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44 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What is ecology? |
Ecology is the study of interactions of organisms with their biotic and aiotic environment |
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What is environmentalism? |
Social/political movement to raise concerns about environmental issues |
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What does ecological studies primarily focus on? |
Individual organisms Populations Communities Biomes Ecosystems Biosphere |
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What are populations characterized by? |
Dispersion- distribution in space and time Growth- change in population size over time Survivorship- patterns of mortality Age Structure- number of individuals at various ages |
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What is range and how are organisms distributed within a range? |
Range is the geographic area in which a species can occur. Distribution depends on the environment is the best suited for the species |
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What is growth? Explain the difference between positive and negative growth? |
Growth is the change in population size over time. Positive growth is when the size increases Negative growth is when the size decreases |
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What are factors that affect growth? |
1. Number of individuals in a population to reproduce 2. Capacity of organisms to reproduce 3. Availability of required resources |
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Additions vs. losses |
Additions are births, losses are deaths |
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Explain: G= rN |
G = growth r = rate of production N = number of individuals |
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What is the carrying capacity? |
The maximum population size that an environment can sustain. Represented by K. |
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Explain: G= rN(K-N)/K |
Growth equation that reflects reproduction of a population (rN) with the effect of the carrying capacity (K) |
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Explain the J curve. |
The J curve results from the equation G=rN where the population has an initial slow growth but begins to increase at a greater rate |
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Explain the S curve. |
Shows the effects of the carrying capacity (K) on population where it stabilizes its growth. |
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Explain population cycles and their possible outcomes. |
Populations may exceed carrying capacity and result in 3 outcomes: 1. Pop. size drops down to original K 2. Excess individuals despoil the environment, reducing K and pop. falls to new K 3. Pop. goes to extinction due to environmental stress |
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What is a population life history pattern? |
Following a group from birth to all deaths. Group followed is called a cohort. |
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Describe the 3 basic patterns in survivorship.
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Type I- low infant mortality: chance of dying highest in old age (humans) Type II- constant mortality: chance of dying constant over lifespan (birds) Type III- high infant mortality: chance of dying highest in infancy (oysters) |
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What is the difference between the "weedy" and "stable" life cycle strategies? |
Weedy strategies have a type III survivorship curve. Stable strategies have a type I. |
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What is age structure? |
A bar graph of the number of individuals in various age classes. Is dynamic over time. |
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What are the three ecologically relevant age classes? |
1. Prereproductive- too young to reproduce 2. Reproductive- age of reproduction 3. Postreproductive- too old to reproduce |
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What are communities? |
Biological assemblage of populations of various species living and interacting at a given time and place |
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What is a niche and a habitat? |
A niche is the role of an organism in an environment. A habitat is the environment in which an organism lives. |
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What are the characteristics of communities? |
Diversity Prevalent form of vegetation Stability Keystone Species Structure |
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What are the components of diversity? |
Species richness- number of species Relative abundance- refers to how common or rare a species is compared to others in the community |
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What is stability in a community? |
Ability to return to original state when disturbed |
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What are keystone species? |
Important in maintaining community structure and diversity. Removal from community could be catastrophic. Example: Barnacles |
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What are the different types of species interactions? |
1. Mutualism- both species benefit (+/+) Ex: intestinal bacteria in humans 2. Commensalism- one benefits, other no effect (+/0) Ex: eyelash mites 3. Parasitism- one benefits, other is harmed (+/-) Ex: viruses, tics, tapeworms, mosquitoes 4. Predation- predator and prey (+/- and +) Ex: Frog/fly, spider/fly, cat/mouse 5. Competition- detrimental to both species (-/-) Ex: Crayfish |
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What are ecosystems? |
Interactions of all organisms plus abiotic factors at a given time and place.
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What is energy flow? (Hint: Self-explanatory) |
Movement of Energy |
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What is the food chain? |
A hierarchical series (levels) of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food. |
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What is the concept of non-cyclic flow of energy? |
All incoming energy eventually radiated back to outer space as reflected light or heat |
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What are the major trophic levels? |
Primary producers- autotrophs Consumers- heterotrophs (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores) Decomposers |
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Understand the concept of food chain, food web, allocation of energy, and the 10% rule. |
Review notes |
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What is nutrient cycling and the concept of cyclical? |
Nutrient cycling is the use of materials by organisms (such as carbon, water, oxygen, etc...) Cyclical is the re-use of nutrients by organisms made by decomposers. |
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What are the types of nutrient cycles? |
Gaseous- reservoir is atmosphere (carbon dioxide) Geological- reservoir is soil (calcium, phosphorus) Combined- reservoirs in atmosphere and soil ( nitrogen) |
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Explain the phenomenon of biological magnification. |
Process whereby certain substances such as pesticides or heavy metals move up the food chain, work their way into rivers or lakes, and are eaten by aquatic organisms such as fish, which in turn are eaten by large birds, animals or humans. |
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Explain the concept of a biome |
Biomes are the major vegetation zones of the Earth |
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How does climates determine biome types? |
It is the average weather in an environment over the course of several years |
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Explain the role of the Earth as a sphere and insolation as causes of climate |
The directness in insolation refers to how direct the incoming sunlight is at a particular point on Earth due to Earth being a sphere. |
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What does the tilt of Earth at 23 degrees on axis lead to? |
Seasonality! |
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How do prevailing winds develop? |
Due to uneven heating of Earth's surface and rotation of Earth. |
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Explain why deserts are generally at 30 degrees North and South latitude |
Airmass that rose in the tropics move poleward and descends about 30 degrees N and S Descending air mass has little moisture and results in dry air masses in this location. |
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Discuss the role of the oceans and ocean currents in climate |
They are able to moderate climate near the coasts. |
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Discuss the effects of geography on climate |
Has effects on climate. Positions of continents direct ocean currents. |
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What is the biosphere and where is it located? |
The biosphere is everywhere on Earth where life is found. Located 5 miles above and 5 miles below sea level. |
