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Chapter 2 Flashcards

1
Q

Ecosystem

A

system composed of living organisms and their physical environment

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2
Q

Biosphere

A

is composed of all of the earth’s ecosystems; all are interconnected

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3
Q

Environment

A

consists of all of the external factors acting on that organism

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4
Q

Abiotic Factors

A

physical factors; temperature,
salinity, pH, sunlight

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5
Q

Biotic Factors

A

biological factors; living organisms and their interactions with each other (plants & animals)

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6
Q

Habitat

A

specific place where an organism is found

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7
Q

Microhabitats

A

smaller subdivisions of a habitat

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8
Q

Homeostasis

A

the internal steady state of a cell or an organism

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9
Q

Optimal Range

A

range of environmental factors to which an organism is best adapted

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10
Q

Zones of Stress

A

regions above and below the optimal range of environmental variables

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11
Q

Zones of Intolerance

A

regions where an environmental variable is so far from optimal range that the organism cannot survive

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12
Q

Phytoplankton

A

are photosynthetic organisms (mostly microscopic plantlike organisms and bacteria) that float in the oceans currents

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13
Q

Ectotherms

A

animals that obtain most of their body heat from the environment

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14
Q

Endotherms

A

animals that obtain most of their body heat from metabolism

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15
Q

Metabolism

A

the sum of all of the chemical reactions that occur within cells

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16
Q

Salinity

A

a measure of the concentration of dissolved inorganic salts in the water

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17
Q

Solutes

A

substances dissolved in water

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18
Q

Osmosis

A

movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration

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19
Q

Nutrients

A

organic and inorganic materials that an organism needs to metabolize, grow, and reproduce

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20
Q

Limiting nutrients

A

those that limit the distribution of marine organisms (e.g. Nitrogen)

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21
Q

Eutrophication

A

the process whereby a body of water becomes enriched with nutrients

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22
Q

Oxygen

A

byproduct of photosynthesis via phytoplankton, seaweeds, and plants

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23
Q

Geographic Range

A

geographic area within which a population is found

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23
Q

Aerobic Organisms (aerobes)

A

organisms that require oxygen; plants, algae, animals, and the majority of marine microbes

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23
Population
is a group of the same species that occupies a specific area - every population has geographic boundaries
24
Anaerobic Organisms (anaerobes)
organisms that can survive in an environment that lacks oxygen; deep sea, sediments, salt marshes
24
Sampling techniques
used to estimate population size Can estimate size by dividing into smaller plots, counting total in plots and multiplying Can also estimate size by using mark-recapture methods
25
Population Density
the number of individuals per unit area or volume
26
Dispersion
pattern of spacing among individuals within the range
27
Clumped
densely packed into patches
28
Uniform
individuals are evenly spaced
29
Random
spacing unpredictable pattern
30
Generation Time
average time between an individual’s birth and the birth of its offspring
31
Survivorship
Refers to how long, on average, an individual of given age could be expected to live
32
Survivorship Curves
Type I: Low early mortality Few offspring, Good care Whales) Type III: High mortality early Many offspring, Little care (Fishes, Bivalves) Type II: Constant mortality
33
Life History
Can be divided into three phases: birth, reproduction, death
34
Clutch Size (fecundity)
number of offspring produced each time an organism reproduces
35
Once
all energy into one event
36
Repeatedly
must divide energy among maintenance, growth, and reproduction
37
Age at First Reproduction
Timing can impact reproductive output (earlier) and quality and size (later)
38
Biological fitness
survival of offspring to reproduce
39
Recruitment
addition of new members to a population through reproduction or immigration
40
Larval Settlement
aquatic larvae leave the water column and settle on the bottom
41
Density-Dependent Factor
population regulating factors that have a greater effect as the population size increases (availability of resources)
42
Density-Independent Factor
population regulating factors that are not related to population size (climate & weather)
43
r-Strategist
an organism that reproduces early and produces large numbers of offspring
44
K-Strategist
an organism that seems to maximize its carrying capacity
45
Community
a group of interacting populations that inhabit a specific area
46
Niche
role a species plays in a community
47
Fundamental Niche
broadest possible niche a population can occupy
48
Realized Niche
portion of a fundamental niche that a population actually occupies
49
Interspecific Competition
competition between species
50
Intraspecific Competition
competition among members of the same species
51
Competitive Exclusion
local extinction of the less successful competitor in a competitive situation
52
Resource Partitioning
a process that allows organisms to share a resource
53
Herbivores
animals that eat vegetation
54
Carnivores
animals that eat other animals
55
Keystone Species
A species that effects the population of any species more that one trophic level away from it.
56
Symbiosis
situation in which two different organisms live together in close association
57
Mutualism
both partners benefit
58
Commensalism
One partner benefits; the other does not but is not harmed
59
Parasitism
one partner benefits at the expense of the other
60
Host
member that supports the parasite and is harmed by the relationship
61
Photosynthesis
process whereby the energy of sunlight is captured and stored in organic molecules
62
Autotroph (producer)
organism that can produce its own food
63
Primary Productivity
the rate at which energy-rich food molecules are being produced from inorganic materials
64
Light-Dark Bottle method
experimental method for determining primary production
65
Light bottle
oxygen levels should either increase or decrease less than dark bottle (depending if Photosynthesis > Respiration)
66
Dark bottle
oxygen levels should decrease due to respiration (no photosynthesis)
67
Heterotrophs (consumers)
organism that relies on other organisms for food
68
First-order (primary consumers)
animals that feed on producers
69
Second-order (secondary consumer)
carnivores that feed on herbivores
70
Third order (tertiary consumers)
carnivores that feed on carnivores
71
Omnivores
organism that relies on other organisms for food
72
Detritivores
organisms that feed on detritus (animal waste and decaying tissue)
73
Decomposers
animals that break down the tissue of dead organisms and recycle nutrients
74
Food Chain
linear feeding relationship that links producers and consumers
75
Food Web
complex network of feeding relationships among producers and consumers
76
Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM)
lost in water column
77
Trophic Levels
position a food chain or web that indicates an organism’s feeding relationship
78
Ecological Efficiency
the % of energy that is taken as food by one trophic level and passed on as food to the next higher level
79
10% Rule
on average only 10% of the energy available at one trophic is passed along to the next
80
Energy Pyramid
represents the flow of energy from one trophic level to the next Shows that energy decreases with each level and number of organisms it supports
81
Pyramid of Biomass
pyramid representing amount of all living tissue at each trophic level
82
Pyramid of Numbers
indicates relative number of all organisms at each trophic level
83
Biogeochemical Cycle
combination of all biological, physical, and chemical processes that are involved in recycling nutrients in an ecosystem
84
Precipitation nuclei
airborne particulates that attract water droplets; e.g. Sea salts
85
Carbon Cycle
CO2 reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid which forms bicarbonate ions which combine with calcium to form calcium carbonate
86
Pelagic Division
the water portion of the ocean
87
Water column
water in the ocean
88
Benthic Division
ocean bottom
89
Neretic Province
water over continental shelf
90
Oceanic Province
water covers deep ocean basins
91
Photic Zone
region of the water column where sunlight can support photosynthesis
92
Disphotic (Twilight) Zone
region where not enough light for photosynthesis
93
Aphotic Zone
region where sunlight is absent
94
Plankton
organisms that drift in ocean currents
95
Nekton
organisms that are active swimmers and can move against the ocean currents
96
Neuston
small plankton that float at or near the surface of the ocean
97
Intertidal Zone
region of ocean bottom covered with water only during high tide
98
Shelf Zone
region of ocean bottom that extends from the line of lowest tide to the edge of the continental shelf
99
Bathyl Zone
region of ocean bottom that extends from the edge of the continental shelf to a depth of 4,000m
100
Abyssal Zone
4,000-6,000m
101
Hadal Zone
> 6,000m
102
Epifauna
benthic organisms that live on bottom sediments
103
Infauna
benthic organisms that live in bottom sediments

MARE 171 (10 decks)

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