Ecology Flashcards

Question

What is productivity ?

Answer 1

Productivity is the efficiency of energy production. It decreases as you go up the pyramid. The sun is the main source of energy. Even though photosynthesis is efficient by only 1%, producers have the most energy out of the other trophiclevels. So if photosynthesis is efficient by about 1%, then primary consumer would get a fraction of that energy provided to producers, and secondary consumers would get even less, and so on.

Answer 2

R-selection are in unstable environments and thus are density dependent. These living things are usually small and does not need a lot of energy. They reproduce only once in their lifetime but they produce a lot of offsprings at once. These offspring reach maturity quickly. They have short life expectancy. Most of the individuals die, only few survives.

Answer 3

k-selection are in stable environments and thus are density independent. These living things are usually large and needs a lot of energy. They reproduce many times in their lifetime but they produce a one/few offspring at once. These offspring reach maturity slowly. They have long life expectancy. Most individuals live to near the maximum life span.

Answer 4

J: Exponential (Unrestricted) Growth increase with no limits

Answer 5

S: Logistic Growth: limiting factors limit the rate of growth, causing it to stabilize atsome point.

Answer 6

Succession is a gradual long-term change in an altered ecosystem. The engine ofsuccession is the impact of established species on the environment- so it is usuallygradual, but it can be sudden too like in the case of natural disasters.

Answer 7

On the other hand, in a secondary succession, the soil is present. For example, in wildfires, the tall trees are destroyed, but usually the soil survives.

Answer 8

Primary succession happens when the soil is notpresent, and the first organisms (pioneer organisms) produced in the community areautotrophs. For example, if a volcano eruption destroys a community. The lava woulddestroy the soil in this community.

Answer 9

Benthic: deep; lowest level at the ocean’s floor

Answer 10

Nitric: coastal water: sub littoral zone edge of continental shelf/ well Oxygenated water.

Answer 11

DesertClimate: Very hot days; cool nightsSoil: poor, but rich mineral soilPlants: Catci and shrubsAnimals: rodents, snakes, lizards

Answer 12

TundraClimate: Very, cold harsh winters; cool summersSoil: poorPlants: grasses, wildlowers, mosses, ...Animals: arctic foxes, snowhoe, hares, owl, hawks, rodents

Answer 13

GrasslandClimate: cool in winters; hot in summersSoil: richPlants: grasses and shrubsAnimals: lions and zebras

Answer 14

Deciduous ForestClimate: mild summers; cool wintersSoil: rich with a lot of clayPlants: hardwood such as oak and maplesAnimals: wolves, deers, birds, .....

Answer 15

TaigaClimate: very cold winters; cool summersSoil: acidic, mineral poor soilPlants: mostly spurce, fir, and evergreensAnimals: rodents, snowshoe, hares,....

Answer 16

Tropical RainforestClimate: hot all year round with a lot of rainSoil: nutient poor soilgreatest diversity among plants and animals.

Answer 17

There is more energy, more biomass, less body mass, more number of organisms at the bottom of the pyramid than at the top.

Answer 18

Biomass is any biological material that is derived from living things. Thus, biomass is a renewable energy source since one can always increase the number of living by reproduction. An example of biomass is wood from trees.

Answer 19

Ecological succession is a gradual process by which one community replaces another. Communities usually make their environment less favorable for them, but more favorable for the next community. The succeeding community would usually go through the same process as the first community, making the environment again favorable for the first community. When this replacement stops, a more permanent community is reached referred to as the climax community.

Ecology Flashcards

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