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46 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Ecology |
The study of the interrelationships of living organisms and their environment. |
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Species |
A group of closely related organisms that are very similar to each other and are usually capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring
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Biotic Factor Abiotic Factor |
Biotic - living factors e.g grass as a producer
Abiotic - non-living facors e.g rain, wind, temperature, altitude, soil, pollution, nutrients, pH, types of soil, and sunlight. |
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Population |
The number of a given species in a given area at a particular time.
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Community |
A group of organisms living together in a given area at a particular time.
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Ecosystem |
A system that includes all living organisms (biotic factors) in an area as well as its physical environment (abiotic factors) functioning together as a unit.
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Competition |
Relationship between members of the same or different species in which individuals are adversely affected by those having the same living requirements, such as food or space.
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Niche |
Conditions an organisms can exist in
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Fundamental niche |
The full range of environmental conditions and resources an organism can possibly occupy and use, especially when limiting factors are absent in its habitat. |
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Realised niche |
- The actual space that an organism inhabits and the resources it can access as a result of limiting pressures from other species (e.g. superior competitors). - Because of competition with other organisms species are forced to occupy a narrower niche, which they are best adapted to |
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Tolerance limits |
-The range of physical factors which an organism can remain alive and survive |
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Limiting Factors |
Any environmental factor that is in short supply or might limit an organisms survival (or population growth) |
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Succession |
- A progressive series of changes in the plant and animal life of a community from colonisation to establishment of a climax or final stage in which the plant or animal attains equilibrium with the environment.
- The sequence of changes in vegetation that occurs in any 1 spot as vegetation matures to a climax community |
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Zonation |
- Changes in abiotic conditions as you move inland, producing a marked banding of vegetation
- Distribution of plant or animals |
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Adaptation |
The action or process of changing in order to better suit conditions for survival - natural selection
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Behavoural adaptation |
Things/actions organisms do to survive e.g bird migration |
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Functional/physiologogical adaptation |
Ask teacher |
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Structural adaptation |
Adaptation of the physical features of an organism.
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Symbiotic relationships |
-interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both. -Obligate symbiosis is when two organisms are in a symbiotic relationship because they can't survive without each other - There are four main types of symbiotic relationships: mutualism, commensalism, parasitism and competition. Ask teacher |
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Predator/prey relationships |
An interaction between two organisms of unlike species in which one of them acts as predator that captures and feeds on the other organism that serves as the prey. |
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Mutualism |
Symbiosis which is beneficial to both organisms involved
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Parasitism (host and parisite) |
Parasitism is a relationship between two things in which one of them (the parasite) benefits from or lives off of the other, like fleas on your dog. The host dies not benefit. |
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Commensalism |
An association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm. |
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Food chains |
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Foob webs |
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Species distribution |
Range or distribution of a species is the geographical area within which that species can be found
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Species abundance |
Species abundance is the number of individuals per species. Ask teacher |
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Habitat |
The area to which a particular organism lives |
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Microhabitats |
A small specialized habitat within a larger habitat. An example of a microhabitat is a caterpillar snacking on leaves which have fallen from a walnut tree in the orchard. |
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Transects |
A transect is line across a habitat or part of a habitat. It can be as simple as a string or rope placed in a line on the ground. The number of organisms of each species can be observed and recorded at regular intervals along the transect.
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Indicator species |
Any biological species that defines a trait or characteristic of the environment. For an example, a species may delineate an ecoregion or indicate an environmental condition such as a disease outbreak, pollution, species competition or climate change.
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Lower littoral zone/intertidal zone Mid littoral zone Mid-upper littoral zone Upper littoral zone |
Lower littoral zone - the area that is above water at low tide and under water at high tide (in other words, the area between tide marks). Mid littoral zone Between low and high water marks Mid-upper littoral zone Upper littoral zone - has the least amount of time submerged in water. Ask teacher |
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Detritus |
Waste or debris of any kind. |
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What is the area with the highest diversity? |
Climax community as
- High nutrient - low temp, high shade - high soil moisture, water retention, high humidity - low wind, lower salinity |
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What is the area with the lowest diversity? |
Seaward fore dune pioneer plant provide sufficient protection for less adapted plants by withstanding harsh conditions
- high wind, salinity - low nutrients - low shade, high temp - low soil moisture |
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What is the area with the largest abundance? |
Landward hind dune? - Climax community
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What is the area with the smallest abundance? |
Seaward fore dune - pioneer plants
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Differences between diversity and abundance |
Diversity - the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. Abundance - an ecological concept referring to the relative representation of a species in a particular ecosystem. It is usually measured as the number of individuals found per sample. |
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List adaptations of grey/blue periwinkle |
- Live in high littora -> supralittoral zone (small number in mid littoral)
why? - less competition for space, food etc. with other organisms. Harsh conditions fewer organisms. - blue/grey colour is highly reflective allowing organism to stay cool - spiral shell allows to absorb more/less heat depending on its orientation - Shell and overculum protect from dehydration/desiccation - clumping behaviour and seeking small crevices help maintain humidity and reduce fluid loss |
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Define behavioural, psychological and structural adaptations |
Adaptations Behavioural -changes to the behaviour of an organism Psychological - Changes to the function of something that an organism processes (how it works) e.g kidneys prevent loss of water) Structural - Adaptation of physical features |
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Draw a food web from description: water snails, small fish and freshwater mussels graze on pond weed. Yabbies capture the small fish in rock pools. Ducks and water hen feed on the snails and fish. Tortoises more across the sandy bottom and eat mussels. Eagles feed on the small fish and tortoises. |
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Draw a food web from the description: Limpets, periwinkles, small fish and chitons graze on flamentous algae. Crabs capture the small fish in the rock pools. Sea gulls feed on limpets and periwinkles. Star fish move across the rocks and eat chitons. Cormorants feed on crabs, small fish and periwinkles. |
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Learn |
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Discuss possible effects on n.o of jellyfish and mature herring, in the food web below, if the shrimp population was suddenly wiped out. |
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If crab larvae is removed because of a disease specific to their species explain the impact on the other species. Explain any change that might occur and the reasoning for it. |
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textbook p273, 274 |
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