ecology Flashcards
ecology
the study of the interactions of organisms with their environment
abiotic factors + factors
Non living things that make up the physical environment
water, soil
biotic factors + example
livings things within physical environment
plants, animals, fungi
terrestrial ecosystem + aquatic ecosystem
teco» ecosystem contained on land
continents of islands, water is limiting factor
aeco» ecosystem containe in H2O
Freshwater - lakes + rivers
Saltwater - oceans
autotrophs
create their own carbon compounds from CO2 in atmosphere
Heterotrophs
Obtain carbon compounds from other organisms
auto + hetero?
Euglina
Producers
trap the energy in sunlight, converting the kJ-> carbohydrates
omnivores
eat both producers and consumers
dentrivores
heterotrophs that obtain nutrients from detritus by internal digestion
saprotrophs
obtain nutrients from dead organic matter by external digestion
decomposers
consume dead plants and animal remains, turning them into substances that can be reused
scavengers
eat dead animal remains to obtain energy
Food chain
sequence of organisms through which energy is passed
usually 2-5 organisms in a food chain
aerobic cellular respiration
how CO2 is returned to the atmosphere/water
CO2 which is waste product of cellular respiration, diffuses out of cells to enter the atmosphere/H2O
what organisms do cell respirations
Plants
Animals
Saprotrophs
Cell respiration equation
C6 H12 O6 -> 6CO2 + 6H2O
carbon sink
situations where carbon is bound up + not available for use by autotrophs
peat
Limestone
fossilized organic matter
niche
Combination of spatial habitat and interactions with other species
Carrying capacity
Number of idvs of population that can survive in a given area
combo of different limiting factors
l2g-> materials and energy
Availability of kJ, H2O, carbon and other materials
l2g-> food chains
limitations of population at any tropic level depending on the levels below it
l2g-> competitions
intraspecific competition - comp between members of the same species
interspecific comp- comp between member of different species
l2g-> density
number of idvs in an area at one time.
density limiting factors + ex
factors that affect populations as it increases
disease, aggression, stress
density independent limiting factors
factors that affect populations regardless of size
flood
fire
tornado
hurricane
nitrogen fixation
conversion of unusable N2 gas in atmosphere to ammonia (NH3)
How does N fixation occur?
1) lightning strike
2) bacteria in nodules on some plant roots (beans, peas, clover)
3) free living bacteria in the soil
biodegradable waste and chemicals
waste and chemicals can be decomposed naturally by the ecosystem
non- biodegradable + ex
waste and chemicals can’t be decomposed naturally by the ecosystem
plastics, styrofoam, metal
nonbio waste +chem
waste ) responsible for large garbage dump are found to going through waterways into gyres in the ocean
Chem) chems have high persistence, meaning they slowly breakdown into the bodies of organisms that come into contact with them
bioaccumulation
build up of chemicals in the body of an organism
absorbed into organisms faster than they break down
large build up of chemicals = become toxic
biomagnification
The increase of toxic substances within organisms as you move up the food chain
eutrophication
Eutrophication is the build up of nutrients in an aquatic ecosystem
endemic
species native to area
Alien
species not native but introduced by humans
Invasive species
impacts of alien species are usually significant if it increases in numbers and spreads rapidly
Greenhouse effect
When heat reflected from the earth’s surface gets trapped by particular gases
water vapor
carbon
methane
greenhouse gases
climate change
Increasing temperature of the earth
causing ice caps to melt
-> ocean levels rises but change in ocean currents
Ocean currents ->
changes weather pattern, increased number of storms
drought
severe cold/heat
biodiversity
different kinds of life you’ll find in one area
Sustainability
Meeting our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
ammonification
Dead organic matter/ animal waste converted -> ammonia by decomposers (bacteria/fungi)
Nitrification 1
when ammonia enters ________ through what?
when ammonia enters soil through N fixation
Nitrification 2
Converts __________ into what? (NO3- and NO2-)
Converts ammonia into nirates
Nitrification 3
Nitrosamas and Nitrobacter
Done be those bacteria in soil
Nitrosamas= converts ammonia»_space; NO2-
Nitrobacter = converts ammonia»_space; NO3-
Dentrification
Done by bacteria: Clostridium and Pseudomonas which lives in soil, they convert nitrate -> N2
Must occur in anaerobic conditions in soil
