Pathak- Ecology Flashcards
(92 cards)
0
Q
Biosphere
A
- global ecosystem
- very narrow layer life is found in
- made up of systems that interact and are dependent on each other
1
Q
Ecology
A
Study of the interactions of organisms with their physical environment and each other
2
Q
Ecosystem
A
- systems of biosphere
- all organisms in a given area as well as the abiotic factors they interact
- all MUST have a constant source of energy
3
Q
Community
A
- includes all kingdoms
- all the organisms living in one area
- characterized depending on species richness and relative abundance of different species
4
Q
Population
A
All members of a single species in an ecosystem
5
Q
Biotic
A
- living things or their materials that directly or indirectly affect an organism in its environment
- parasites, predators, disease causing organisms
6
Q
Abiotic
A
- non living things in an environment
- sunlight, temperature, rainfall, soil
7
Q
Niche
A
A way of life or a role that a species plays in its environment
8
Q
Fundamental niche
A
Range of conditions that a species can POTENTIALLY tolerate and a range of resources it can POTENTIALLY use
9
Q
Realized niche
A
Range of resources ACTUALLY USED
10
Q
Tolerance curve
A
A graph of performance versus amount of an environmental variable (oxygen and running speed)
11
Q
Acclimation
A
Process of adjusting tolerance to abiotic factors
12
Q
Density of Population
A
number of individuals per unit area or volume
13
Q
Sampling techniques
A
Used to estimate the number of organisms living in one area
14
Q
Mark and Recapture
A
- type of sampling technique
- (# marked in first catch)(total # in second catch)/ # of marked in second catch
15
Q
Dispersion
A
Pattern of spacing of individuals within an area the population inhibits
16
Q
Clumped
A
- most common
- travel together due to safety in number
- ex. Fish, elephant herds, lions
17
Q
Uniform
A
- constant distance between individuals
- territorial animals (wolves)
- keep other organisms that would compete for limited relieved
18
Q
Random Spacing
A
- occurs in the absence if any special attraction or repulsion
- rare
- ex. Trees in a forest
19
Q
Survivorship Curve
A
- Late loss, produce few offspring and give them good care (Humans)
- Constant Loss (hydra)
- Early loss, high death rates for young (oysters, starfish), fertilized externally
20
Q
Age Structure Diagrams
A
- predicts future growth of a population
- distribution of male and female of each age group
21
Q
Population Change
A
(Birth - death) + (Immigrants - emigrants)
22
Q
Zero population growth
A
Birth rates equal death rates
23
Q
Growth Rate
A
Birth rate - death rate
24
Biotic potential
Max rate at which a population could increase under ideal conditions
25
Symbiosis
Two species living together
26
Parasitism
- one individual is harmed while the other benefits
- does not result in immediate death of host
- ectoparasites: ticks, fleas
- endoparasites: bacteria, protists
27
Mutualism
- a cooperative relationship in which both species service some benefit
- ex. prawn and moray eel
28
Commensalism
- one species benefits while the other is not affected
| - ex. Bird on cow, barnacles in whale
29
Boom Bust Cycles
Rapid population growth followed by sudden mass death
30
Replacement level fertility
People of reproductive age had only enough children to replace themselves
31
Exponential growth (J- Curve)
- simplest model for population growth
- cannot continue indefinitely (short lived)
- unlimited resources
- no competition, predation, or parasitism
32
Carrying Capacity (K)
Limit to the number of individuals that can occupy one area at a particular time
33
Density Dependent Factors
- increase as population density increases
- ex. Competition for food, buildup of wastes
- more effective as population density increases
- limiting factor
34
Density independent Factor
- limiting factor
- factors whose occurs is unrelated to the population density
- ex. Earthquake, storms, naturally occurring fires, flood
35
R Strategist
- species that reproduce quickly when the environment is uncrowded and resources are vast
- ex. Insect
36
K Strategists
- organisms that live at density near the carrying capacity
| - ex. Mammals
37
Competition
- INTERspecific: competition among individuals of DIFFERENT species
- INTRAspecific: among individuals of SAME species
38
Contest Competition
Social or chemical interactions to limit access to important resources (wolves)
39
Resource paritioning
One of the species will evolve through natural selection to exploit different resources
40
Character displacement
- divergence in body structure
| - ex. Bird with different beak sizes for eating different kinds of seeds (avoid competition)
41
Predations
Animal eating another animal or animal eating plants
42
Plant defenses
Thorns, chemical positions (strychnine, nicotine, morphine)
43
Aposematic Coloration
Bright colors
44
Batesian mimicry
Harmless animal mimics the coloration of one that is poisonous
45
Müllerian mimicry
Two or more poisonous species resemble each other
46
Gross primary productivity
amount of light energy that is converted to chemical energy by PHOTOSYNTHESIS per unit time
47
Net Primary Productivity
GPP - energy used by producers for cellular respiration
48
Food chain
Pathway along which food is transferred
49
Trophic
Feeding level food is transferred along
50
Chemosynthesis
- performed by a few autotrophic bacteria
| - produce food molecules from simple abiotic substances but energy source is chemical energy
51
Saprophyte
- Plant decomposers
| - mushroom
52
Food pyramid
Model that demonstrates the interaction of organisms in the food chain and the loss of energy
53
Producer
- Autotrophs
| - have greatest biomass
54
Primary Consumer
- herbivores
| - heterotroph
55
Secondary Consumer
- heterotroph
| - carnivores
56
Tertiary Consumer
- heterotroph
- carnivores
- top of food chain
- have least biomass
- least stable tropic level
57
Dominant species
Species that are the most abundant or collectively have the highest biomass
58
Keystone species
- not abundant in community
- exert major control over other species
- ex. Sea otters in North Pacific
59
Biological Magnification
Organisms at higher tropic levels have greater concentrations of accumulated toxins stored in their bodies than those at lower tropic levels
60
Decomposers/Bacteria/ Fungi
- not usually depicted in any food chain diagram
| - recycle nutrients back into the soil to nourish plants
61
Ecological Succession
Rebuilding of the ecosystem after a destruction (volcanic eruption, forest fire)
62
Primary ecological succession
- rebuilding begins in a lifeless area where soil has been removed
- dominant characteristic: SOIL BUILDING
63
Pioneer Organisms
The first organisms to inhabit a barren area (lichens and mosses)
64
Climax community
Final stable community
65
Secondary succession
Occurs when an existing community has been cleared by some disturbance that leaves the SOIL INTACT
66
Biomes
- Large regions whose distribution depends on precipitation and temperature
- characterized by dominant vegetation and animal life
67
Tropical Rainforest
- near equator
- broad- leaved plants
- abundant rainfall, stable temp., high humidity
- most diverse animal species
- hotspots (most species are endangered)
68
Epiphytes
- rainforest
| - photosynthetic plants that grow on trees, NOT PARASITES
69
Desert
- very little rainfall
- drought resistant shrubs, succulent plants
- most extreme temp. fluctuations (very hot during day very cold during night)
70
Grasslands
- grasses
- low total annual rainfall or uneven seasonal occurrence of rainfall
- grazing mammals (bison) and burrowing mammals (prairie dog)
71
Temperate Deciduous Forest
- trees that lose their leaves in winter
- vertical stratification of plants and animals (species that live on different levels)
- soil is rich
72
Conifer Forest- Taiga
- conifer (evergreen) trees
- dotted with lakes, ponds, and bogs
- largest terrestrial biome
- heavy snowfall, branches point downward
73
Tundra/ Frozen Desert
- permanently frozen subsoil (permafrost)
- number of species is small
- reindeer, polar bears, caribou
- lichens, mosses, grasses
74
Aquatic Biomes
- 75% of earth
- not characterized by a single dominant group of organism
- primary distinction is SALINITY
75
Freshwater biomes
- salinity less than 0.1%
- includes rivers, streams, ponds
- abiotic factor: OXYGEN (more in running and cold water)
- oxygen and nutrients determine life forms
76
Intertidal Zone
Shoreline area that is exposed to air during low tide and underwater at high tide (crabs, mussels, barnacles)
77
Estuaries
At mouth of rivers where saltwater and freshwater mix (salt marshes and mangrane forest)
78
Marine Biome
- largest
- most stable biome
- divided into regions based on amount of sunlight they receive
- divided into intertidal zones, estuaries, the ocean
79
Phytoplankton
- Floating algae
| - producers in marine biome
80
Neritic Zone
Shallow ocean area near land (whales, commercial fish, dolphin)
81
Ocean Zone
Open ocean
82
Transpiration
Evaporation of water from plants
83
Carbon cycle
- found in soil and atmosphere, ocean, acquatic
ecosystem
- photosynthesis removes carbon dioxide and adds oxygen
- basis: photosynthesis and respiration
- passed up through trophic levels
- carbon dioxide from atmosphere dissolves in oceans by combining with water to form carbonic acid
84
Nitrogen Cycle
- nitrogen is used in AMINO ACIDS
| - atmospheric nitrogen is combined with oxygen to form nitrates by lighting and then carried to earth dissolved in rain
85
Nitrogen fixing bacteria
Live in legumes' roots and CONVERT FREE NITROGEN INTO AMMONIUM ION
86
Nitrifying Bacteria
convert AMMONIUM IONS INTO NITRATES AND NITRITES
87
Dentrifying Bacteria
Convert NITRATES INTO FREE ATMOSPHERIC NITROGEN
88
Bacteria of decay
Decompose ORGANIC MATTER INTO AMMONIA
89
Eutrophication
- freshwater ecosystems are disrupted
- increases algae, which chugs off oxygen supply
- due to overuse of phosphate
90
Detrivores
Decompose dead organic matter at lake bottom
91
Acid rain
- caused by pollutant in the air
- pollutants turn into nitric, nitrous, sulfurous, and sulfuric acid
- pH is less than 5.6
