Ecology Flashcards
What are the 4 spheres?
-Hydrosphere
-Atmosphere
-Lithosphere
-Biosphere
Lithosphere
The rocky, outer crust of the Earth
Atmosphere
Contains all gases that surround the Earth
Hydrophere
Aquatic portions of the Earth
Biosphere
The part of Earth with life
Includes top part of the crust, the ocean and atmosphere
What gases is the atmosphere made out of?
-Nitrogen (78%)
-Oxygen (21%)
-Other gases (1%)
•Carbon Dioxide
•Water
•Argon
Organism
A single living thing
Ecosystem
Includes all the biotic and abiotic things in an area
Abiotic
Non-living, was never living
Biotic
Living, was once alive
Ecology
The study of how organisms and non-living things interact in an environment
Population
Made of all the organisms in a specific area that are from the same species
Species
Type of organism
Community
Made of all the populations in an ecosystem, as well as abiotic factors
Difference between a population and a community
-A population is made out of organisms from the same species
-Communities have both biotic and abiotic factors
-Communities are made out of populations
Watershed
Area of land that drains all water to a specific body of water
Biomass
Total weight of things in an ecosystem and it’s productivity
Trophic structure
How each organism is placed on the food chain
Positive human impact on litho.
-Composting
-Tree planting
-Conservation
Negative human impacts on litho.
-Mining
-Pesticides
-Deforestation
-Littering
-Construction
Positive human impacts on hydro.
-Sewage treatment plants
-Fish sanctuaries
Negative human impacts on hydro.
-Pollution
-Oil spills
-Driving boats
-Building dams
-Overfishing
Positive human impacts on atmo.
-Tree planting
-Alternate power sources
-Electric vehicles
Negative human impacts on atmo.
-Driving cars
-Factories
-Burning fossil fuels
-Driving cars
Food chain tiers
Producers
Primary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Tertiary Consumers
Decompers
Detritus
Organic matter produced by the decomposition of organisms
Detrivore
Any consumer of detritus for food
Scavenger
A detrivore that breaks the detritus into smaller pieces
Decomposers
A detrivore that breaks down the detritus into nutrients and minerals that is returned to the soil to be cycled in the ecosystems
Intraspecific
Between members of the SAME species
•Competition for resources (Food, habitat, mates, etc)
Interspecific
Between DIFFERENT species
•Competition
•Predation
•Mutualism
•Parasitism
•Commensalism
Competition
Two individuels vie for the same resources
Predation
One individuel feeds on another (Predator and prey)
Mutualism
Two individuels benefitting from each other
Parasitism
One individuel lives in or on another and feeds on a host organism
Commensalism
One individuel benefits and the other is neither benefitted nor harmed
Food chain
A single arrangement of energy flow through an ecosystem
Food web
Shows all or many energy flow arrangements in an ecosystem (Has food chains within it)
Autotroph
An organism capable of producing its own energy through photosynthesis without having to consume another organism (Producers)
Heterotroph
Can not produce their own energy and must consume another organism to recieve energy (Consumers)
Photosynthesis
The process of taking carbon dioxide, water and light energy to turn into glucose and oxygen
Cellular respiration
The process of taking glucose and oxygen to turn into ATP (usable energy) and releases carbon dioxide and water
Chemical formula for photosynthesis
6CO² + 6H²O + Light energy = C⁶H¹²O⁶ +6O²
Molecule name formula for photosynthesis
Carbon dioxide + Water + Light energy = Glucose + Oxygen
Chemical formula for cellular respiration
C⁶H¹² O⁶+ 60² = 6CO² + H²O + ATP
Molecule name formula for cellular respiration
Glucose + Oxygen = Carbon dioxide + Water + ATP
Difference between photosynthesis and cellular respiration
-Only producers can undergo photosynthesis
-Both consumers and producers can undergo cellular respiration
-The reverse equation for each other
Nitrogen Cycle
-Air is 78% Nitrogen
-Fertilizers contain nitrates and enter soil/water
-Fixation Bacteria fix the nitrates into nitrogen
-Plants obtain the nitrogen from the bacteria/soil/water
-Animal eats the plants
-Animal dies
-Decomposer bacteria break down animal into nitrogen compound
-Nitrogen is released into the atmosphere
-Nitrous oxide from fossil fuels falls as nitric acid in rain water
-Lightning creates soil nutrients
-Bacteria fixes the nitrogen
-Plants absorb
-Animal eats plant
-Animal dies
-Decomposing bacteria break down the animal into nitrogen compounds
-Nitrogen is released into the atmosphere
Water cycle
-Water accumulates from either surface run off or subsurface run off
-Water evaporates into the atmosphere
-Clouds form from condensation
-Water precipitates and becomes surface or subsurface run off
-Water within plants enters the atmosphere through transpiration
-Clouds are formed from condensation
-Precipitation causes run off
Accumulation
Process in which water gathers in large bodies
Condensation
Process which water vapor in the air becomes liquid and forms into clouds
Evaporation
Process at which water vaporizes
Surface runoff
Water that flows in streams, rivers or canals
Subsurface runoff
Water that flows through drains, underground streams or sewers
Transpiration
Process at which water within a plant evaporates into the atmosphere
(Water enters the plant’s roots and leaves through its pores)
Carbon Cycle
-CO² gets absorbed by plants in photosynthesis
-Consumers eat the plants and go through cellular respiration, releasing carbon into the atmosphere
-Plants undergo cellular respiration and release carbon into the atmosphere
-Animals die and are broken down into nutrients by decomposes
-decomposes undergo cellular respiration and release carbon into atmosphere
-Burning fossil fuels release carbon
-CO² dissolves in water
Phosphorus cycle
-Phosphates in rocks
-Inorganic phosphates in soil
-Phosphates in solution
-Percipitated (solid) Phosphates
-Rock
-Uplifting of rock
-weathering rock
-Runoff causes phosphates to enter soil/water
-Phosphate in rock
-Phosphate in soil/water (inorganic)
-Absorbed by plants
-Plant is eaten
-Animal dies and becomes detritus
-Detritus is eaten by detrivore
-Inorganic phosphates in soil either are absorbed by plants or undergo rest of the cycle
Forms carbon are found
-Carbon dioxide
-Glucose
-Methane
-Fossil fuels
-Limestone
Bioaccumulation
Increase in concentration of a toxins in the body over time
Bioamplification
Increase in concentration of a substance as it moves higher in the food web
Eutrophic
Body of water high in nutrients
Oligotrophic
Body of water that is low in nutrients
Does increase of biodiversity lead to more sustainability?
Yes, biodiversity enhances services and functions of the ecosystem
Ecological niche
The function of a species serves in its ecosystem
Inorganic
Chemicals that don’t have carbon and/or hydrogen bound together
Organic
Chemicals that have carbon and/or hydrogen bound together
Where does the sun’s energy go?
-0.023% absorbed for photosynthesis
-30% reflected by clouds or Earth’s surface
-18% absorbed by atmosphere and clouds
-51% absorbed by land and ocean
Pollution
Any toxic material entering the environment that causes harm
Acid precipitation
Caused by SO² and nitrogen oxides and CO² that are released from burning fossil fuels
They combine with H²O in the atmosphere and creates acids which move through the water cycle
How does acid precipitation damage AQUATIC ecosystems?
-CO² changes to carbonic acid when dissolved in oceans which mixes with limestone which dissolves it, but makes cycle worse in the process
-Decreases the number of producers (plankton) which decreases consumers that eat them and so on
How does acid precipitation damage TERRISTRIAL ecosystems
-Soil absorbs acid and decreases nutrients available for plants, so fewer plants and less food for consumers
-SO² toxic and makes respitory conditions for humans worse
-Speeds up corrosion of metals causing rust and dissolves limestone/marble statues causes economic loss as they need to be replaced
How to fix acid precipitation
Reduce burning of fossil fuels
How does oil spills effect aquatic ecosystems
-Sea birds try to clean off the oil and eat it
•Causes organ damage and kills them
-Organisms with waterproof feathers/fur lose ability to keep warm and die
-Covers plants and blocks sun, making them unable to undergo photosynthesis
How to fix oil spills?
-Burning the oil
-Skimming
-Dispersal agents
-Bioremediation
Bioremediation
Use of micro organisms to consume/break down environmental pollutants
How does plastic effect aquatic environments?
-Will break down into micro plastics and be consumed, causes animals to die
-Animals will get tangled in it
-Very tiny microplastics get into plants with absorbed toxic chemicals
•Toxic chemicals causes bioamplification/bioaccumulation
Great pacific garbage patch
Huge area of micro and big plastics floating as an island in the ocean
How to fix plastics
-Don’t litter
-Use renewable plastics
-Skimming
-Ban microplastics
How does fertilizer effect the environment?
Carrying capacity of plants increase = increase of algae bloom = algal bloom = blocks sun for other plants = plants at bottom dying = decrease of oxygen due to detrivores eating the detritus and going through cellular respiration = death of consumers who eat producers = excess nitrogen toxic to smaller animals
How does cutting down forests effect the environment?
Carrying capacity decreases
•Less resources, may leave for a different ecosystem
•May die
•May initially eat farm crop
Effects of road salt
Animals are lured to lick the salt = hit by car and dies
Salt on road = washes/runoff into watersheds = decrease in plants because of increase of toxic metals absorbation and decrease of water absorption = less food or toxic food
How does mining effect the environment
Strips layer of the Earth = takes away habitat = no detritus = decreases decomposes = decrease nutrients = plants don’t get nutrients = decreased carrying capacity
Machines combust fossil fuels = increase in CO², SO², NO² = acid precipitation = decrease plant growth = less food for consumers = acid rain releases carbon from limestone adding carbon
Leaching
Process at which nutrients are removed from the soil as water passes through it
Carrying capacity
The max number of individuels in a species that an environment can carry/sustain
•If population consumes more resources than what can be replenished by the ecosystem, some organisms may die
Limiting factors
Required resources (biotic or abiotic) that a population needs to support itself
Coral Bleaching
When coral loses zooxanthellae, causing it to turn white. Caused by high water temperature
Elements in fertilizer
K P N
(Potassium, Phosphorus, Nitrogen)
How does pH affect water?
Causes it to be more acedic
Equilibrium
State of an ecosystem in which the biotic and abiotic features remain relatively constant with small fluctuations over time
Biodiversity
The variety of life in an area
Soil
•Complete mixture of minerals, water, dissolved nutrients and decomposing matter
•Home to countless organisms
How do farms disturb the cycles?
•As crops grow, they absorb nutrients into their tissue
•When crops are harvested, nutrients are removed
What will happen if nutrients are not returned to the soil?
Soil will be depleted of nutrients
Natural fertilizers
Made from animal/plant waste
Synthetic Fertilizer
Made by humans, chemically made in a lab
Long term effects of synthetic fertilizer
•Highly concentrated nutrients can enter soil rapidly and disturb community of soil organisms
•Can lead to soil that has less organic matter (leads to nutrient depletion)
•Plants become too dependent on it
Examples of synthetic fertilizers
•Ammonia
•Potash
•Potassium
•Commercial chemical fertilizers
•Synthetic urea
Examples of natural fertilizers
•Manure
•Sludge
•Blood meal
•Bone meal
•Wood ashes
•Compost
Advantages to synthetic fertilizer
•Nutrients released quickly
•Can be precisely measured
•Easy to apply
Advantages to natural fertilizer
•Less danger of overfertilizer
•Release nutrients slowly
•Can improve soil structure
•Benefits soil micro organisms and nutrients cycling
Disadvantages to synthetic fertilizer
•Production is energy intensive
•Cause water pollution
•Can cause imbalance in soil chemistry and upset balance of soil micro organisms
Disadvantages to natural fertilizers
•Low concentration of nutrients
•Releasd nutrients slower than desired
•Not easy to measure quantity of nutrients
•More difficult to apply
Irrigation
When farmers take water from lakes/rivers/ground water to water their crop
Drainage tiles
Removes water from their crop, allows more air to peneteate soil allowing oxygen to access roots
Functions of air spaces in soil
•Allow water and nutrients to pass through the soil to reach the roots
•Provide oxygen to plant roots and soil organisms
Compacted soil
When pressure squeezes soil particles together, reducing air space
•Can be caused by heavy machinery, or simply by walking on the soil
How do farmers reduce their impact?
•No tillage farming
•Crop rotation
•Crop selection
No tillage farming
Leaving the ground undisturbed after harvesting instead of plowing remaining vegetation in soil
•May require more pesticides
Advantages to no tillage farming
•Helps retain nutrients
•Reduces compaction
•Reduces water loss
•Improve soil quality
•Remaning plant stalks protect soil from erosion
Crop rotation
Rotate or change crops planted on certain area of land on regular basis
Advantages to crop rotation
•Reduces use of pesticides and fertilizers
•Because different plants require different levels of nutrients, soil retains certain nutrients
Crop selection
Only growing crops suitable for the area
What happens if farmers choose wrong crops
•Ground water may be depleted
•Caude ecological problems
•Cause financial problems
When is equilibrium established
•Energy flows through the ecosystem
•Nutrients are being cycled through food web
•Photosynthesis and cellular respiration respiration are balanced
•Populations are healthy/stable
Primary succession
Occurs on soil or bare rock when life has been wiped out completely
Secondary succession
Follows a disturbance that disrupts but does not destroy a community
Pattern of succession
•Small plants/micro organisms colonize an open landscape
•The plants gradually alter the soil, allows small trees and shrubs to grow
•Shrubs create conditions needed for larger trees to grow
•Animal species return to feed on the producers
Benefits of succession
•Allows ecosystems to recover from natural disasters/human caused disturbances
•Offers hope that the environment can restore itself after taking damage
•Takes a very long time and the original disturbance must be eliminated
Why does climate change effect indigenous communities more than non-indigenous community?
•Close connection to the environment
•Rely on natural resources
How does increase of water temperature effect indigenous people?
Increase of water temperature = Less oxygen in water = less fish
Decrease of fish means less food and money for fisher people
Rapid weather change is dangerous for who?
Fishers, hunters
Ice becoming thin
Ice becoming thin = Fewer hunting areas and less transportation in winter = reduce ability to hunt/trade with other communities
Thawing permafrost
Thawing permafrost = unsafe houses and buildings/damages infrastructure
Less native plants species
Less native plants species = loss of traditional medicines
Dangerous animals looking for food in new communities
Dangerous animals looking for food in new communities = less food for consumers
Practices indigenous people practice that we can kearn/benefit from
•7 Generation solution
•Controlled fires
•No harvest during breeding season
•Consider entire ecosystem when taking from land
*Role of species in an ecosystem must be considered
7 generation solution
•Based on philosophy, the choices we make today should result in sustainable world for future generations
•When thinking of sustainable resource/management plans, think 7 generations ahead, not just 1 year
Considering the ecosystem when taking from the land
•Do not consider cutting a tree because there are lots of trees
•Consider if the tree is home to an animal
•Think of leaving the tree to become a home to an animal
Controlled fires
•Fires traditionally used to reduce risk of more serious fires, to nurture the land to support specific vegetation used for food/medicines and to clear areas for crops/travel
•Narutal biochar is an important fertilizer
•Fire is friend, not foe
Biochar
Formed when vegetation is left to smolder (burn slowly with smoke, no flame) in layers on the forest floor following a forest fire
No harvest during breeding season
•Harvest or take organisms only in certain times of the year or age in the organism life cycle to ensure the organism can continue to reproduce
•Hunting should occur outside breeding season and migration times
•Don’t take all the eggs, leave some behind for the future
Stewardship
To take care/responsibility of something
Effects of logging
Logging = erosion = increase of sediments = decrease of water clarity = decrease of species
Logging = erosion = increase of nutrients load = algal bloom
