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What is the relationship between ecology & evolution?

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-natural selection -adaptation to habitat

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What is the relationship between ecology & environmental policy?

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-ecology provides a scientific basis for understanding enviromental issues & making political decisions about them

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What are the levels on which ecology can be studied?

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-organismal -population -community -ecosystem -landscape -biosphere

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Biotic Factor

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living factors (all organisms that are part of the individual's enviroment) ex. tree

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Abiotic Factor

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nonliving factors (all the chemical and physical factors) ex. temperature, light, water, and nutrients

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How do biotic and abiotic factors influence aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem?

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interaction with the enviroment determines distribution & abundance of organisms - study powerpoint as well

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Effect of solar radiation on weather patterns

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-global warming -ozone depletion --reduction in plant growth find more in book

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Biogeography and What factors limit organism distribution around the planet?

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biotic and abiotic factors

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Biogeographic Realms

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six vast land areas on Earth, each with distinguishing plants and animals

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Biomes: Terrestrial and Aquatic- review descriptions and know general characteristics

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on powerpoint

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Population Ecology

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...

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Population

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a group of organisms of the same species populating a given area

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How are populations characterized?

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their boundaries and size (# of individuals living within those boundaries)

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What is Exponential Growth?

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occurs under ideal conditions; growth only constrained by life history of the species

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Biotic Potential

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the maximum reproductive rate of an organism, given unlimited resources and ideal environmental conditions

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Limiting Factors

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any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms

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Carrying Capacity

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largest number of individuals of a population that a environment can support

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What is Logistic Growth?

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growth pattern in which a population's growth rate slows or stops following a period of exponential growth

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Examples of Density Dependent & Density Independent Limiting Factors

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dependent: competition for resources, predation, toxic waste, intrinsic factors, territoriality, disease independent: drought stress that arouses when the roots of the grass are uncovered by shifting sands

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Survivorship Curves

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A plot of the number of members of a cohort that are still alive at each age; one way to represent age-specific mortality

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Issue surrounding Human Population Growth and Ecological Footprint

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dealing with the amount of resources available on the planet compared to the amount of resources being used ex. the usa is using more resources than it has and has to buy from other countries

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Community Ecology

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...

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Community

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any assemblage of populations in an area or habitat

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Habitat

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the type of environment in which an organism or group normally lives or occurs

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Niche

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an organism's profession (how it makes a living) -fundamental niche= area where species could use -realized niche= what they use due to competition

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What are the categories of Species Interactions and can you give some examples?

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-competition -predation -herbivory -paratism -disease -mutualism -commensalism

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Competition

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-competition= a -/- interaction taht occurs when individuals of different species compete for a resource that limits their growth and survival (ex. weeds growing in a garden compete w/ garden plants for soil nutrients and water)

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Predation

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a +/- interaction between species in which one species (the predator), kills and eats the other (the prey) (ex. lion attacking and eating an antelope)

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Herbivory

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a +/- interaction in which an organism eats parts of a plant or algae (ex. cattle, sheep, water buffalo, grasshopper, beetles)

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Parasitism

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a +/- symbiotic interaction in which one organism (parasite) derives its nourishment from another organism (host) which is harmed in the process (ex. tapeworm, tick, lice)

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Disease

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an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning ex.

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Mutualism

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or mutualistic symbiosis; an interspecific +/+ interaction that benefits both species (ex. the digestion of cellulose by microorganisms in the digestive systems of termites and ruminant mammals)

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Commensalism

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an interaction btwn species that benefits one of the species but neither harms nor helps the other (+/o) (ex. "hitchhiking species" algae on shells or barnacles attatched to whales)

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Trophic Structure

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The different feeding relationships in an ecosystem, which determine the route of energy flow and the pattern of chemical cycling ENERGY FLOWS, NUTRIENTS CYCLE

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Competitive Exclusion

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if you have two species with exactly the same needs only one is going to survive the competition (at direct odds w/ each other)

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Resource Partitioning

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in a biological community various populations sharing environmental resources through specialization thereby reducing direct competition (1 of the species can use a different species to survive)

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Coevolution

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The evolution of two or more species that is due to mutual influence, often in a way that makes the relationship more mutually beneficial

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Community Stability

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Communities are assemblages of many different species occupying the same geographical area; Communities are not static, they gradually change over time (communities are in a state of equlibrium) b/c the environment changes and species themselves tend to also change the habitats

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Pioneer Species

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first organisms into an area; improve conditions for other species; often organisms like lichens, mosses, small plants, insects.

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Primary Succession

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an ecological succession that begins in a an area where no biotic community previously existed and soil has not yet formed (ex. new volcanic island or the rubble (moraine) left by retreating glaciers)

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Secondary Succession

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the process by which one community replaces another community that has been partially or totally destroyed but the soil is still intact (ex. forest fire)

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Climax Community

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a relatively stable long-lasting community reached in a successional series; usually determined by climax and soil type, Fairly stable, self-sustaining community in an advanced stage of ecological succession; usually has a diverse array of species and ecological niches; captures and uses energy and cycles critical chemicals more efficiently than simpler, immature communities

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Disturbance

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A discrete event that disrupts an ecosystem or community. (ex. fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, and floods)(ex. human-caused disturbances: deforestation, overgrazing, and plowing)

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Biodiversity

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species diversity, dependent on size and geographic location

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Ecosystems

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...

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Ecosystem

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all organisms living in a community as well as all the abiotic factors with which they interact

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Food chain

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the pathway along which food energy is transferred from from tropic level to trophic level, beginning with producers

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Food Web

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the interconnected feeding relationships in an ecosystem

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Primary Producer

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an autotroph, usually a photosynthetic organism. collectively, autotrophs make up the trophic level of an ecosystem that ultimately supports all other levels they transfer light energy into chemical energy

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Autotroph

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plant capable of synthesizing its own food from simple organic substances

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Consumer

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organism that relies on other organisms (primary producers) for its energy and food supply; also called a heterotroph a.k.a secondary consumer

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Heterotroph

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an organism that depends on complex organic substances for nutrition

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Herbivore

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any animal that feeds chiefly on grass and other plants a.k.a primary consumer

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Carnivore

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any animal that feeds on flesh

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Omnivore

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an animal that feeds on both animal and vegetable substances

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Detritivore

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organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter and waste

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Energy Flows through an ecosystem; Nutrients Cycle

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the process that moves nutrients back and forth between the boitic and aboitic environment while energy is being lost between each trophic level in the form of heat

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Trophic Level

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step in the movement of energy through an ecosystem; an organism's feeding status in an ecosystem.

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Primary Production

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The amount of light energy converted to chemical energy (organic compounds) by autotrophs in an ecosystem

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Ecological Pyramids

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show the relative amount of energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a given food chain or food web

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Biogeochemical Cycle

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ions or molecules of a nutrient are transferred from the environment into organisms and then back to the environment.

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Biological Magnification

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accumulation of non-degradable substances becomes more concentrated in the tissues of organisms at higher trophic levels.

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Conservation Biology

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...

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Biodiversity

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the diversity of plant and animal life in a particular habitat (or in the world as a whole)

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Approaches to reducing human impacts & restoring ecosystems

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-population conservation -landscape conservation -restoration ecology -sustainable development (all help maintain biodiversity)

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3 Levels of Biodiversity

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-genetic diversity -species diversity -ecosystem diversity

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3 Threats to Biodiversity

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-habitat loss -introduced species -overexploitation

Ecology Unit Study Guide: Ch.52-55 – Flashcards

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