Ch. 36 Communities and Ecosystems Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

Community

A

An assemblage of all the organisms living together and potentially interacting in a particular area

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Diversity

A

The variety of different kinds of organisms that make up a community (Species richness and abundance of each species)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Stability

A

Community’s ability to resist change and return to its original species composition after being disturbed
- depends on type of community/distrubance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Trophic Structure

A

The feeding relationship in an ecosystem

- determines the route of energy flow and the pattern of chemical cycling in an ecosystem

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What are the forces that tie populations together into communities?

A

1) Competition
2) Predation
3) Symbiosis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Example of Competition

A

1) Interspecific Competition

2) Competitive Exclusion Principle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

a contest between individuals of two populations that require a limited resource (helps structure communities)

A

Interspecific Competition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Concept that populations of two species cannot coexist in a community if their niches are nearly identical
- using resources more efficiently and having a reproductive advantage, one will outcompete the other

A

Competitive Exclusion Principle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Niche

A

A population’s role in its community

- the sum total of a population’s use of the biotic and abiotic resources of its habitat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

An interaction between species in which the predator eats the prey

A

Predation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Evolutionary change, in which adaptations in one species acts as a selective force on a second species, inducing adaptations that in turn act as a selective force on the first species

  • mutual influence on the evolution of two different interacting species
  • evolves thru natural selection
A

Coevolution

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Example of predation

A

Plants using chemical toxins and antipredator thorns

Bright colors, camouflage, mimicry

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Batesian Mimicry

A

A species that a predator eats looks like a different dangerous species.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Mullerian Mimicry

A

A mutual mimicry by 2 species, both harmful to the predator

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Why is it difficult to assess predation in natural communities?

A

Predators never drive species to extinction. With so many species, predators are prey too so their numbers are limited. Due to this, it is hard to assess when so many organisms are linked and continue to be linked.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Keystone Predator

A

A predator species that reduces the density of the strongest competitors in a community therefore maintain diversity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Symbiotic Relationship

3 types

A

An interaction between 2+ species in which one species lives in/on another

1) Parasitism 2) Commensalism 3) Mutualism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Parasitism

A

A parasite (predator) lives in/on the surface of a host, from which it derives its food

19
Q

Commensalism

A

One partner benefits without significantly affecting the other

20
Q

Mutualism

A

Both partners benefit

21
Q

A force that changes a biological community and usually removes organisms from it
- small ones tend to have positive effect

A

Disturbance

22
Q

Process of biological community change resulting from disturbance

A

Ecological succession

23
Q

Primary succession

A

Biological community arises in an area without soil

24
Q

Secondary Succession

A

Occurs where a disturbance has destroyed an existing biological community but left the soil intact

25
Q

How are disturbances a characteristic of many communities?

A

Fires (major one) and floods are examples.

In deciduous forest, decomposition occurs fast so no fire fuel. Grassland prairies depend on fire to avoid tree growth.

26
Q

All the organisms in a given area along with the ABIOTIC factors with which they interact

A

Ecosystem

27
Q

Passage of energy through components

- continuous new energy from sun

A

Energy Flow

Light -> Chemical -> Heat -> Chemical Cycling

28
Q

Circular moment of materials within the ecosystem. Involved abiotic and biotic.

A

Chemical cycling

29
Q

Food Chain

A

sequence of food transfer between trophic levels

30
Q

Quaternary Consumers

A

An organism that eats tertiary consumers

31
Q

Tertiary consumers

A

An organism that eats secondary consumers

32
Q

Secondary Consumer

A

An organism that eats primary consumers

33
Q

Primary Consumer

A

An organism that only eats autotrophs

34
Q

Producers

A

An organism that makes organic food molecules from inorganic raw material

35
Q

Detritivores

A

An organism that derives its energy from organic waste

36
Q

Detritus

A

Nonliving matter

37
Q

Decomposition

A

Breakdown of organic material to inorganic

38
Q

Food Web

A

A network of interconnecting food chains

- animals can be multiple consumers

39
Q

Biomass

A

Amount (mass) of organic material in an ecosystem

40
Q

Primary Productivity

A

Rate at which an ecosystem’s producers convert solar energy to chemical energy

41
Q

Part of an ecosystem where a chemical, such as carbon or nitrogen, accumulates or is stockpiled outside of living organisms

A

Abiotic Reservoir

42
Q

An increase in productivity of an aquatic ecosystem

  • balance of freshwater is easily upset by this increased
  • reduces species diversity if accelerated
A

Eutrophication

43
Q

An extensive region of land that includes one or more areas that are undisturbed by humans; surrounded by altered lands

A

Zoned Reserves

44
Q

What are the dominant pathways of water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous cyclic movements?

A

Water is driven by solar heat and the ocean.
Carbon is ran by plants but increased excessively by fossil fuel burning.
Nitrogen is from the atmosphere as main reservoir and driven by plants/soil bacteria though there can be excess by humans.
Phosphorous has a reservoir of rock in which it relies on weathering.