Basic Ecological Concepts Flashcards
It is the scientific study of interactions of organisms with their environment
Ecology
Are the environment’s non-living concept
Abiotic factors
Factors affecting Life’s Distribution in Earth
Elevational Gradient, Latitudinal Gradient, Precipitation Gradient, Temperature Gradient, Sunlight Distribution
It is the living components of the environment
Biotic factors
Factors affecting Biotic Distribution
- Dispersal Capability
- Biotic Interactions (e.g., predation,
herbivory, competition)
It is a field of study that investigates species adaptations and how these adaptations help them to survive in their environment
Organismal Ecology
It studies on the dynamics and factors
affecting populations in a given area and time
Population Ecology
It is a group of interbreeding organisms that are member of same species living in the same area at the same time.
Population
It is the changes of population in terms of size
and density at a given time
Population dynamics
Proportion of different age groups in a population
Age structure
Produce all offspring in single reproductive event
Semelparous populations
Produce offspring in series of separate reproductive events
Iteroparous populations
A biological community consists of the different species within an area, typically a three dimensional space, and the interactions within and among these species
Community Ecology
It examines large-scale ecological issues, ones that often are framed in terms not of species but rather of measures such as biomass, energy flow, and nutrient cycling
Ecosystem Ecology
It is an assemblage of living and non-living elements within a boundary that forms
functional relationships, maintains flow of energy and complete the chemical cycle
Ecosystem
Production of organic matter from simple compounds, drawn from the surrounding and build into a complex organic material.
Autotrophic
Are organisms that are capable of producing their own food
Autotroph
Transformation of primary products to secondary products from the plants. This is through the chemical synthesis and decomposition of organic matter
Heterotrophic
Are usually predators, while some are biophages (i.e. animals consuming other animals, plants and other organisms) and saprophages (i.e. organisms feeding on dead organic matters).
Heterotroph
Are herbivores (plant-eaters) which feed directly and only on all or part of living plants
Primary consumer
Are primary carnivores (meat-eaters), which feed only on plant-eating animals
Secondary consumer
It includes large carnivores or omnivores (plant- and meat-eaters) that feed on primary and secondary consumers and/or producers
Tertiary and higher level consumers
Heterotrophs that feed on detritus, or dead organic plant and animal matter
Detritivores
Two major classes of detritivores
Detritus feeders and Decomposers
ingest fragments of dead organisms and their cast-off parts and organic wastes
Detritus feeders
absorb and endocytose the soluble nutrients at the cellular level (e.g. bacteria and fungi)
Decomposers
The amount of energy formed, or rate of production or organic matter produced that is expressed in: number or mass per unit area p
Productivity
It is the rate at which radiant energy is stored by photosynthetic activity of the plants.
Primary productivity
It is the total rate of photosynthesis
Gross primary productivity
It is the rate of storage in plant tissue after excess of energy utilization from respiration
Net primary productivity
Are stable and sustainable ecosystem
Rainforests
The ability of an ecosystem to return to equilibrium following minor external forces or disturbances such as increase in temperature, changes in the rainfall patterns, and soil and water losses
Stability
The ability of an ecosystem to return to equilibrium following major external forces or disturbances such as long periods of drought, acidification of soil, salt intrusion, typhoons, and pest infestation
Sustainable
It refers to the number, kinds and variability of species in an ecosystem. This that more species have higher biological diversity, higher stability and higher sustainability
Diversity
It refers to the benefits of ecosystem that is distributed among its beneficiaries, such that more member organisms have access to the available resources means the higher equitability of the resources to the organisms
Equitability
It is the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species
Genetic diversity
It refers to the number of species in an area
Species diversity
The variety of different habitats, communities and
ecological processes
Ecosystem diversity
Organisms of two species use the same limited resource and have a negative impact on each other
Competition
A member of one species, predator, eats
all or part of the body of a member of another species,prey
Predation
A long-term, close association between two species in which one benefits, and the other is harmed
Parasitism
A special case of predation in which the prey species is a plant
Herbivory
two species live together in a long-term, intimate association. In layman’s term, a relationship that benefits both parties.
Symbiosis
A long-term, close association between two species in which both partners benefit
Mutualism
A long-term, close association between two species in which one benefits, and the other is unaffected
Commensalism
are at the bottom with contains most of the
energy coming to the sun
Producers
are then left with 10% of energy coming from
the other trophic levels.
Consumers
- It consist of many interconnected food chains and are more realistic representation of consumption relationships in ecosystems
- It is a more intricate and complex form of
predator-prey interactions
Food web
the fraction of all possible links that are realized in a network
Connectance
It is a region of the earth’s surface and the particular combination of climate, plants, and animals that inhabit it
Biome
Abiotic factors that can affect biomes
fires,floods, droughts, strong winds, and elevation
Treeless biome in the far north that consists of
boggy plains covered by lichens and mosses. It has harsh, cold winters and extremely short summers when rain or snow falls. Low primary productivity and supports relatively few species. It recovers slowly from even small disturbances
Tundra
Boreal region of coniferous forest (e.g., pine,
spruce, and fir) in the Northern Hemisphere. World’s top source of industrial wood and wood fiber. It receives little precipitation. The soil is typically acidic and mineral-poor
Taiga
Characterized by leaf-shedding, broad-leaved
hardwood trees and seasonal climate. It occurs in temperate areas where there is annual precipitation. Organic material-rich topsoil and a deep, clay-rich lower layer. Among the first biomes converted to agricultural use.
Temperate deciduous forest
Also called prairies and steppes; every
continent has a grassland biome except one –
Antarctica. Characterized by flat, gently sloping or hilly land. It has hot summers, cold hinters and uncertain rainfall.
Temperate grassland
Hilly temperate environments. It has mild winters with abundant rainfall combined with hot, dry summers. the soil is thin and often not fertile. Wildfires occur naturally in this environment.
Chaparral
Dry areas with extreme daily temperatures and
very limited vegetation found in both temperate
(cold deserts) and subtropical or tropical
regions (warm deserts). Soil is low in organic material but is often high in mineral content, particularly salts
Desert
Tropical grassland with occasional trees. It is found in areas of low rainfall or intense seasonal rainfall with prolonged dry period. Temperature vary little throughout the year.
Savanna
Coniferous temperate rain forest occurs on the
northwest coast of North America, southeastern
Australia and in southern South America. Annual precipitation is high. It has relatively nutrient-poor soil with high organic content. It has mild winter and cool summers.
Temperate rainforest
Lush, species-rich forest biome found in
Central and South America, Africa,
and Southeast Asia. It occurs where the climate is warm and moist throughout the year and precipitation occurs almost daily. It has the highest species richness and variety of all biomes
Tropical rainforest
The most luxuriant of all plant communities. It is dominant in Southeast Asia
Tropical Lowland Evergreen Forest
Intermediate between the lowland evergreen rain forest and the upper montane rain forest. It has a elevation between c. 800 - 1300 m altitude.
Tropical Lower Montane Rain Forest
It is commonly called “mossy forest”. The floristic composition is relatively complex.
Tropical Upper Montane Rain Forest
Typically dwarfed with twisted stems and branches. Grasses and sedges dominate with few herbaceous elements.
Tropical Subalpine Forest
Generally lower in stature than that on normal soils. It has a number of leguminous tress which are dominant in this area
Forest over Limestone
Often called ultrabasics or serpentines. the original forest on ultramafic rocks
Forest over Ultramafic rocks
Occurs in areas where the water table is higher than the surrounding areas. The surface is markedly convex or dome-shaped
Peat Swamp Forest
Often referred as the forest of the sea. It is one of the most valuable ecosystem in the world
Mangrove Forest
Regularly to occasionally inundated with mineral-rich freshwater from rivers and streams. Deep peat and is solely dependent on rain as source of water.
Freshwater Swamp Forest
Limited in the Philippines. Buttress remain frequent in both evergreen and deciduous trees
Tropical Semi-evergreen Rain Forest
Found on coastal hills or the leeward side of mountains. Dipterocarpaceae are much less abundant or even totally absent
Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest
Aquatic biomes
Zonation, Lakes, Streams and Rivers
