Ecology Flashcards
(212 cards)
1
Q
Ecology
A
Interactions between organisms and their environment
2
Q
Ferdinand Magellan
A
Voyager who first circumnavigated the globe
3
Q
Greek word for ecology
A
“Oikos”
4
Q
Natural history
A
Observing and describing organisms and their environment (origin of ecology)
5
Q
Global ecology
A
Biosphere and atmosphere
6
Q
Landscape ecology
A
How ecosystems are connected
7
Q
Ecosystem ecology
A
All organisms in an abiotic environment
8
Q
Community ecology
A
Many species interacting
9
Q
Population ecology
A
Individuals of the same species
10
Q
Organismal ecology
A
Study of an individual
11
Q
Two types of organismal ecology
A
Physiological and behavioral
12
Q
Anthroposcence
A
Humans are the dominant force making changes
13
Q
Factors of species distribution
A
Dispersal, biotic factors abiotic factors
14
Q
Dispersal
A
Movement away from birthplace
15
Q
Biotic factor
A
Interactions with other organisms (predator/prey, competition, mutualism)
16
Q
Abiotic factor
A
An organisms ability to deal with environmental factors (light, water, nutrients)
17
Q
3 air masses in Wisconsin
A
Arctic (north), continental (central), and tropical (south)
18
Q
Three northern Wisconsin communities
A
North mesic forest (hardwood), north dry mesic forest (pine), and pine barrens
19
Q
Three southern Wisconsin communities
A
Prairie, south mesic forest, oak savanna
20
Q
Climate
A
Prevailing weather conditions at a locality, long term
21
Q
What two main factors drive species dispersal?
A
Temperature and precipitation
22
Q
Global precipitation trend
A
Precipitation is highest near equator and decreases as it moves towards poles
23
Q
Stratification
A
Layers of water temperature
24
Q
Winter lake stratification
A
4*C water is most dense, any temps below turn to ice and float to top
25
Spring lake stratification
All water warms and densities change, causing a churning of water levels and upbringing of nutrients
26
Summer lake stratification
Coldest water falls to the bottom since it is most dense, and thermocline is established
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Thermocline
Region of water temperature that organisms exist above and below of
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Autumn lake stratification
Water cools which causes a variety of densities, resulting in churning of water levels
29
How does sunlight vary with latitude?
The equator region of earth is closer to the sun with less surface area, so it gets hotter faster— the poles are farther away and have greater surface area so are much colder
30
What causes the seasons?
Tilt of earth on its axis (23.5)
31
December solstice
North Pole faces away from the sun
32
June solstice
Note pole faces toward the sun
33
March equinox
Spring at the North Pole, fall in the South Pole
34
September equinox
Fall in the North Pole, spring in the South Pole
35
Photic zone
Region of water that has access to light
36
Pelagic zone
Bulk of ocean that is away from shore and colder
37
Benthic zone
Deepest portion of water
38
Aphotic zone
Region of water that does not have access to light
39
Neritic zone
Region of ocean close to shore
40
Littoral zone
Region of lake close to shore
41
Limnetic region
Region of lake far from shore
42
Biome
Major life zone characterized by a physical environment
43
Influences of regional vegetation
Aspect, elevation, rain shadows
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Aspect
North facing slopes are sheltered from the harsh sun in the northern hemisphere, resulting in more vegetation
45
Elevation
High altitude= more pressure= colder
46
Rain shadows
The slope facing a water source receives more rain than the opposite slope
47
Describe the rain shadow process
Clouds pick up water from source, as it goes highest in altitude it increases in pressure until it cannot hold its moisture, rains on slope facing water, as cloud descends on opposite slope it gets warmer and picks up moisture from that slope, making it dry
48
Terrestrial biome
Major life zone characterized by vegetation type over broad geographical areas
49
Population ecology
Study of populations relative to their environment
50
Population
Individuals of one species that are occupying the same general area, using the same resources, and influenced by the same environmental factors
51
Three aspects that quantify populations
Size, geographical range, density
52
Size
Number of individuals of all ages alive at a certain time and places (additions and losses)
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Geographical range
How spread a population is
54
Density
Size/range
55
Three types of population dispersion
Clumped, uniform, random
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Clumped
Closer together than what random chance would predict (squirrel burying nuts in same area)
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Uniform
Equal spacing of individuals on average due to territory, competition, etc
58
Random
No pattern to population spread, used as a null comparison
59
Demography
Study of vital statistics of a population and how they change overtime (currency of death/birth/survivors)
60
Vital rates
Age specific summary of survival patterns
61
Age structure
Populations grouped based on pre, post, or currently in the reproductive phase
62
Types of vital rates
Fecundity (birth rate), death rate, survival rate, generation time
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Death rate
Number of individuals that die in a specific age class
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Survival rate
Number of individuals that survive in a specific age class
65
Generation time
Average time between birth of an individual and birth of their first offspring
66
Survivorship
Probability of surviving to a particular age
67
Negative log survivorship curve
Insects, larvae, coral
- a lot of offspring but few survive
- as they age their survival rate increases
68
Negative linear survivorship curve
Rodents, invertebrates, birds
| - constant likelihood of surviving across entire lifespan
69
Positive log survivorship curve
Humans
| - high chance of surviving early on and at a certain age range survival rate dramatically decreases
70
Semelparity
Salmon, perennials
| - only reproduce once before death using a lot of energy to result in many offspring
71
Iteroparity
Longer lived organisms (mammals)
| - many reproductive life cycles before death each resulting in few offspring
72
Life history strategies
Degree of investment in survival factors over lifetime (growth, defenses, reproduction, adaptive traits)
73
Model
Simplification of reality to show population change that has trade offs between generality, precision, and realism
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Exponential model
Model of unlimited population growth and unlimited resources
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r
Per capita rate of growth
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B
Number of births in a given time period
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D
Number of deaths per given time period
78
b
Per capita birth rate
79
d
Per capita death rate (D/N)
80
rN
Change in population size
81
Trends in r
r>0 — population growth increases
| r=0 — population growth stays same
82
Intrinsic factor
Factors specific to each species such as age of maturity, number of offspring per reproductive event, etc
83
Formula for delta N
N*r
84
Formula for initial population size
Noe^(rt)
85
Logistic growth model
Limited or density dependent growth
86
Carrying capacity (K)
Upper limit for population size that can be sustained over a long time (varies per environment)
87
Feedback term
Formula that modifies how much r(max) can affect a population
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What does a negative feedback term indicate?
The carrying capacity of a population was overshot (N>K)
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What does a flat density growth line mean?
It’s independent, density has no effect on the population
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Characteristics of r related species
High r, short generation time, high reproductive output, low parental investment, often regulated by density independent growth, and have max reproductive success in an uncrowned environment
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Characteristics of K related species
Low r, long generation time, low reproductive output, high parental investment, low juvenile mortality, often regulated by density dependent growth, selection favors traits sensitive to population density and favored at high density
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Metapopulation
Specially separated subpopulations that are linked by dispersal of individuals
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Source sink dynamic
Sources are net exporters of individuals (r>0) and sinks are net importers of individuals (r<0)
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Stage 1 of population development
High birth and death rates that are approximately 0 (r=0) and there is no growth
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Stage 2 of population development
Death rate decreases and birth rate stays the same (>0) and there is growth
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Stage 3 of population development
Decreased birth rate due to economic growth
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Stage 4 of population development
Low birth and death rate that are approximately equal and r=0 so there is no growth
98
Factors that contribute to birth and death rates in developing populations
Disease, wealth, education for women, later motherhood entry
99
Ecological footprint
Amount of land or water required by an individual or population to produce the resources they consume and absorb in their wastes
100
Human K
Maximum number of people that can be supported in perpetuity on an area with a given technology and set of consumptive habits
101
Competition
(-/-) species rely on similar limiting resources so they have a negative effect on each other
102
Inter specific competition
Negative interaction between individuals of different species
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Intraspecific competition
Negative interaction of individuals of the same species
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Competitive exclusion principle
Two species using the same limiting resources can’t coexist indefinitely (GF Gause)
105
Niche
Abiotic and biotic conditions that a species needs to grow, survive, and reproduce
106
Resource partitioning
Use of limiting resources by different species in a community in different ways
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Fundamental niche
Range of abiotic conditions a species can tolerate without another species present
108
Consumer resource
One species uses another species as a resource
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3 types of consumer resource
Predation, herbivory, parasitism
110
Adaptations for predation
Camouflage, deceptive marking, mimicry, aposematic coloring
111
Aposematic coloring
Brightly colored organisms indicate they are poisonous
112
Batesian mimicry
Other species adopt bright colors even though they are not poisonous
113
Mullerian mimicry
All the species involved are poisonous and evolve to look like one another
114
Describe the predator prey graph
The predator slope lags behind the prey slope in terms of time and both are oscillating
115
Herbivory
(+/-) partial plant consumption
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Parasitism
(+/-) consumer feeds on host
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Endoparasitism
Consumer eats within and works way out
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Ectoparasitism
Consumer acts from outside (ex: fungi)
119
Mutualism
(+/+) both species involved in the interaction receive benefit (ex: pollination)
120
Commensalism
(+/0) one benefits while the other receives no impact
121
Ammensalism
(-,0) one has negative impact while the other has no impact
122
Behavior
Action that is carried out in response to stimulus
123
Behavioral ecology
Study of ecological and evolutionary basis of behavior
124
Foraging
Any behavior associated with foraging for food, has risks and benefits
125
Optimal foraging method
Evolutionarily selected foraging behaviors that minimize risks and maximize benefits (ex: crow dropping prey at just the right height)
126
Species diversity
Number of types and relative abundance of species in a community
127
Species richness
Number of species
128
Species evenness
How equal the species are relative to one another
129
Relative abundance
Proportion of a community that is occupied by a given species
130
Shannon density index (H)
Combines evenness and richness to calculate species diversity
131
Dominant species
Species that has the greatest abundance relative to biomass
132
Keystone species
Species that has a greater impact on its community relative to its own biomass (ex: starfish and mussels)
133
Ecosystem services
Processes that are supplied by natural ecosystems (ex: pollination)
134
Ecosystem engineers
Species making physical changes to their environment (ex: beaver dams)
135
Disturbance
Event that removes all or part of a biomass in a community, removes organisms and alters resource availability
136
Succession
Changes in species composition and community structure overtime
137
Primary succession
Starts on a site not previously occupied with no soil formation, low soil fertility, and no biological legacy (ex: glaciers, lava flow)
138
Secondary succession
Starts on a site that already supports other organisms, has developed soil, higher soil fertility, and has biological legacies (ex: frosted land after fire)
139
T/F: good dispersers are more common among early successional species
True
140
Disturbance regime
Generation of temporal and spatial patterns of creation of habitat patches
- characterized by size, frequency, intensity
141
Biogeography
Geographic trends of species distribution and diversity
142
Species area relationship
The number of species increases with size of area sampled
143
Formula for species area relationship
```
LogS= logc + zlogA
(z= slope)
```
144
Describe the theory of island biogeography
Islands closer to inland and larger have a higher equilibrium between immigration and extinction
145
Trophic levels
Organisms that obtain their energy from the same type of source
146
Ecosystem
All organisms in a given area as well as abiotic factors with which they interact
147
Ecosystem ecology
Energy flow through ecosystems, all species and their abiotic factors
148
Trophic structure
Feeding relationships a,one organisms (food chains, food webs)
149
Primary producer
Organism that can manufacture its own energy, autotroph (plants)
150
Heterotrophs
Organisms that gain energy from other sources
151
Bottom up control
An increase in number of primary producers leads to increase in all consumers
152
Top down control
An increase in the top consumer leads to a chain of more predation resulting in an increase in primary producers
153
What happens when a top predator is added or removed?
Affects every other consumer
154
Primary production
Rate at which light is converted into chemical energy by autotrophs in an ecosystem
155
Secondary production
Rate at which consumers incorporate food into new biomass
156
Biomass
Dry weight mass of organic matter present per unit area
157
Production efficiency
Percent of energy that is stored in assimilated food that is NOT used for respiration
158
Trophic efficiency
Percent of production transferred from one trophic level to another
159
Landscape ecology
Study of habitat area, connectivity, isolation, and patch shape (edge effects)
160
Landscape
Area that is spatially heterogeneous in at least one factor of interest
161
Biogeochemical cycle
The biotic and abiotic factors and their reactions
162
What main nitrogen form can most animals take up?
NO3
163
Describe the Hubbard brook experiment
Trees are necessary to take up nitrogen from the soil otherwise it will runoff into nearby water sources
164
Gulf of Mexico and nitrogen runoff
High runoff into water causes hypoxia due to bottom up effect killing organisms in the aphotic zone creating decomposition bacteria to increase and take up oxygen
165
Blue baby syndrome
Increased concentrations of nitrate are converted into nitrite in gut bacteria to oxidize iron from hemoglobin into methemoglobin which doesn’t carry oxygen but is later converted back via an enzyme— infants do not have that enzyme
166
Characteristics of the phosphorous cycle
Less reactions and more erosion and particle movement, no gas phases
167
Madison lakes and phosphorous
Algal blooms of Cyanobacteria fix nitrogen as a response to excess phosphorous runoff when in conditions of low wind and warm temperatures
168
Nonpoint source pollution
Knowing pollution is from a certain landscape but not knowing the exact single source
169
Eutrophic
Well nourished
170
Oligotrophic
Malnourished
171
Eutrophication
Excess nutrients in the ecosystem
172
Glacial interglacial cycles
Rapid warming (interglacial) and gradual cooling (glacial) over a 100,000 year period naturally
173
Natural climate
Natural variations in climate
174
Milankovitch cycles
The earths axis varies between 22.1-24.5 degrees and it takes 41,000 years to switch between the two = warming and cooling
175
Earths orbit and natural climate cycles
The earths orbit is slightly elliptical so it’s closer to the sun at some times during a year
176
Tectonic plates and natural climate cycles
Tectonic plate motions change wind and ocean pattern currents
177
Sun spots and natural climate cycles
Sun spots (storms on the sun) in number per natural climate cycle
178
Volcanism and natural climate cycles
Volcanism causes CO2 release
179
The relationship between CO2 and temperature
They are directly correlated with the concentration of CO2 being the driver
180
Paleoecology
Ecology over 1000s years
181
Examples of paleoecology and climate change
Trees migrate to glacier spots after the glaciers retreat providing evidence that the trees are aware of the climate change and follow it
182
Industrialization and CO2
Human industrialization is causing highly concentrated CO2 induced super interglacial periods
183
How do humans modify the carbon cycle?
Fossil fuel burning and deforestation cause tree removal which results in less available carbon storage= more carbon in the atmosphere
184
Describe the greenhouse effect
The sun radiates gases into the earth
Some of the gases go through the atmosphere to warm the earth
The earth reflects the gases as heat and infrared
Some of the heat is trapped by atmospheric gases
185
T/F: the earth needs greenhouse gases
True
186
Heat and variance trends with climate change
Average heat is shifting to the right while average variance is getting flatter= more extreme values
187
Abiotic implications of climate change
Less glacial amounts, rising sea levels, lakes freeze later and melt sooner
188
Phenology
Timing of seasonal activity of organisms
189
Phenology and climate change
Biotic processes are occurring sooner resulting in a longer growing season (birth, blooming, migration)
190
Range shifts
Species choose to relocate due to climate change
191
Range shifts and climate change
Butterflies are moving to uncommon, cooler areas because their previous areas are too warm, species are moving further up mountains where it’s closer
192
Forest ecotones
Transition line between two homes
193
Coral bleaching
An increase in temperature causes algae to die (increase in CO2 causes ocean acidification and coral reef death)
194
Fire regimes and climate change
Fires are occurring much more often which species are not adapted for
195
Plants at low elevation and climate change
Low elevation plants at becoming strongly drought tolerant due to warmer drier conditions with no snow
196
High elevation plants and climate change
Minimal amounts of plants are scarcely drought intolerant because higher elevations have snow to keep the soil moist
197
Wisconsin seasons and climate change
Wisconsin is having earlier springs, a more southern tension zone, and warmer winters
198
What is the biggest threat to species endangerment?
Habitat loss and fragmentation
199
Habitat loss
Decrease in total available habitat
200
Habitat fragmentation
Rearrangement of remaining habitats into smaller patches
201
Patch isolation
Distance between patches
202
What is the inverse of isolation?
Connectivity
203
What species type would do most poorly with fragmentation?
Specialists
204
Edge effect
Differences that develop between the edges and the interior of patches
205
What variables are greater in edges than interiors?
Light, wind, biomass, tree species richness, stem density, predation
206
T/F: edges have drier climates and species with shade intolerance
True
207
Describe features unique to WI prairies
Extinction rate is outweighing colonization, there has been a loss of fire frequency leading to more invasive species, species quality is decreasing
208
Features unique to WI oak savannas
More woody species offering greater canopy cover, higher patch sizes lead to lower extinction rates, and their species richness now depends on patches and fire disturbance
209
Invasive species
Organisms not native (evolved) to the ecosystem of interest and cause economic/ecological harm that outweighs its benefits
210
Rule of 10s
Rules to become invasive: be transported, survive the new location, become invasive
211
What types of species are good at being invasive?
Good dispersers, good competitors, have rapid life cycles
212
What has caused a decrease in pollinators?
Human interactions, pesticides, habitat loss, disease, competition
