Ecology Flashcards
what is a habitat
has specific characteristics that an organism needs to survive
what happens if the characteristics of a habitat change?
the habitat changes and the animals in the habitat either adapt or die
what is a niche
a niche is a specific role or way of life of an organism within its environment
what are the characteristics of a habitat
water
sunlight
shade
temp
pH
food source
what does a niche include
ranges of conditions an organism can tolerate
resources an organism uses
methods used to obtain those resources
number of offspring/time of reproduction
examples of population dynamics
birth rate
death rate
life expectancy
emigration (leaving/going to somewhere else)
immigration (arriving/coming from somewhere else)
what are population dynamics?
populations change in size and composition over time
what are the 8 major biomes
tropical rainforest
grasslands
deserts
deciduous
tundra
taiga
chaparral
savanna
alpine
tropical rainforest characteristics
near equator
stable temperature
abundant rainfall
wet/dry season
grasslands characteristics
interior of continents
rich fertile soil
too dry to support trees
support large herds of grazing animals
desert characteristics
very little rainfall and vegetation
deciduous forest characteristics
tree species shed leaves each year
distict seasons
moderate climate
precipitation unevenly distributed
tundra characteristics
cold
characterized by permafrost
no trees
very little percipitation
taiga characteristics
long winters with snow
nutrient poor soil
typical mammals include moose
chaparral
mild rainy winters
hot dry summers
periodic fires
found primarily in costal regions
dominated by dense spiny shrubs
savanna
tropical or temperate grasslands
support large numbers of herbivores
most commonly in africa
alternating wet and dry seasons
prolonged periods of drought
what are the two aquatic biomes
marine and freshwater/wetlands
what is an estuary
occurs when freshwater rivers and streams flow into the sea
steps to the water cycle
evaporation
evapotranspiration
condensation
precipitation
evaporation
adds water to the atmosphere from bodies of water, the soil and from living things
evapotranspiration
plants take in water at their roots, and they release water (and take in CO2) through their leaves
condensation
particles in the water vapour slow down and cool off, resulting in them becoming water droplets. these water droplets group together to from clouds
precipitation
water leaves atmosphere and falls to earth (amount depends on temp and air pressure)
nitrogen cycle steps
nitrogen fixation
nitrification
assimilation
dentrification
nitrogen fixation
bacteria in soil and roots
conversion of N2 gas to ammonia
nitrification
ammonia to nitrate, another usable form
assimilation
roots absorb nitrate or ammonia
dentrification
bacteria convert nitrate to N2 to the atmosphere
main producer in grassland biomes
grasses
describe deciduous forest biome
dominated by broad leaved trees that losetheir leaves in the fall. rich soils, four seasons.
what biome has the highest net primary productivity
tropical rainforest
what organisms are decomposers
bacteria, fungi
what is the neritic zone
most productive zone in the ocean. shallow enough for photosynthesis
