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AP Biology > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

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AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

population

A

group of individuals of one species living in one area w/ ability to interbreed and interact

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2
Q

community

A

all organisms living in one area

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3
Q

ecosystem

A

all organisms in given area, as well as abiotic factors with which they interact

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4
Q

abiotic factors

A

nonliving, temperature, water, sunglight, wind, rocks, soil

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5
Q

biosphere

A

global ecosystem

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6
Q

1. Size

5 properties of population

A

total number of individuals in population

represented by N

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7
Q

2. Density

5 properties of population

A
  • number of individuals per unit area or volume
  • counting number of organisms in area is very difficult, use sampling techniques to estimate
  • mark and recapture: organisms captured, tagged, then released → later same process repeated and formula used:

N = (number marked in first catch) x (total number in second catch) / number of recaptures in second catch

example of mark and recapture: 50 zebra mussels captured, marked, released → 1 week later, 100 zebra mussels captured and 10 found to have markings already = 500 zebra mussels

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8
Q

3. Dispersion

5 properties of population

A
  • pattern of spacing of individuals within area
  • most common pattern is clumped
  • some in uniform pattern
  • others are in random pattern
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9
Q

4. Survivorship Curves

5 properties of population

A
  • show size and composition of population
  • Type 1 = organisms with low death rates in young/middle age + high mortality in old age
  • Type 2 = species with death rate constant over life span
  • Type 3 = high death rate among young but death rates decline for few individuals that survived to certain age
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10
Q

5. Age Structure Diagrams

5 properties of population

A
  • shows relative numbers of individuals at each age
  • pyramid shape in developing nations
  • relatively uniform sturcture in developed nation: zero population growth
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11
Q

population growth

A
  • biotic potential: maximum rate at which population could increase under ideal conditions
  • factors: age at which reproduction begins, life span during which organisms capable of reproducing, number of reproductive periods in lifetime, number of offspring organism is capable of reproducing
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12
Q

exponential growth

A
  • simplest model for population growth is one with unrestrained
  • no predation, parasitism, competition
  • no immigration or emigration + environment with unlimited resources
  • usually short-lived
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13
Q

carrying capacity (K)

A
  • limit to number of individuals that can occupy one area at a time
  • carrying capacity which population size oscillates
  • changes as environment changes
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14
Q

limiting factors

A
  • factors that limit population growth
  • divided into density-dependent + density independent factors
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15
Q

density-dependent factors

A
  • factors that increase directly as population density increases
  • competition of food, buildup of wastes, predation, disease
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16
Q

density-independent factors

A
  • factors unrelated to population density
  • earthquakes, storms, naturally occuring fires and floods
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17
Q

growth patterns

A
  • some species opportunistic: reproduce rapidly when environment is uncrowded and resources vast (r-strategists)
  • live at density near carrying capacity (K-strategists)
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18
Q

r-strategists

A
  • many young
  • little or no parenting
  • rapid maturation
  • small young
  • reproduce once
  • e.g. insects
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19
Q

K-strategists

A
  • few young
  • intensive parenting
  • slow maturation
  • large young
  • reproduce many times
  • e.g. mammals
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20
Q

community ecology

A
  • species richness = number of different species in community
  • relative abundance another type of species diversity
  • diverse communities more productive because stable and survive for longer, able to better withstand environmental stresses or invasive species
  • interactions within community has 5 categories: competition, predation, herbivory, symbiosis, facilitation
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21
Q

1. Competition

5 categories in of interaction in community

A
  • Russian scientist G.F. Gause developed competitive exclusion principle after studying effects of interspecific competition in lab setting
  • when culturing plants seperately, each population grew rapidy and leveled off at carrying capacity
  • when culturing together, one had advantage and drove other species to extinction
  • 2 species cannot coexist in a community if they share a niche (same resources)
  • 2 other outcomes beside extinction if 2 species in 1 niche: resource partitioning (one species evolve through natural selection to exploit different resources) or character displacement (divergence in body structure, e.g. Galapagos finches)
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22
Q

2. Predation

5 categories in of interaction in community

A
  • one animal eating another animal/plant
  • animals + plants evolved defenses against predation
  • active defenses = hiding, fleeing, defending (costs energy)
  • passive defenses = cryptic coloration, camouflage

examples of passive defense: aposematic coloration = very bright colours of poisonous animals to warn predators, batesian mimcry = copycat coloration where harmless animal mimics a poisonous one, Müllerian mimicry = 2+ poisnous species resemble each other and gain advantage from combined numbers

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23
Q

3. Herbivory

5 categories in of interaction in community

A
  • interaction in which organism eats part of plant/alga
  • herbivores have special adaptation for grazing right plant body or flower (specialized teeth/modified digestive system)
  • plants also evolved to fend off attacks (spines, thorns, poisons)
24
Q

4. Symbiosis

5 categories in of interaction in community

A
  • 2+ species live in direct contact with each other
  • mutualism = both benefits
  • commensalism = one benefits and one unaware
  • parasitism = one benefits and one is harmed
25
Q

5. Facilitation

5 categories in of interaction in community

A

organisms have positive effects on other species without symbiosis

26
Q

energy flow + primary production

A
  • most solar radiation is absorbed/scattered/reflected, only 1% is converted to chemical bond energy by photosynthesis
  • solar energy basis for all of Earth’s food chains and fuels all life
  • 2 terms to discuss energy flow: gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP)
27
Q

gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP)

A

GPP = amount of light energy converted to chemical energy by photosyntehsis per unit time
NPP = GPP - energy used by producers for their own cellular respiration

28
Q

energy flow + food chain

A
  • pathway along which food is transferred through trophic levels
  • energy moves from producers to herbivores to carnivores
  • 10 percent of energy in any trophic level is converted to organic matter at the next trophic level
  • capped at 4/5 trophic levels because not enough energy
29
Q

diversity in an ecosystem

A
  • 2 components to species diversity (variety of kinds of organisms in community)
  • species richness = number of different species in community
  • relative abundance = proportion of different species within community
  • greater diversity = more stable and better to withstand invasive species, environmental stress
30
Q

dominant species

A
  • species that are most abundant or collectively has highest biomass
  • controls abundance/distribution of other species
31
Q

keystone species

A

not abundant in community but has control over other species

32
Q

bottom-up model

A
  • focuses on influence from lower to higher trophic levels
  • adding/removing predators will not effect bottom levels

increase of minerals available will increase biomass of producers and biomass on higher trophic levels

33
Q

top-down model

aka trophic cascade model

A
  • opposite of bottom-up
  • removing top carnivores increases abundance of lower primary carnivores, decreasing numbers of herbivores, increasing mass producers
34
Q

biological magnification

A

organisms at higher trophic levels have greater concentration of accumulated toxins in their bodies

35
Q

decomposers

A

not depicted in food chain, but very important to recycle nutrients back to soil

36
Q

ecological succession

A
  • most communities dynamic and not stable
  • major disturbances can destroy community or entire ecosystem
  • ecological succession = rebuilding of ecosystemj
  • primary ecological succession = lifeless area where soil is even removed
  • first organisms to inhabit area are pioneer organisms (lichens, mosses, etc)
  • after soil is present, pioneer organisms overrun by larger organisms (grasses, bushes, trees)
  • final stable community = climax community until it is destroyed by a blowout
  • secondary succession = existing community cleared by disturbance that leaves soil intact
37
Q

biomes

A
  • very large regions of earth whos distribution depends on amount of precipitation + temperature in area
  • characterized by dominant vegatation + animal
38
Q

tropical rain forest

A
  • found near equator with abundant rainfall, stable temperatures, high humidity
  • covers 4% of land but 20% of Earth’s net carbon fixation (food production)
  • most diversity of species of any biome
  • dominant trees very tall and forms dense canopy, keeping floor of forest dimly lit and prevents rain from falling directly onto forest floor but leaves drip rain constantly
  • trees covered with epiphytes, photosynthetic plants that grow on other trees rather than supporting themselves
  • biodiversity hotspots (many species endangered)
39
Q

desert

A
  • under 25 cm of rainfall per year
  • most extreme temperature fluctuations (daytime surface temperatures at 70°C, no moderating influence of vegetation, heat is lost rapidy at night, temperatures drop drastically after sundow)
  • plants: cactus (shallow roots to capture more rain during hard/short rains), sagebrush, creosote bush, mesquite
  • small annual plants that germinate only after hard rain, send up shoots + flowers, produce seeds, die (over a few weeks)
  • most animals active night or during early morning period or late afternoon (not intense heat), remains cool by burrowing underground or in the shade
  • cacti expands to hold extra water and has spines to protect against animals attacking for water
  • animals: rodents, kangaroo rats, snakes, lizards, arachnids, insects, few birds
40
Q

temperate grassland

A
  • covers huge areas in both temperate + tropical regions
  • characterized by low total annual rainfall or uneven seasonal occurence of rainfall, inhospitable for forests
  • grazing mammals (bison, pronghorn antelope, wildebeest, gazelle) and burrowing mammals (prairie dogs, other rodents)
41
Q

conifer forest - taiga

A
  • located in northern Canada + north
  • dominated by conifer forests, like spruce + fir
  • landscape dotted with lakes, ponds, bogs
  • very cold winters
  • largest terrestrial biome
  • heavy snowfall, trees shaped with branches directed downward to prevent heavy accumulation of snow from breaking branches
  • large mammals (moose, black bear, lynx, elk, wolverines, martens, porcupines)
  • flying insects + birds prevalent in summer
  • greater variety in species of animals than tundra
42
Q

tundra

A
  • located in far northern parts of NA, EU, AS
  • characterized by permafrost, permanently frozen subsoil found in farthest point north
  • commonly referred to as frozen desert because very little rainfall + rainfall cannot penetrate frozen ground
  • appearance of gently rolling plains with many lakes, ponds, bogs in depressions
  • a lot of insects (esp flies) so many birds nest in tundra in summer and migrate south for winter
  • mammals: reindeer, caribou, arctic wolves, arctic foxes, arctic hares, lemmings, polar bears
  • many organisms but small number of species
  • high arctic tundra is strong carbon sink
43
Q

aquatic biomes

A
  • 75% of Earth
  • not characterized by single dominant group of organisms
  • primary distinction is salinity
  • freshwater = salinity of under 0.1%, includes rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands, groundwater, 4% of Earth’s equatic biomes
  • estuaries = located at mouths of rivers where saltwater + freshwater mix, salt marshes + mangrove forests, support a lot of animals
  • marine biome = salinity of 3%, largest biome (covers 75% of earth), most stable biome with stable temp (water has high heat capacity), provides most of Earth’s food + oxygen, divided into different regions classified by amount of sunlight they receive/distance from shore/water depth/open water or ocean bottom
44
Q

chemical cycles

A
  • chemicals must be recycled on Earth
  • carbon, nitrogen, water cycle
45
Q

the water cycle

A
  • evaporates from Earth, forms clouds, rains over oceans and land
  • some rain percolates through sokil and makes its way back to seas
  • some evaporates directly from land, but most evaporates from plants by transpiration
  • 97% in oceans, 2% in glaciers/polar ice caps, 1% in lakes/rivers/ground water
46
Q

the carbon cycle

A
  • reciprocal processes of photosynthesis + respiration
  • cell respiration by animals + bacterial decomposers adds CO2 to air and removes O2
  • burning of fossil fuels adds CO2 to air
  • photosynthesis removes CO2 from air and adds O2
  • major reservoir of carbon is fossil fuels, plant + animal biomass
  • carbon found in soil, in dissolved carbon compounds in oceans, in sediments in equatic ecosystems, in atmosphere as CO2 and CO
47
Q

the nitrogen cycle

A
  • very little nitrogen enters ecosystems directly from air, most through bacterial processes
  • nitrogen-fixing bactera in nodules in roots of legumes and convert free nitrogen into ammonium ion
  • nitrifying bacteria convert ammonium ion into nitrites then into nitrates
  • denitrifying bacteria convert nitrates (NO3) into free atmospheric **nitrogen **
  • bacteria of decay deocmpose organic matter into ammonia
  • main reservoir of nitrogen is atmosphere, also found in soil, in lake, river, ocean sediments, also fixed into animal/plant biomass
48
Q

humans and biosphere

A
  • humans threaten to make Earth uninhabitable as population increases exponentially
  • waste natural resources, destroy animal habitats, pollute air/water
49
Q

eutrophication of lake

A
  • disrupted freshwater ecosystems
  • runoff from sewage + manure from pastures increases nutrients in lakes and cause excessive growth of algae or other plants
  • shallow areas choked with weeds - swimming and boating impossible
  • large populations of photosynthetic organisms die and organic material accumulates on lake bottom (reduces depth) and detrivores use up oxygen to decompose dead organic matter
  • lower oxygen levels make impossible for fish to live, as they die, deocomposers expand activity and oxygen levels continue to decrease
  • cycles until lake disappears
50
Q

acid rain

A
  • caused by pollutants in air from combustion of fossil fuels
  • nitrogen + sulfur pollutants in air turn into nitric, nitrous, sulfurous, sulfuric acids which cause pH of rain to be less than 5.6
  • kills organisms in lakes and damages architecture
51
Q

toxins

A
  • toxins gotten in food chain
  • lifestock feed contain antibiotics/hormones to accelerate animal growth but may affect humans
  • carcinogens or tetragens that get into food chain accumulate and remain in human body’s fatty tissues
52
Q

global warming

A
  • greenhouse effect: CO2 + water vapor in atmosphere absorb + retain much of light/heat from sun
  • atmospheric CO2 levels increased by >40% during last 150 years because of fossil fuels + deforestation
  • impact in north, snow/ice melts to uncover dark, more absorbent surfaces and gets worse
  • higher temperatures increase risk of fire
  • melting polar ice causes sea to rise resulting in coastal and inland flooding, flash floods, erosion
  • only solution to global warming to reduce CO2 emissions by industrialized nations + reduce deforestation
  • forests absorbs CO2 from atmosphere as they grow, also stores carbon in wood/leaves/soil
  • forests release CO2 when cut down (accounts for 12% of greenhouse emissions)
  • solution to pay countries not to cut down forests
53
Q

acidification of oceans

A
  • carbon dioxide from atmosphere dissolves in ocean by combining w/ H2O to form carbonic acid
  • oceans rapidy more acidic
  • direction results in decrease in concentration of carbonate ions in ocean (important for organisms)
54
Q

depleting the ozone layer

A
  • accumulations in air of chlorofluorocarbons (chemicals used for refrigerants + aerosol cans) have caused formation of hole in protective ozone layer
  • allows more UV light to reach Earth, which is responsible for skin cancer
55
Q

introducing new species

A
  • can threaten native wildlife and decrease biodiversity
  • nonnative species with no predators can grow without limit
  • invasive species outcompete, displace, kill native species
  • spread by human activity unintentionally (ship’s ballast water, wood, shipping, pets)
  • billions spent annually to remove
56
Q

pesticides

A
  • developed to kill undesirable organisms
  • can save lives by increasing food production and killing animals that carry disease
  • exposure can also cause cancer
  • can also develop more resistant pests meaning they need to sprayed more
57
Q

types of biological control

A
  • crop rotation (change crop planted)
  • introduce natural enemies (careful not to introduce invasive species)
  • use natural plant toxins
  • use insect birth control (male insect pests sterilized by radiation then released to unsuccessfully mate)

AP Biology (14 decks)

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