Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is ecology?
Ecology is “the study of
the relationships of organisms and their environment.”
What is ecology’s higher goal?
Understanding how variations in the distribution and abundance of species are affected by environmental factors
Interspecific vs. intraspecific competition
Interspecific- between species
Intraspecific- in species
What is an ecosystem?
A space in which organisms interact with one another and with environmental
factors
What is the largest ecosystem
biosphere
biomass
Is the weight of organic matter, often
stated in kilograms per square metre (kg/m2) or tonnes per hectare (t/ha
density
individuals per habitat
productivity
Gain of biomass
What is studied in ecology?
individual organisms: living entities that are genetically and physically discrete;
* populations: individuals of the same species that occur in space and time;
* species: individuals (and populations) that are capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring;
communities: populations of various species that occur together in the same space and time
* ecoscapes: mosaics of various kinds of community level patches over large areas, which are known as landscapes in terrestrial environments and as
seascapes in marine ones; and
* the biosphere: all space occupied by life on Earth.
What is autecology?
the study of the interaction between individual species with their environment
What is synecology?
The study of interactions among two or more species or a population with their environment.
Explain the scientific method:
- Formulate a question about the
natural world, - interpret it using the existing theory,
3.develop hypotheses, - reformulate them as null hypotheses,
- Test by research.
- If null hypothesis is incorrect additional examination, is required with the
intent of disproving it
