Ecology Flashcards
Ecology:
1. A structural and functional unit of ecology where the living organisms interact with each other and the surrounding environment.
2. An _________ can be classified into terrestrial or aquatic.
Ecosystem
Ecology:
Structure of the Ecosystem:
1. Refers to all living components in an ecosystem.
Biotic Components
Ecology:
Structure of the Ecosystem:
1. Are the non-living component of an ecosystem.
Abiotic Components
Ecology:
Structure of the Ecosystem:
Biotic Categories:
1. Include all autotrophs that can produce food through the process of photosynthesis.
Producers
Ecology:
Structure of the Ecosystem:
Biotic Categories:
1. Heterotrophs
2. Organisms that depend on other organisms for food.
Consumers
Ecology:
Structure of the Ecosystem:
Biotic Categories:
1. Organisms that directly thrive on the dead and decaying organic matter.
Decomposers
Ecology:
Functional Unit of an Ecosystem:
1. Refers to the rate of biomass production.
Productivity
Ecology:
Functional Unit of an Ecosystem:
1. The sequential process through which energy flows from one trophic level to another.
Energy Flow
Ecology:
Functional Unit of an Ecosystem:
1. The process of breakdown of dead organic material.
Decomposition
Ecology:
Functional Unit of an Ecosystem:
1. The recycling of consumed nutrients back in various forms for the utilization of various organisms.
Nutrient Cycling
Ecology:
Ecosystem Classification:
1. Exclusively land-based ecosystems distributed around geological zones.
Terrestrial Ecosystem
Ecology:
Terrestrial Ecosystem Classification:
1. Consists of several plants, particularly trees, animals, and microorganisms that live in coordination with the abiotic factors.
2. Helps maintain the temperature of the Earth and are the major carbon sink.
Forest Ecosystem
Ecology:
Terrestrial Ecosystem Classification:
1. The vegetation is dominated by grasses and ferns.
Grassland Ecosystem
Ecology:
Terrestrial Ecosystem Classification:
1. Devoid of trees and are around in cold climates or where rainfall is scarce.
2. These are covered with snow for most of the year and are found in the Arctic or mountain tops.
Tundra Ecosystem
Ecology:
Terrestrial Ecosystem Classification:
1. Regions with little rainfall and scarce vegetation.
Desert Ecosystem
Ecology:
Ecosystem Classification:
1. Ecosystems present in a body of water
Aquatic Ecosystem
Ecology:
Aquatic Ecosystem Classification:
1. Aquatic ecosystem with no salt content.
Freshwater Ecosystem
Ecology:
Aquatic Ecosystem Classification:
1. Aquatic ecosystem with substantial salt content and greater biodiversity in comparison to the freshwater ecosystem.
Marine Ecosystem
Ecology:
1. Refers to the events in an ecosystem, where one living organism eats another organism, and later that organism is consumed by another larger organism.
Food Chain
Ecology:
Types of Food Chain
Detritus and Grazing Food Chain
Ecology:
Types of Food Chain:
1. Begins with dead organic material and passes into decomposers which are further eaten.
Detritus Food Chain
Ecology:
Types of Food Chain:
1. Starts with green plants that performs photosynthesis which are further eaten.
Grazing Food Chain
Ecology:
Food Chain:
1. Formed by several interconnected food chains.
Food Web
Ecology:
1. A graphical representation of the relationship between the different living organisms at different trophic levels.
Ecological Pyramid
Ecology:
Types of Ecological Pyramid:
1. A graphical representation to show the number of organisms ta each trophic level of an ecosystem.
Pyramid of Numbers
Ecology:
Types of Ecological Pyramid:
1. In this particular type of ecological pyramid, each level takes into account the amount of biomass produces by each trophic level.
Pyramid of Biomass
Ecology:
Types of Ecological Pyramid:
1. A graphical representation of the energy level and energy flow in different trophic levels of an ecosystem.
Pyramid of Energy
Ecology:
1. Process by which the mix of species and habitats change over time.
Ecological Succession
Ecology:
Stages of Ecological Succession
- Nudation
- Invasion
- Competition and CO-action
- Reaction
- Stabilization or Climax
Ecology:
Stages of Ecological Succession:
1. The formation of a nude or bare area
Nudation
Ecology:
Stages of Ecological Succession:
1. The arrival of the propagules or the reproductive bodies of different organisms that can settle on the bare area.
Invasion
Ecology:
Stages of Ecological Succession:
1. The population of the invasive species increases in number within a limited space.
Competition and Co-Action
Ecology:
Stages of Ecological Succession:
1. The environment molds itself or changes under the organisms’ influence.
Reaction
Ecology:
Stages of Ecological Succession:
1. The area become more stable and stay there for a longer time
Stabilization or Climax
Ecology:
Types of Ecological Succession:
1. Starts in a barren area, never having vegetation of any type where no living organisms ever existed,
2. Succession is slower.
Primary Succession
Ecology:
Types of Ecological Succession:
1. Starts in an area that somehow lost all the living organisms that existed there,
2. Succession is faster.
Secondary Succession
Ecology:
Types of Ecological Succession:
1. Pattern of vegetation chain in which in a small number of species tend to replace each other over time in the absence of large-scale disturbance.
Cyclic Succession
Ecology:
Types of Ecological Succession:
1. Ecological succession driven by biotic factor in that specific community.
Autogenic Succession
Ecology:
Types of Ecological Succession:
1. Ecological succession driven by abiotic factors of the community.
Allogenic Succession
Ecology:
Ecological Succession:
Types of Successional Communities:
1. The one that sets first in a barren area
Pioneer Community
Ecology:
Ecological Succession:
Types of Successional Communities:
1. The last community in biotic succession, which is relatively stable and is in near equilibrium with the environment of that area.
Climax Community
Ecology:
Ecological Succession:
Types of Successional Communities:
1. The intermediate stage of ecological succession that follows the pioneer community and advances towards the climax community.
2. Contributes to the formation of a stable community.
Transitional or Seral Community
Ecology:
Ecological Succession:
Types of Successional Communities:
Types of Seral Succession:
1. When succession takes place in dry areas.
Xerosere
Ecology:
Ecological Succession:
Types of Successional Communities:
Types of Seral Succession:
1. When succession takes place on aquatic habitats where water is plenty.
Hydrosere
Ecology:
Ecological Succession:
Types of Successional Communities:
Types of Seral Succession:
1. Succession on a bare ock surface
Lithosere
Ecology:
Ecological Succession:
Types of Successional Communities:
Types of Seral Succession:
1. Succession initiating on sandy areas.
Psammosere
Ecology:
Ecological Succession:
Types of Successional Communities:
Types of Seral Succession:
1. Succession taking place on saline soil or water.
Halosere
Ecology:
Ecological Succession:
Types of Successional Communities:
Types of Seral Succession:
1. Succession of microorganism on dead matter.
Senile
Ecology:
Ecological Relationships:
1. Ecological relationships between organisms of different species.
Symbiosis
Ecology:
Ecological Relationships:
Symbiotic Relationships:
1. A relationship where both species benefit from each other.
Mutualism
Ecology:
Ecological Relationships:
Symbiotic Relationships:
1. A relationship where one species benefits while the other species is unaffected.
Commensalism
Ecology:
Ecological Relationships:
Symbiotic Relationships:
1. A relationship where one organism benefits (parasite) while the species it depends on (host) is harmed.
Parasitism
Ecology:
Ecological Relationships:
Symbiotic Relationships:
1. A type of relationship where one species causes harm to another organism without any cost or benefits to itself.
Amensalism
Ecology:
Ecological Relationships:
1. Ecological relationship between organisms that oppose each other.
Oppositional Relationship
Ecology:
Ecological Relationships:
Oppositional Relationships:
1. A type of relationship where individuals or populations compete for the same resource.
Competition
Ecology:
Ecological Relationships:
Oppositional Relationships:
1. A relationship where one organism (predator) eats another organism (prey) to obtain nutrients.
Predation
