Ecology p2 Flashcards
(33 cards)
Chemosynthesis
transfers chemical energy from inorganic molecules to glucose
Decomposers
convert substances from dead organisms into inorganic cpds (n,p,c)
1st law of thermodynamics
energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one step to another
1st step application
by converting sunlight —> chemical energy, plants act as an energy transformer, Not an energy marker
2nd law of thermodynamics
in the path of energy transformation some energy loss in the form heat and the entropy increases
2nd law application
during chemical reactions living cell convert organic forms of energy into some HEAT…thus losing energy (energy is not useable) increasing entropy of the universe.
Pyramid of energy
the amt. of energy available at each trophic level- decreases as you move up the food chain
cellular respiration
the bonds of glucose are broken to help form ATP energy to fuel the life functions
metabolism
all dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis reactions in the body
cellular respiration and metabolism energy
90% lost: some energy is converted into heat (maintains body temp. and is continuously released to the environment)
10% passed on: any leftover energy from food is stored in the tissue of the organism within the bonds of organic compounds. This is used for growth and repair
Pyramid of numbers
b/c there is less energy available at each trophic level, less individuals can be supported
pyramid of biomass
b/c there are less organisms there is less biomass at each trophic level
symbiosis
relationship in which two species live closely together
Parasitism
1 receives benefit; other is harmed (+,-)
Mutualism
Both benefit (+,+)
Commensalism
1 receives a benefit;other is not affected (+,0)
Niche
an organism’s specific role in an ecosystem
-depends on type of food it eats, where it lives, where/how it reproduces & itś relationships w/ other species
NO TWO SPECIES CAN OCCUPY THE SAME NICHE OR ELSE THEY WILL COMPETE!!
Geographic distribution
size in an area in which a population lives
population density
of individuals / unit area
Population growth rate
rate at which population size changes
3 factors that affect population size: births/death/immigration/emigration
exponential growth
-constant reproduction
-unlimited resources
-no predation or disease
logistic growth
-limited resources
-predators,parasites,and disease present
carrying capacity
maximum # of individuals in a population that an ecosystem can support
-depends on organisms size,trophic level and ecosystem size/type
limiting factors
cause a populations growth to decrease
