Ecology Final

Front 1

define ecology

Back 1

The scientific study of the distribution and abundance of living organisms and the interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment.

Front 2

levels of ecology

Back 2

biosphere<biomes<ecosystems<communities<population<organisms

Front 3

5 kingdoms

Back 3

bacteria
protists
plants
fungi
animals

Front 4

define evolution

Back 4

changes in organisms over time, change in population from one generation to the next

Front 5

four conditions for natural selection

Back 5

variability
traits are heritable
more offspring are produced than can possibly survive
individuals that survive and produce offspring=not a random sample but naturally selected

Front 6

define population

Back 6

a group of individual organisms of the same species living in a particular area

Front 7

2 main outcomes of species interactions

Back 7

1. affect distribution and abundance of the interacting species
2. they are agents of natural selection and thus can affect the evolution of interacting species

Front 8

mutualism

Back 8

interspecific interaction that benefits both species

Front 9

commensalism

Back 9

interaction between species that benefits one of the species and neither helps or harms the other

Front 10

factors determining how organisms are distributed (3)

Back 10

1. abiotic: chemical and physical factors (nutrients, temp, moisture, pH, sunlight)
2. biotic: living factors (species interactions all the organisms that one part of the individuals environment)
3. dispersal: has the species ever been there?

Front 11

define niche

Back 11

The sum total of a species use of the biotic and abiotic resources all physical, chemical, and biological conditions that a species needs to live and reproduce in an ecosystem

Front 12

realized niche

Back 12

portion of resources or areas used or conditions tolerated when competition (or exploitation) occurs

Front 13

fundamental niche

Back 13

the combo of resources or areas used or conditions tolerated in the absence of competitors

Front 14

keystone species

Back 14

a species that exerts an impact on its community that is both strong and disproportionate to its abundance

Front 15

ecological engineer

Back 15

shape communities by creating and enhancing habitats in ways that benefit other species

Front 16

beneficial effects of introduced species on native communities

Back 16

biological control
erosion control
food supply (corn, rice)

Front 17

non beneficial effects of introduced species on native communities

Back 17

can wipe out native species
disrupt ecosystems
cause large economic loss

Front 18

ecological succession

Back 18

repeatable change in community competition through time following a disturbance

Front 19

primary succession

Back 19

occurs following a disturbance that leaves no record of previous vegetation (sand dunes, volcanic eruptions, retreating glaciers, mud slides)

Front 20

secondary succession

Back 20

succession following a disturbace which leaves some record of previous vegetation; vestiges of previous community remain (volcano, flood, fire)

Front 21

different components of biodiversity

Back 21

genetic diversity>species diversity>community and ecosystem diversity

Front 22

two major ideas in ecosystem ecology

Back 22

1. flow of energy
2. cycling of nutrients

Front 23

factors that determine productivity

Back 23

amount of insolation (solar radiation)
availability of water
availability of nutrients

Front 24

gross primary productivity

Back 24

amount of energy captured by producers in a given unit of area in a given time period

Front 25

net primary productivity

Back 25

the amount of energy or material added to plant biomass in a given unit of area in a given time period and therefore available to other trophic levels

Front 26

biomass

Back 26

organic matter prodced by plants and other photosynthetic producers; dry weight of all organic matter in plants and animals in an ecosystem

Front 27

productivity

Back 27

the amount of biomass that is added to a system (area) over the course of a given period of time by plants in that system (rate)

Front 28

trophic level

Back 28

division of species in an ecosystem on the basis of their main nutritional source. A trophic level is made of all the organisms that share the same number of energy transfers from sunlight energy

Front 29

ecological efficiency

Back 29

the efficiency with which energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next. In nature, trophic efficiency varies from 2%-40% with 10% efficiency

Front 30

What is a nutrient?

Back 30

A substance required for the growth and maintenance of an organism that must be obtained from the environment-water, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, calcium, etc...move through air, water, soil, rock, and living organisms in ecosystems in cycles biogeo chemical or nutrient cycles

Front 31

Why are nutrients essential to living things?

Back 31

They are the building blocks of biological molecules (proteins, carbohydrates, fats, nucleic acids)

Front 32

competitive exclusion

Back 32

two species that compete for the exact same resources cannot stably coexist