Ch 52 Introduction to Ecology Flashcards
Ecology
The scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the environment
Interactions between organisms and the environment determine what?
The distribution of organisms and their abundance
Modern ecology includes what two things?
1) Observation
2) Experimentation
Landscape ecology
Focuses on the exchange of energy, materials, and organisms across ecosystems
Ecosystem
The community of organisms in an area and the physical factors with which they interact
Ecosystem ecology
Emphasizes energy flow and chemical cycling among the various biotic and abiotic components
Community
A group of populations of different species in an area
Community ecology
Deals with the interactions of species in a community
Population
A group of individuals of the same species living in an area
Population ecology
Focuses on factors effecting population size over time
Organismal ecology
Studies how physiology and (for animals) behavior meet environmental challenges
Physiology
An organism’s structure
Organismal ecology includes (1) ___ ___, (2)___ ___, and (3)___ ___
1) Physiological ecology
2) Behavioral ecology
3) Evolutionary ecology
Climate
The long-term prevailing weather conditions in an area
Four major components of climate
1) Temperature
2) Precipitation
3) Sunlight
4) Winde
Macroclimate
Consists of patterns on the global, regional, and landscape level
Microclimate
Consists of patterns on finer scales
What two factors cause seasonality at high latitudes?
1) Tilt of the Earth’s axis
2) Annual passage of the Earth around the sun
What factors produce regions of high rainfall, deserts, and trade winds?
1) Rotation of the Earth
2) Warm air rising at the equator
Equator
Area of high fainfall
Trade winds
Horizontal winds
What three things moderate the climates of nearby terrestrial environments?
1) Oceans
2) Ocean currents
3) Large lakes
During the day, air (1)___ over (2)___ land and draws a (3)___ breeze from the water across the land
1) Rises
2) Warm
3) Cool
During the night, air (1)___ over (2)___ and draws a (3)___ breeze from the land across the water
1) Falls
2) Cool
3) Cool
Rising, cooling air (1)___ moisture on the (2)___ side of a peak
1) Releases
2) Windward
Air (1)___ moisture on the (2)___ side of a peak
1) Absorbs
2) Leeward
What determines a microclimate?
Fine-scale differences in the environment that affect light and wind patterns
Two factors the characterize the difference in environments:
1) Abiotic factors
2) Biotic factors
Abiotic
Includes nonliving attributes
Temperature, light, water, and nutrients
Biotic
Includes other organisms that are part of an individual’s environment
Biomes
Major life zones
Biomes are characterized by:
1) Vegetation type (terrestrial biomes)
2) Physical environment (aquatic biomes)
(1)___ is the predominant factor in determining why (2)___ ___ are fond in certain areas
1) Climate
2) Terrestrial biomes
Terrestrial biomes are often named for what?
1) Major physical or climate factors
2) Vegetation
Ecotone
The area of intergradiation between terrestrial biomes
Is an ecotone wide or narrow?
It can be either wide or narrow
Disturbance
An event that changes a community
Three major disturbances:
1) Storm
2) Fire
3) Human activity
In terms of area, do terrestrial or aquatic biomes account for the largest part o the biosphere?
Aquatic biomes
Aquatic biomes show less ___ ___ than terrestrial biomes
Latitudinal variation
What is the largest marine biome?
The ocean
Many aquatic biomes are stratified into distinct layers defined by:
1) Light penetration
2) Temperature
3) Depth
Pelagic zone
The open photic and aphotic zones
Benthic zone
Sediment at the bottom
Abyssal zone
2,000 to 6,000 meters in depth
Thermocline
A temperature boundary that separates the warm upper layer from the cold deeper layer
Turnover
Semiannual mixing of water
Large lakes undergo what process?
Turnover
Species distributions are the result of (1) ___ and (2)___ interactions through time
1) Ecological
2) Evolutionary
Ecological time
The minute-to-minute time frame of interactions between organisms and the environment
Evolutionary time
Spans many generations and captures adaptations through natural selection
Species transplants include what?
Organisms that are intentionally or accidentally relocated from their original environment
What does a successful species transplant indicate?
That the species’ potential range is larger than its actual range
What is one downside to species transplants?
They can disrupt the communities or ecosystems to which they have been introduced
Four questions to ask regarding why a species is absent from an area:
1) Does dispersal limit its distribution?
2) Does behavior limit its distribution?
3) Do biotic factors (other species) limit its distribution?
4) Do abiotic factors limit its distribution?
If dispersal limits a species from spreading into an area, what is indicated?
The area is inaccessible or insufficient time has passed for that species to spread into that area
If behavior limits a species from spreading into an area, what is indicated?
The presence of habitat selection
If biotic factors (other species) limit a species from spreading into an area, what is indicated?
The presence of predation, parasitism, competition, and/or disease
If abiotic factors limit a species from spreading into an area, what is indicated?
The presence of chemical factors or physical factors
Chemical factors include:
1) Water
2) Oxygen
3) Salinity
4) pH
5) Soil nutrients
Physical factors include:
1) Temperature
2) Light
3) Soil structure
4) Fire
5) Moisture
