ECOLOGY Flashcards
Ecology
The study of interactions between organisms and the living and nonliving components of their environment
What is interdependence
Interdependence is a theme in ecology—one change can affect all species in an ecosystem.
Levels of organization
biosphere, ecosystem, community, population, and organism.
What is the biospehere
The broadest, most inclusive level of organization is the biosphere, the volume of Earth and its atmosphere that supports life.
What is the biosphere composed of?
The biosphere is composed of smaller units called ecosystems.
An ecosystem includes all of the organisms and the nonliving environment found in a particular place.
What is a community?
A community is all the interacting populations living in an area.
What does biotic and abiotic factors mean?
Both biotic, or living, factors and abiotic, or nonliving, factors influence organisms.
Examples of abiotic factors are climate (temperature & precipitation), sunlight, and pH.
What is a tolerance curve?
Each organism is able to survive within a limited range of abiotic conditions/tolerated
What is acclimation?
Some organisms can adjust their tolerance to abiotic factors through the process of acclimation.
What is the niche?
-Range of conditions that the species can tolerate
-The resources it uses
-The methods by which it obtains resources
-The number of offspring it has
-Its time of reproduction
-All other interactions with its environment
Resource partitioning:
use of the resource in a slightly different way or at a different time to allow both species to use the same resource
Generalist
Broad niches
Can tolerate a range of conditions
Use a variety of resources
Invasive Species
ex) opossum
Specialist
Narrow niches
Use specific resources
Keystone Species
Endangered Species
ex) koala
Does the OZONE layer reflect radiation from the sun’s UV radiation?
No, it absorbs it
How much percentage does nitrogen make up in the atmosphere?
78%
Where is the good ozone located?
Located in stratosphere
Protects us from UV radiation from the sun
Where is the bad ozone located?
Located in the troposphere
Formed when pollutants emitted by human activities react chemically in the presence of sunlight
NOx (automobiles) + Sunlight= ozone
What is SMOG made out of?
Smog= water vapor mixed with chemicals that result from human activity
Chemicals it’s made up of: Nitrogen (NOx) or Sulfur oxides (SOx) + organic molecules (VOC’s) + bad ozone + sunlight
Sources: burning fossil fuels
Vehicles, homes, industry
Effect: causes respiratory problems
What are air pollution sources?
Sulfur (SOx) from burning fossil fuels (homes, industry)
Nitrogen (NOx) from driving vehicles
What is Species richness
number of species w/in ecosystem
What is species evenness
relative number of individuals of each species in the ecosystem
What is species diversity
species richness + evenness. The more rich and even, the higher the species diversity
