ecosystem
A
a system formed by the interaction of a group of organisms (biotic) with their environment (abiotic)
8
Q
Biotic
A
living things (plants, animals, bacteria, etc.)
9
Q
Abiotic
A
non-living things (light, air, water, nutrients, etc.)
10
Q
Terrestrial Ecosystem
A
land based ecosystem
11
Q
Aquatic Ecosystem
A
water based ecosystem
12
Q
Lithosphere
A
hard part of the Earth’s surface
13
Q
Hydrosphere
A
the water found on Earth
14
Q
Atmosphere
A
the gases above Earth’s surface
15
Q
Biosphere
A
the regions of Earth where living organisms exist
16
Q
Water Cycle
A
Evaporation/Transpiration, Condensation, Precipitation/Runoff, Percolation
17
Q
Carbon Cycle
A
Photosynthesis (CO2 into sugar), Cellular Respiration (sugar into CO2), Decomposition with or without oxygen, Extraction
18
Q
Nitrogen Cycle
A
Nitrogen in Atmosphere, Decomposition/Nitrogen Fixation (nitrogen fixing bacteria to ammonia), Nitrification (ammonia to nitrates), Denitrification (nitrates to nitrogen)
19
Q
100J of food eaten:
A
60J= Waste 30J= Body Function 10J= Energy for next trophici level
20
Q
Photosynthesis
A
the process of producing carbohydrates from carbon dioxide, water and sunlight.
carbon dioxide + water + sunlight to sugar + oxygen
21
Q
Cellular Respiration
A
the process of plants used to obtain the energy from glucose
sugar + oxygen to carbon dioxide + water + energy
22
Q
Population
A
a group of individuals of a single species that live in a particular area and interact with each other
23
Q
Exponential Growth
A
population is growing, at this time, resources are unlimited
24
Q
Carrying Capacity
A
the largest population the ecosystem can sustain
25
Limiting Factors
factors that can determine the carrying capacity of a population
26
Urban Sprawl
an unsustainable development because there is limited space on Earth
27
Equilibrium
maintaining the carrying capacity
28
Ecological Niche
the function of a species in an ecosystem (what it does, where it lives, what it eats, etc.)
29
Predation
when organisms eat other organisms to obtain food
30
Competition
when organisms compete for the same resources
31
Symbiosis
a close relationship between two organisms
Mutualism: both species benefit
Commensalism: one species benefits, no effect on other
Parasitism: one species benefits, effects other
32
Biodiversity
the number and variety of organisms in a particular ecosystem
33
What is the reason for measuring biodiversity?
a higher biodiversity leads to better sustainability
34
What are the benefits to high biodiversity?
1 ) high ecosystem sustainability
2) new material/ medicine
3) enjoy the nature
4) inspire people
35
What is biodiversity measurement?
when it focuses on the number of species, eyes (population distribution), and the difference (genetic or behavioural diversity)
36
Biodiversity Hotspots
a place where there is an exceptionally large number of species in a relatively small area
37
What are some threats to biodiversity?
1) Habitat Change/ Loss
2) Overexploitation
3) Pollution
4) Invasive Species
5) Climate Change
6) Extinction
38
Habitat Change
the process by which humans alter a habitat enough so that the native species can no longer live there
39
Habitat Fragmentation
a type of habitat change in which an ecosystem is broken down/ altered a bit at a time
40
What are 3 stresses put on freshwater lakes in Ontario?
motorboats, sewage, beaches
41
Clearcutting
removes all the trees in an area at one time
42
Pollution
any substance added to the environment that is harmful to organisms
43
What are the types of pollution?
land pollution, water pollution, air pollution
44
Point Source Pollution
a pollution at a specific place from an identifiable source
45
Non Point Source Pollution
a water pollution that happens when water from rain or snow picks up pollutants before entering a stream or a lake
46
What are the negative impacts of pollution?
damages abiotic features, damages organisms
47
How can you limit pollution?
Conserve
Burn less fossil fuel
Prevent environment accidents
Use less biodegradable substances
48
ph Scale
a scale that describes the acidity level of a substance
49
What is the pH range?
0-14
Acid: 0-7
Neutral: 7
Base: 7-14
50
Acid Rain
Burning fossil fuel creates carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.
Carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide combine with water vapour to acid vapour in air
Acid vapours dissolve in clouds
Acid rain occurs when rain or snow falls
51
What are the effects of acid rain?
Aquatic: water becomes more acidic, which makes it difficult for many fish to live, which then effects the food web.
Terrestrial: damages the tree and leaves, dissolves and washes away their nutrients from the soil
52
What are the two measurements that can test the health of an aquatic ecosystem?
```
Dissolved Oxygen (DO): measures the amount of oxygen that is present in the water.
*Low dissolved oxygen value means fewer organisms survive*
```
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD): measures the oxygen usage by micro organisms in a given body of water.
*High BOD means the water is very polluted and has a low oxygen level, which means fewer organisms survive*
53
Fertilizer
something that adds nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to the soil, which helps plants grow
54
Why do we need fertilizer?
plants continuously remove nutrients from soil
55
What is the problem with fertilizer?
it causes eutrophication
56
Eutrophication
the sudden growth of an organism (usually plants)
Example: Runoff of fertilizer goes into the water, which allows the algae to grow rapidly due to extra nutrients. This causes the algae to create a layer, which effects everything in the water.
57
How do you minimize fertilizer usage?
No tillage farming: leave the remains of crops on the grounds after harvest to let the decomposer decompose the crop remains into nutrients
Crop Rotation: alternate what crops you use that use a lot of nutrients
Crop Selection: select crops that need less fertilizer
58
Pest
any organism that causes illness or harm and is an annoyance to humans
59
What are the types of pesticides?
Herbicide- for plants
Insectcide- for insects
Bacteriacide- for bacteria
Fungicide- for fungi and mould
60
Pesticide
chemical or biological substance that kills plant or animal pests
61
What are the benefits of using pesticide?
grow more crops
reduce the cost of food
control diseases
62
Bioaccumulation
the gradual buildup of a substance in an organisms body
63
Biomagnification
the increase in concentration of a substance as it moves higher up a food web
64
Pesticide Resistance
when the pest is resistant to the pesticide
65
Non- Target Species
when the pesticide kills unintended targets
66
How do you minimize the pesticide problem?
don't use pesticide and suffer the consequences of damage to crops, biological control (predatary organisms to eat the pests), create a pesticide that breaks down into harmless substances after use
67
What can heavy metals have?
They can also have bioaccumulation and biomagnification
68
Heavy Metals
when they have a density of 5g/mL or greater
| E.g- mercury, copper, lead
69
Non- Native Species
species that do not originate in the area or region
70
How are non native species introduced to a new environment?
1. Accidental shipments from other countries
2. Economies
3. Trying to control other species
4. Release of pets into the wild
71
Invasive Species
a non- native species that has a negative impact on the natural environment
72
Are all non-native species invasive species?
No, usually non-native species will not be able to survive in the new environment, which will cause no harm. Non-native species will only become invasive species when they have a negative impact to the environment
73
What are the negative impacts of invasive species?
- population of species that originate from the area will decrease due to a higher competition of food
- infect native species
- damage forests and living areas
- change the local environment
74
How can you minimize invasive species?
- Chemical method (pesticide)
- Mechanical method (barriers, restrict movement)
- Biological method (Predators to eat the species)
75
DDT
a persistent pesticide that can remain in the environment for long periods of time. Serious pesticide due to biomagnification.
76
What are the four layers of soil?
Organic, Top Soil, Subsoil, Bedrock
77
Organic Layer
Partially decomposed leaves and grasses.
| Limits temperature variation and water loss.
78
Top Soil
Small particles of rock and humus
Rich in nutrients, oxygen and water
Plants get most of these nutrients from this layer
79
Subsoil
Large rock with a little bit of humus
Fair amount of nutrients, oxygen and water
Plants that have deeper roots can only get nutrients
80
Bedrock
Rock layer
| Where soil is formed from
81
What are the four soil types?
Loam Soil, Clay Soil, Sand Soil, Silt Soil
82
Loam Soil
a mixture of sand, silt and clay
large and small spaces for air and water to flow through
holds humus
plants easily grow
83
Clay Soil
soil sticks together so no air and water can flow through
traps water on surface
plants cannot push through it
84
Sand Soil
big spaces and can't hold water or nutrients
| plants cannot hold onto soil
85
Silt Soil
too light
holds water and nutrients but it erodes easily
plants grow well
86
What pH do plants need?
Plants need a pH of 7. However, specific plants will need an environment that is more acidic or basic.
87
What human impacts impact the ecosystem?
acid rain, walking on soil, fertilizer, deforestation, overgrazing
88
Restoration Ecology
the renewal of a destroyed ecosystem by human intervention
89
What are the methods of restoration ecology?
master plan, reforestation, wetland recreation, controlling invasive species, bioremediation, bioaugmentation
90
Bioremedation
introducing plants or fungi to break down or absorb toxic materials
91
Bioaugmentation
introducing organisms to replenish nutrients in the soil
92
Conservation Biology
to seek, understand, and protect biodiversity
93
Four Levels of Classification of at-Risk Organisms
Extirpated, Endangered, Threatened, Special Concern
94
Extirpated
when the species does not exist in Ontario, but still exists elsewhere
95
Endangered
close to extinction or extirpation
96
Threatened
at risk of becoming endangered
97
Special Concern
characteristics that make it sensitive to human activities or natural events
98
In-Situ Conservation
conserves species in natural surroundings
99
Ex-Situ Conservation
conserves species by removing them from their natural habitats
100
Ecological Footprint
an estimate of how much land and water is needed to support your lifestyle
101
Global Footprint
2.6 global hectares
102
Canada
5.8 global hectares
103
Earth Capacity
1.8 global hectares. Overusing Earth and the usage is unsustainable.
104
Environmental Stewardship
manage resources wisely, ensuring that they are used in sustainable ways for current and future generations
105
Sustainable Agriculture
use less pesticides or fertilizer
| protect the soil (no-tillage farming)
106
Sustainable Forestry
avoid clear-cutting
| reforestation in rural areas and plant trees in urban areas
107
Sustainable Construction
green/energy efficient designs
| reduce waste and pollution produced
108
Sustainable Business Practice
renewable energy generation methods
reuse and recycle
reduce waste and pollution
109
Environmental Farm Plan
a tool that farmers use to identify environment problems on their farms and to develop action plans for the problems
110
What are ways an urban forest can benefit a community?
removes excess carbon from the atmosphere
| reduces energy consumption by providing shade, which leads to minimizing the use of air conditioning
111
Organic Farming
when farmers do not use chemical fertilizers or pesticides
