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72 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is Ecology?
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the study of the interactions of organisms with each other and with their physical environment
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What is a population?
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An interbreeding group of individuals
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What is a community?
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An interacting group of many species that inhabit a common area
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What is an ecosystem?
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A community of organisms together with the nonliving parts of the environment
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What is biotic?
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Living part
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What is abiotic?
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Non-living part
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What is a biosphere?
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all ecosystems together
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What are autotrophes?
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Producers-make own food via photosynthesis
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What are heterotrophs?
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Consumers that consume other organisms
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Name the groups that Heterotrophs include:
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Consumers: herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, decomposers and scavengers
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Name the groups that Heterotrophs include:
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Consumers: herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, decomposers and scavengers
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What is the food chain?
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A linear sequence revealing "who eats who"
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Define: Tropic level
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An organism's position in the food chain
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Write the three levels of consumers:
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Herbivores: primary consumers
Carnivores: secondary consumers Tertiary consumers eat carnivores |
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True or false: energy is continually removed from an ecosystem
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True
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Where does the energy that drives the Earth's biosphere?
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the sun
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Define: Biomass
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The dry weight of all organisms living in the ecosystem
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True or false: Carnivore biomass is usually greater than herbivore biomass which is usually greater than plant biomass?
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False: plant greater than herbivore than carnivore
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True or false: Consumers always produce more energy than producers
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False
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True or false: energy becomes less and less available at higher and higher trophic levels
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True
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Define: Ten Percent Law
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Each trophic level only passes on about 10% of the energy that was in the previous trophic level
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True or false: materials such as carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and phosporous cannot be recycled?
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False: must be recycled
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Plants pull water from soil and release it as vapor through tiny holes in the leaves called what?
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Stomata
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90% of all water that evaporates comes from where?
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The continents
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Where is much of the carbon in the biosphere located?
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the oceans
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Carbon in the biosphere that is located in the oceans is called_______, whereas the carbon found in the atmosphere is called___________
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1. bicarbonation
2. carbon dioxide |
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True or false: each year, terrestrial producers convert 15% of the atmosphere CO2 into organic molecules?
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False: 12%
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Where are the largest reserves of carbon found?
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Trapped in fossil fuels
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What is one of the leading ways humans have returned the amount of CO2 into the carbon cycle?
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Burning fossil fuels
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True or false: nitrogen is the most abundant element in our atmosphere?
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True
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Nitrogen accounts for how much of the air we breathe?
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78 %
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What is the most important source for fixed nitrogen?
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Nitryifing bacteria
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What is the function of nitrifying bacteria?
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Convert nitrogen gas to ammonia or nitrate for plants to use
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What is the function of bone nitrifying bacteria?
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Form a mutualistic relationship with plants
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How do animals get rid of nitrogen waste?
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Urea or uric acid
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How do humans alter the carbon cycle?
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Use of fertilizers
Acid rain |
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Name the two major adaptations consumers have for finding and eating their prey:
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Predators
Herbivores |
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Name some characteristics of predators:
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Swift, intelligent, acute senses and sharp teeth
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Name some characteristics of herbivores:
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Patient, and good digestive systems
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List three weapons that the consumed have for defenses:
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1. Camaflage
2. Chemical defenses 3. Coloration |
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Define: Batesian Mimicry
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Mimic the warning colors of harmful species; mimicry in which a harmless species is protected from predators by means of its resemblance to a harmful or inedible species
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Define: Mullerian Mimicry
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Two or more equally dangerous species evolve similar colors or forms in order to represent similar dangers to their common predators
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List and describe four ways organisms live together:
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1. Symbiosis: two specied have intimate associations
2. Parasitian: species benefits at expense of other species 3. Mutialism: symbiotic relatonship between two species that mutually benefit 4. Commensalism: intimate relationship btwn 2 species that neither helps nor harms |
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Define: competitors
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Use a resource in a way that limits the availablility if that resource to others
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Define: the Competition Exclusion Principle
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When two species compete directly for the same limites resources, the more efficient species will eliminate the other species
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Define: Niche
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the way an organism uses its environment
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True or false: no two species can occupy the exact same niche in the same habitat indefinately
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True
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What is species richness?
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The number of species in an ecosystem
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What is succession?
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The change in the number and kinds of organisms in a community over time
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What is primary succession?
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Invasion of a new environment
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What is secondary succession?
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Invasion of an environment which contains a previous communit that has suffered serious damage
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What is a pioneer community?
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A part of the 1st succession
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What is a climax community?
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Long-lived and occurs at the end of a succession
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What are pioneer communities characterized by?
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A species that:
1. flourish a disturbed area 2. breed rapidly 3. are short lived |
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What is a climax community characterized by?
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Species that:
1. breed slowly 2. gradually take over undisturbed areas 3. are long lived |
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True or false: pioneery species change their environment in ways that allow colonization by succeeding species?
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True
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How does behavior develop?
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From the interaction of genes and the environment
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List the two types of behaviors:
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1. innate
2. learned |
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What is innate behavior?
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behavior that an animal engages in regardless of previous experience
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What is learned behavior?
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Serve a purpose only when performed at the proper place and time
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What is the "sensitive period"?
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Period of time during which an animal can learn a particular behavior pattern
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What is "imprinting"?
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Parental imprinting-chicks
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List two ecological influences on behavior:
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1. in the presence of predators, animals must alter behavior to increase chances of survival
2. the presence of competing species can also change feeding behavior |
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Define: agonistic behavior
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Competetive behavior such as aggression, agressive appeasement and retreat
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True or false: Some animals use agonistic interactions to establish dominance hierarchy
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True
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List three advantages of social behavior:
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1. large groups more quickly spot predators than small groups
2. group of animals can cooperatively defend themselves 3. help in finding food |
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List a major disadvantage of social living:
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1. must compete w/each other for food and other resources
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All social insects have three common traits:
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1. cooperate in raising young
2. few individuals reproduce 3. generation overlap |
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Who suggested the Theory of Kin Selection?
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W.D. Hamilton
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Define: Theory of Kin Selection
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An individual increases its reproductive output by helping relatives and siblings are equally related to each other as they are to their parents
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Deinfe: Altruism
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A behavior that benefits others at a cost to the individual performing the behavior
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True or false: few studies suggest kin selection as an explanation for altruism
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True
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