Unit 3 Flashcards
(101 cards)
1
Q
Ecology
A
Study of how the interactions of organisms and their environment affects distribution, abundance, and evolution of life on Earth.
2
Q
The Economy of Nature
A
Balance of diff species’ relying on each other for survival. Resources are used, produced, and populations are regulated.
Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778)
3
Q
Ecology & the Origin
A
Darwin realized that evolution is driven by the biotic and physical environment.
Populations and ecosystems were the result of adaptations to these selective forces
Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
4
Q
First definition of Ecology
A
Ernest Heackel (1834-1919)
Oekology, and the struggle for existence
5
Q
Oekology
A
Body of knowledge concerning the economy of nature
Study of the relationship between living organisms and their environment (Google definition)
6
Q
Struggle for Existence
A
Complex relationships between organisms and environment
7
Q
Who said the 1st mention of Ecology in the US
A
Ellen Richards (1842-1911)
8
Q
Ellen Richards
A
1842-1911
- First woman to graduate in Chem at MIT
- Instructor of environmental chem at MIT
- Head of water quality lab for Massachusetts
- One of the 1st supporters if environment conservation
9
Q
Abiotic
A
Non-living systems (landscape, weather)
10
Q
Abiotic factors that impact ecology
A
- Climate (temp, rainfall)
- Energy source (photosyn or chemosyn)
- Nutrient distribution
- Soil and wind for terrestrial systems
- Dissolved Oxygen, salinity, current, and tides for aquatic systems
11
Q
Biotic
A
Living systems
12
Q
Biotic factors affecting Ecology
A
- Organisms in ecosystem
- Competition for resources (food, light)
- Predator prey relationships / other community relationships w organisms
- One entity being removed can have a devastating impact
13
Q
Grand challenge for 21st century science
A
- Understand and model the complexity of Earths ecological systems (to predict dynamic of Earths biosphere)
- Fate of Earth is dependent on meeting this challenge
14
Q
Complexity and Dynamic-ness (?) of Ecological systems
A
- Ecology is abt the dynamics of complex ecosystems
- Dynamics of ecosystem comes from interactions between many components
- No equilibrium, constant change
- Difficult to do controlled experiments
15
Q
Ecology food web
A
- Diagram representing simplified food web
- Simplified web is still complex w many separate parts
- Graph is a snapshot
- Numbers, biomes, and interactions are in constant flux (so is physical enviro.)
16
Q
Levels of organization
A
Individual -> Population -> Community -> Ecosystem -> Biome -> Biosphere
17
Q
Biosphere
A
Definition: Many biomes made up of ecosystems, regions of earth-sphere occupied by living things
- Extends several kilometers above Earth to the depths of the ocean.
- All regions of Earth: hydro, litho, and atmospheres in with organisms can live
- Life is highly adaptable - Ecology is the study of systems
- Distribution of moisture and energy flow helps determine clinate
18
Q
Dynamic System
A
- Group of connected, interdependent elements that affect each other and change over time
- Natural events cause change in one or more sphere, interactions between spheres can also cause changes
19
Q
The distribution of life in the biosphere
A
Goal to understand major factors that affect Earths climate and how climate determines distribution of life
Study and utilize examples of connectedness of Earths system
20
Q
Biomes
A
Definition: Community of plant and animals that occupies a region
The largest definable regional ecosystems characterized by distinct living things developed by specific climate conditions
21
Q
What factors affect biomes?
A
Temp, precipitation, abiotic factors affect biomes and their productivity
22
Q
How many biomes are there?
A
10-15 land, 7 aquatic
23
Q
What are the freshwater aquatic Ecosystems?
A
Lakes, Streams, and Wetlands
24
Q
What are the freshwater aquatic Ecosystems?
A
Lakes, Streams, and Wetlands
25
What biomes are where marine meets land or freshwater?
Intertidal (land meets water)
Estuary (salt meets freshwater)
26
Hydrothermal Vent Biome
- Sunlight is not a factor
- Chemoautotrophic mechanism using sulfur as energy source converting CO2 to organic food
- Bacteria provides nutrients to others in community. Fixes CO2 levels
- The bacteria may be the most abundant biomes on the planet
27
Climate biome relationship
Climates and biomes are closely connected, biome disruption corresponds to climatic zones
28
The role of major ocean currents
Crucial to regulating Earths temp
Ex: Gulf stream distributes heat from equatorial lats to NA and Europe. Reason why England and Scandinavia arent like Greenland
29
Atmospheric Circulation
- Constant movement of air in the Earths atmosphere
- Affects winds, rainfall, temp
- Global circulation splits atmosphere into 3 cells
30
Atmospheric cells
sections of air circulation in Earths atmosphere
Hadley cells- at equator, air on surface moves towards equator
Polar cells- at poles, smallest, air on surface moves away from poles
Ferrel Cells- Between Hadley and Polar cells, not temp driven, goes in opposite direction than the other 2 cells
31
Ocean Currents
- Constant motion of water influences regional temps
- Wind causes surface currents
- Water circulates Counter clockwise in South hemisphere, Clockwise in North hemi
- Cold water flowing near coast causes approaching winds to give off heat, cools down winds
32
Global precipitation and temperature affect on biomes
If they are the same in different areas, the same biome might occur
Species may not be identical, but adapted to the same conditions
33
What causes Seasons?
Seasons are due to the tilt of the Earth
34
Summer Solstice
North pole towards sun, longest day
35
Winter solstice
North pile away from sun, shortest day
36
Fall and Spring equinox
Neither pole is oriented towards the sun
37
Ecosystem
Complex of community of organisms and its environment
38
Habitat
Where organisms live in the ecosystem
39
Graphical Abstracts
Single, concise, pictorial visual summaries of main findings of an article. made to capture the article
40
Biodiversity
Variety of variable life on Earth (Google definition)
Affected by the latitude (high diversity at equator, lower at poles)
41
Productivity Hypothesis
- More light, heat, and precip
- longer growing seasons
- greater productivity promotes Increased specialization, higher pop, larger geographic ranges, lower extinction rates, higher speciation
42
Stability Hypothesis
- Tropic climates less variable
- Greater stability promotes increased specialization, larger geographical ranges, lower extinction rates, higher speciation rates
43
Ultimate source of energy
The sun
- Electromagnetic radiation (photons)
- sun emits w wavelengths of 300-2800 nm
- only half in near infrared and ultraviolet
- plants use 400-700 nm for photosynthesis
44
Standing Crop
Amount a primary producer actually produces
45
Gross primary production (GPP)
Total amount of energy fixed into sugars by autotrophs (plants)
High at terrestrial regions and equator
46
Net primary production (NPP)
Energy remaining after autotrophs met their needs. NPP = GPP - Respiration
47
Respiration
Intake of oxygen and release of carbon dioxide.
48
Global Standing crop
Terrestrial vegetation is more productive than oceans.
Highest occurs at areas of greatest nutrient concentrations
Plants need sun, water, and nutrients to live. No nutrients in ocean
49
Primary production in Coastal regions
High PP due to nutrients runoff from land into water
50
Global Oceanic NPP
Highest Oceanic NPP in regions with highest nutrients.
Upwelling causes nutrients from bottom to rise to surface
Nutrient poor due to limited mixing
NPP ranges from 0.1 - 0.8 C/m2/yr
51
Global Terrestrial NPP
Determined by sunlight, nutrients, temp, and moisture
NPP ranges from 0.1 - 3.2 kg C/m2/yr
52
Ecosystem Productivity (Mean NPP)
Ocean has low PP
Swamps, wetlands, seagrass bed have high PP
All terrestrial enviros have general more PP than oceanic
53
Earth Total NPP
Determined by multiplying mean values by area of the ecosystem
Highest in open ocean and tropical rainforest
54
Carbon Sinks
Absorbers of Carbon, dampen affects of CO2
ex: ocean, plants, soil
55
Carbon Dioxide
Greenhouse gas, causes heat levels to rise
56
Carbon Sources
Producers of carbon
ex: burning fossil fuels, forest fires, respiration
57
Relationship between Carbon sinks and sources
Sources are rising, sinks have decreased
58
Remote sensing
Measurements of conditions on Earth using satallite images
59
Passive measure
satellite sits and senses infrared radiation
60
Active measure
satellite sends out wavelengths to take images
61
Entire Earth System
Single biosphere, all connected
Disruption of one part affects all the other parts
62
Haline currents
Saltier water sinks to bottom of ocean, clots, and moves along floor.
63
Collapse of Ecosystems
Changing on thing in an ecosystem can cause it to all collapse, due to one species being removed from the cycle and disrupting everything else
64
Populations
Group of individuals in a species living together and can mate
65
Trophic levels
level in ecosystem and food chain.
First level is primary producers (plants)
66
Trophic transfer
change between trophic level. Never 100% efficient, 90% is lost.
67
Law of thermodynamics
Existence of Biosphere is dependent on flow of energy
68
Autotroph
Organism that can take energy from an outside source and convert it into stored energy
69
John Westwood
1833, calculated 400,000 diff species by counting all plant species in london and extrapolating data to the rest of the world. Very off
70
Robert May
1998, Pointed out idea that we cant know all the species and we should make an effort to record them all before their extinction
71
Amount of named species
estimated 1.8 million in 2000, predicted to be 8.7 total species
72
Population growth
Population is equal to the number of animals born a year minus animal deaths minus migration. Can be exponential for a given period of time but will level off
73
Population Ecology
Some populations have predictable changes while some are chaotic, some are more prone to extinction
74
Population stability
diff methods to keeping a population at a stable, number which are territorial behavior, territory size, and by nutrient limitation
is density dependent
75
Population instability
Variable populations undergoing major fluxes each year
76
Exponential growth
J-shaped curve, Not sustainable under normal conditions, will level out due to lack of resources or other factors
77
Carrying capacity
The max number of a population the environment can sustain
78
Logistic Growth
S-shaped curve, environmental resistance brings population within the carrying capacity
79
Environmental Resistance
Environmental factors that restrict the Population
80
Biotic Population factors
Food, Habitat, interactions (predation, competition, parasitism, disease)
81
Abiotic Population factors
Light, Nutrients, water, temp, space, pH
82
Complex dynamic system
Group of correlated, interdependent elements that affect each other and change over time ex: food web, human brain
83
Ecosystems as complex systems
One minor change in the system will cause a cascade of consequences. These connections let the ecosystem function
84
Reductionist Method
Reducing complex systems into steps, advancing each steps by taking one piece at a time and understanding how it works then repeating for each part of the step
85
Holistic approach
Looks at the system as a whole, believes that taking out parts to analyze removes important characteristics. Seeing how everything works affects everything.
86
Feedback
Process where the output of a system effects its input. Amplified affects are positive feedback and diminishing affects are negative.
87
Gaia Hypothesis
Ecosystems are connected in a similar way to living organisms. They change to reflect outside influences, Earth is self maintaining thru positive and negative feedback
88
Homeostatic
Maintaining a basic system, Biosphere is this way due to all interactions in the ecosystem being balanced
89
Daisyworld
James Lovelock simulation that was done to prove environmental change to reflect changing abiotic factors. ex was black daises grew to absorb more light and white grew to reflect light.
90
Competition
Any use or defense of a limited resource for other living things
91
Interference Competition
Direct interaction, fighting for resources
92
Exploitative competition
One species uses resources more effectively than others
93
Apparent Competition
indirect, two species share same habitat to a higher trophic predator
94
Resource Partitioning
Similar species living together utilizing different resources, separated by Food, Space, and Time
95
Character displacement
Species overlap causes characteristics to deviate, due to competition for the same resource. When the resource depletes, the animals must adapt to find other resources.
96
Competitive and Adaptive radiation
Burst of speciation and evolutionary divergence from one common lineage.
97
Adaptive Zone
New set of ecological niches (ways of life) to fill vacant adaptive zones
98
Graph of separate organism growth
population density grows at the same rate
99
Graph of combined organism growth
One population density grows while the other grows a little but then goes back down
100
Central principle of ecology
Everything is connected to everything else, Key to understanding resource partitioning, distribution/ abundance, evolution and adapative radiation, common structure and diversity
101
Gausse / Competitive Exclusion Principle
If two or more species live in stable association, they must possess diff ecological niches
