omg unit 8 eco #scared #notready #monday Flashcards
(25 cards)
Ways organisms respond to their environmental cues
Environmental Sensing: which refers to the ability of organisms to detect and respond to changes in their environment. EX: Migration patterns using starts to navigate.
physiological mechanisms: These mechanisms involve changes in the activity of genes, enzymes, and hormones in response to environmental cues. Ex: Changes in leaves
environmental sensing
which refers to the ability of organisms to detect and respond to changes in their environment.
Nocturnal and diurnal activity
refer to the different patterns of activity that animals exhibit during the day and night. Nocturnal animals are active at night and sleep during the day, while diurnal animals are active during the day and sleep at night.
Fight-or-flight response
physiological response to a perceived threat or danger. This response is characterized by the release of adrenaline and other hormones, which prepare the body for physical activity, such as fighting or running away.
Organism to organism communication
Different species have their own highly evolved mechanisms of communication. This can involve the release of hormones, behavioral patterns, mating dances, warning calls, or any other number of responses.
Cooperative Behavior
Cooperative behavior refers to actions taken by organisms that benefit others in their group, often at a cost to themselves. This behavior is common in social species and contributes to the survival of the group as a whole.
Trophic Levels
Autotrophs: produce their own energy (think: plants and photosynthetic bacteria).
Heterotrophs: get their energy from other organisms (think: everyone else).
If an organism uses more energy than they consume it is a net lost and they will eventually die
Maintains Energy
Endotherms maintain an even temperature in their bodies. We are examples of endotherms, as we maintain a body temperature between 97 and 99°F. These organisms use a great deal of the energy that they get from food sources in order to maintain their internal temperature.
Ectotherms do not maintain an even temperature in their bodies. Snakes and fish are examples of ectotherms. These organisms must change their behaviors in order to maintain an internal temperature. This may involve hibernating in the winter and lying in a sunny spot during the summer
Size vs Metabolic rate
Smaller mass = higher metabolic rate
ratio of surface area to volume decreases as the size of an organism increases, which means that smaller organisms have to work harder to maintain their body temperature and to obtain food.
R selected and K Selected Strats
Focus on quantity (lots of babies, low survival rate)
Focus on quality (few babies, high survival rate).
Net gains
A net gain ⬆️ in energy results in energy storage or the growth of an organism.
- stored as fat or glycogen
- used for growth, and development of the organism
A net loss ⬇️ of energy results in loss of mass and, ultimately, the death of an organism.
- Loses weight
- prolonged net lost will cause the organism to die
- loss of energy can also occur due to energy consumption by cellular respiration and other metabolic processes
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Population
A population is defined as a group of the same species living in the same area.
Population Survival factors
Resources
Habitat
Competition
Predation
Disease
Climate
Exponential Growth requirements
There are no limiting factors:
The population has a high reproductive rate
The population has a low mortality rate
not sustainable in the long term because eventually, the population will reach the carrying capacity of its environment, meaning it will no longer be able to continue growing at the same rate due to limited resources and other factors.
the short term, exponential population growth can have significant impacts on the environment and the availability of resources for other species.
Density dependent vs independent factors
Density-dependent factors are environmental conditions whose impact increases as population density increases. These factors help regulate population size by becoming more influential as the population grows.
Density-independent factors affect a population regardless of its size or density. These factors impact all individuals in the population equally, regardless of how many there are.
Community
A community consists of different populations living and interacting in the same area.
Species richness
The total number of different species present
Species evenness
How equally the individuals are distributed among species
Competition
Competition occurs when species vie for the same limited resources such as food, water, shelter, or territory
To reduce competition, species often evolve differences in how they use resources—a process called niche partitioning.
Mutualism
describes relationships where both species benefit.
Commensalism
Commensalism occurs when one species benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed
Parasitism
involves one organism (the parasite) living on or in another organism (the host) and deriving benefits at the host’s expense.
Resilience
means how well an ecosystem can recover after something bad happens, like a fire, flood, or disease outbreak
More diverse ecosystems usually recover faster and better from these problems.
Higher species diversity provides several benefits:
Backup workers - Multiple species can do similar jobs
Better resource use - Different species use resources in different ways
Improved nutrient recycling - Various decomposers break down different types of dead stuff
Better energy flow - Multiple food chains distribute energy throughout the ecosystem
