Succession Flashcards
(24 cards)
What is primary succession?
Establishment of a community in an area of exposed rock that does not have any soil
What is succession?
The change in an ecosystem that happens when one community replaces another as a result of changing abiotic and biotic factors.
What is a lichen?
A combination of fungus and algae that grows without any soil.
What is a pioneer species?
The first organisms to appear in an environment.
What are the five steps to primary succession?
1- lichens grow and die. Combined with eroded rocks, the form the first layer of soil.
2- simple plants grow
3- simple plants die, forming a new layer of soil
4- complex plants grow, then die, forming new soil.
5- trees are able to grow
What is population density?
Number of organisms per unit area.
What is dispersion?
The pattern of spacing of a population
What are the types of dispersion?
Clumped, random, uniform
Describe clumped groups
Travel in herds
What is a population range?
Where a species can survive dependent on abiotic and biotic factors.
What is a limiting factors?
A factor that keeps a population from growing indefinitely. Example food supply.
What is a density independent factor?
Any limiting factor that does not depend on the number of organisms in an area. Example is weather.
What is a density dependent factor?
Any factor in the environment that depends on the number of members in a population. Example food.
What is exponential growth?
Type of growth curve that would occur if there were no limits on a population.
What is logistic growth?
S shaped curve that occurs when there are limits on a population.
What is carrying capacity?
The maximum number of species an environment can hold.
What is a pioneer species
The first organism to move into an area. Refers to succession
Describe the carbon cycle.
Plants convert atmospheric CO2 into carbohydrates through photosynthesis. Carbon cycles through various sinks and reservoirs giving energy as it goes.
What are some sinks and reservoirs for carbon?
Atmosphere, ocean sediments, fossil fuels.
Why is the carbon cycle important?
It helps the primary producers make the initial level of food for consumers. It also makes fossil fuels allowing energy usage,
Describe the water cycle.
Water evaporates from the oceans and rivers, transpires for plants back to the atmosphere, and is precipitated back to earth, runs off into streams and the oceans
What is precipitation?
Rain
What is nitrogen fixation?
Atmospheric nitrogen is converted to ammonia where it can then be used by plants.
List some characteristics of a climax community.
Large body size, few offspring, one generation per season. Lots of biodiversity.
