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49 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Ecology
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interaction and interdependence among organisms with their physical surroundings
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Biosphere
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the portion of the Earth in which life exists; composed of many complex ecosystems
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Biome
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a region characterized by its flora and fauna (plants and animals) and climate (temperature and precipitation); similar biomes can be found in many parts of the world
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Ecosystem
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the living community and the physical environment functioning together (includes Abiotic and biotic factors)
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Community
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all the interacting populations in a given area (ecosystem)
- includes only biotic factors |
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Population
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all the members of a species inhabiting a given location
-includes only biotic factors |
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Individual/Organism
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1 individual organism from one species
-includes only biotic factors |
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carrying capacity
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the maximum number of resources that there can be in a balanced/stable ecosystem
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Ecosystem
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the structural and functional unit of ecology
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Nutritional relationships
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involve the transsfer of nutrients from one organism to another within an ecosystem
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Competition
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when two organisms of two diff species require the same limited resources
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Competitive Exclusion Principle
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No two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat
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Habitat
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description of where a species lives
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Niche
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the role/position of an organism in an ecosystem
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Autotrophs/producers
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synthesize their own food from inorganic raw materials and a usable energy source
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Heterotrophs/Consumers
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can't sythesize their own food, depend on other organisms for nutrition
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Detritivores/Decomposers
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consumes dead matter, helps in decomposition and recycling of nutrients to the ecosystem
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Herbivore
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consume only plant matter
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Carnivore
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consume only animal matter
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Predator
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hunts another animal (prey)
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scavenger/saphrophage
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feeds on recently killed organisms that they didn't kill
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Omnivore
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consume both animal and plant
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Mutualism
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a relationship where both organisms benefit
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Commensalism
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a relationship where one organism benefits and the other is unaffected
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Parsitism
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a relationship where one organism benefits and the host is killed/harmed
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Energy Flow
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In order for an ecosystem to be self-sustaining, there has to be a constant source of energy that constantly flows; this is depicted by food chains/food webs
ENERGY IS NEVER RECYCLED!! |
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Food chain
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single pathway in the ecosystem that begins with producers harnessing light energy into chemical energy that is in turn taken by a series of consumers
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Food web
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interconnected food chains; more representative of a real ecosystem
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Energy Pyramid
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most similar to a food chain. Energy flows from producer to consumer, etc. ONLY 10% of the energy from the food is transferred from one trophic level to the next
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Biomass pyramid
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shows amount of organic matter at each trophic level. Shows you need a greater mass of producers to feed each successive trophis level as you only get 10% of the energy as you go up
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Numbers pyramid
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shows population of each trophic level. This may look different than the food or biomass pyramids
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Limiting factors
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biotic and abiotic factors that can limit the growth of population
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Biogeochemical cycles
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in a self sustaining stable ecosystem, energy is never recycled but materials must be recycled. Materials are recycled through the interaction between abiotic and biotic factors
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Carbon-Hydrogen-Oxygen Cycle
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C, H, O are recycled through respiration and photosynthesis
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Water/Hydrologic Cycle
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Water is recycled through the atmosphere through transpiration (from plants), evaporation, respiration (from animals), precipitation, and condensation
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Ecosystem Formation
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econsystems change over long periods of time until a stable ecosystem is formed
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Succession
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the process in which one ecosystem replaces another until a final stable community is reached
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Pioneer species
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simple organisms to start this process
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Climax community
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stable organisms that remain in an ecosystem for long periods of time because they are best suited for the enviornment and can outcompete other simpler species
-final stage of succession |
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Primary Succession
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when an ecosystem has been disturbed to the point that there is no soil, only bare rock. STARTING FROM SCRATCH
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Secondary Succession
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when an ecosystem has been disturbed but soil is still intact
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Tundra Biome
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Permafrost
Fauna: caribou, snowy owl, fox, polar bear Flora: lichens, mosses, grasses |
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Boreal Forest Biome
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Long sever winter, summers-thawing of subsoil
Fauna: moose, elk, black and grizzly bears Flora: conifers(spruce, firs, pines) |
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Temperate Deciduous Forest Biome
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Moderate precipitation, cold winters, warm summers (our biome!)
Fauna: Deer, squirrel, fox Flora: deciduous (oak, maple, elm) leaves fall of in fall |
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Tropical Rain Forest Biome
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Heavy Precipitation, constant warmth
Fauna: snake, monkey, tiger Flora: broad leaved trees (bamboos, bananas, ferns) |
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Grassland Biome
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heavy precip, constant warmth
Fauna: antelope, prairie dog, bison, lemurs Flora: grasses, cereal grains |
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Desert Biome
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EXTREMES in temp (hot day, freezing night), arid-little to no precip.
Fauna: snake, lizards, kangaroo rat Flora: drought-resistant succulents (cacti) |
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Marine biome
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Fauna: Shark, whale, zooplankton, cod, anemone, clownfish
Flora: algae, kelp, phytoplankton |
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HIPPO
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Negative impact of humans on biodiversity:
Habitat destruction Introduced/ Invasive Species Pollution Population growth Overconsumption |