Bio Final: ECOSYSTEM HOW DOES IT ALL WORK? Flashcards
ecosystem
a community of different organisms (biotic or abiotic) interacting with each other and their environment
Biotic
-living, aquatic or terrestrial
Abiotic
-non living, temperature, air, pH, water, Climate
Gaia
the planet as an ecosystem
Ecology
the science of how organisms interact with each other and their environment
globalization
connected by economy
Ecosystem Characteristics
-habitat, ecological niche and range of tolerance
Habitat (ecological characteristic)
physical space occupied by a species or population. “home range”
Ecological Niche (ecological characteristic)
the physical location where a species lives and the role a species plays in a ecosystem
-ex) pollinator, predator, decomposer, prey
Range of Tolerance (ecological characteristic)
limiting factors that regulate or control population growth. Ex) aquatic, terrestrial
Aquatic Range of Tolerance
light penetration, water currents, dissolved O2, dissolved nutrients, temperature, pressure (depth)
Terrestrial Range of Tolerance
sunlight, temperature, precipitation, wind, latitude, altitude, soil
Components of an Ecosystem
species, population, community
Species (components of an ecosystem)
groups of genetic similar organisms that can reproduce either asexually or sexually.
asexual reproduction
bacteria
sexual reproduction
genetic material from parents passed to offspring (genetic diversity: gene pool)
Population (components of an ecosystem)
a group of interacting individuals of the same species that occupy a specific area= habitat: characteristics= size, age distribution, density(# of individuals per unit space) and genetic composition
Community (components of an ecosystem)
a number of different populations living together in a specified habitat
Food Chains/Food Webs/Food Pyramids
-autotrophs (producers), heterotrophs (consumers), Biotroph
Autotrophs (food chain etc)
producers; organisms that produce their own food (nutrients) from the environment: plants (photosynthesis) or bacteria (chemosynthesis)
Heterotrophs (food chain etc)
consumers; organisms that get their energy by feeding on other organisms (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, insectivores, scavengers, detritivores, decomposers)
herbivores
feed on plants
frugivores
feed on fruits (toucans)
granivore
feed on seeds (kangaroo rats)
pollinivore
feeds on plant pollen (plant eater)
carnivore
feed on other consumers (polar bear, lion, great white shark)
omnivore
feed on plants and animals (bears, humans)
insectivore
feed on insects (bats)
scavengers
feed on dead organisms (ravens, vultures)
detritivores
feed on waste produced by other organisms
decomposers
breakdown/recycle dead material (organic matter) nutrients=release of inorganic material into the soil and water as nutrients for producers (ex dung beetles: coprophagous, copronecrophagous or necrophagus)
necromones
attracting odors
Biotroph
nonlethal parasite
necrotroph
parasitoid: kills or sterilizes the host; ultimately kills the host
trophic levels
feeding level=producers or consumers ex) sunlight to plants (first tropic level; producers) to insects (secondary trophic level: primary consumers) to birds (third tropic level: secondary consumers) to coyotes (fourth trophic level: tertiary consumers) to detritivores/decomposers (all trophic levels)
biomass
total available energy at each trophic level (organic and inorganic); amount of usable energy at each level declines
