ecology Flashcards
traditional ecological knowledge (TEK)
a western term used to summarize understandings of different indigenous peoples
climate
the long term prevailing weather conditions at a given place
biome
a regional experiencing similar climate and with a consistent set of species
any of the world’s major ecosystem types, often classified according to the predominant vegetation for terrestrial biomes and the physical environment for aquatic biomes and characterized by adaptations of organisms to that particular environment
elevation
space extended upward; height
temperature
a measure in degrees of the average KE (TE) of the atoms and molecules in a body of matter
precipitation
rainfall
latitude
angular distance N or S from the earth’s equator; measured thru 90 degrees
longitude
measures distance east or west of the prime meridian
hadley cell
low latitude overturning circulations that have air rising at the equator and air sinking at roughly 30 degrees latitud
maritime climate
lower amplitude of seasonal temperature fluctuations
continental climate
higher amplitude of seasonal temperature fluctuations
biotic
living components of the environment
abiotic
non-living components
dispersal
the movement of individuals or gametes away from (and potentially back to) their original location
spatial grain
the characteristic scale at which measurements are reported
spatial extent
the overall region in which the measurements are made at the selected spatial grain
abundance
number of individuals (either total or per species)
richness
total number of species
evenness
relative similarity in abundance of species
composition
identities of which species are present
latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG)
pattern of changes in species richness with latitude
generally highest species richness near the equator, lower richness towards n/s pole
equilibrium richness
determined by the balance between immigration and extinction and this by island size and distance from mainland
island biogeography theory
islands closer to mainland get more immigration of species that farther islands
larger ‘islands’ have lower extinction rates (more ways for species to survive)
luxury effect
rich ppl have more access to biodiversity
demography
study of understanding the factors causing increasing and increasing in a population
the study of changes over time in the vital statistics of populations, especially birth and death rates
BIDE model
N(t+1) = Nt + B + I - D -E
B-D model
assume no immigration or emigration (closed population)
N(t+1) = Nt + B -D
