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Ecology Flashcards

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AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Microevolution vs Macroevolution

A

Microevolution - changes in allele frequency

Macroevolution - evolutionary change above species level

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2
Q

What is speciation?
What are the 2 types?

A

Speciation - process when one species splits into multiple
Allopatric - geographical barrier
Sympatric - resources and sexual selection

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3
Q

4 types of defining species

A

Biological Species Concept - viable fertile offspring
Morphospecies Concept - look different
Ecological Species Concept - their role within the ecosystem
Phylogenetic Species Concept - proximity in a phylogenetic tree

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4
Q

What is ecology

A

Study of interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of an organism

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5
Q

What is a population

A

A single species living in the same place at the same time

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6
Q

What is a Metapopulation

A

Group of separated populations (sub-populations)

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7
Q

Population Regulation?
Intrinsic vs Extrinsic?

A

tendency for a population to be maintained
intrinsic - internal to the population (competition, immigration)
extrinsic - other parts of communities (weather, food)

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8
Q

How do you determine population size

A

Sampling - count individuals then use density
Mark-Recapture - capture then release then recapture (use proportions)

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9
Q

What is r-selection

A

Density-independent selection
~ lots of reproduction

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10
Q

What is K-selection

A

Density-dependent selection
~ minimal reproduction lots of care

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11
Q

What are the 3 types of survivorship curves

A

Type I - full reproductive period (K-strat)
Type II - Mortality rate constant (rats)
Type III - pre-reproductive mortality (fish)

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12
Q

what is the demographic transition model

A

Phase I - birth and death rate high, low population
Phase II - high birth rate, lowering death rate
Phase III - falling birth rate, low death rate
Phase IV - birth and death rate low

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13
Q

What is ecological footprint

A

the aggregate land and water area needed to support a nation

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14
Q

what is an ecological niche?
2 types?

A

total of the organisms use of biotic and abiotic resources
generalist - broad niche
specialist - narrow niche

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15
Q

Phenology

A

study of plant and animal life cycles

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16
Q

Interspecific Competition?
3 types?

A

Competition of limited resources (same niche)
Competitive Exclusion
Resource Partitioning
Character Displacement

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17
Q

Competitive Exclusion

A

elimination of the competing species (one or both)

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18
Q

Resource Partitioning

A

changing their niche (fundamental => realized)

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19
Q

Character Displacement

A

changing resources then influencing phenology

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20
Q

Predation
2 types?

A

one species kills and eats other species
Colouring and Mimicry

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21
Q

What is cryptic colouring

A

blending into environment

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22
Q

what is disruptive colouring

A

colouration hides physical edges

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23
Q

Counter shading

A

light bottom and dark top (shading)

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24
Q

Aposematic colouring

A

poisonous = brightly coloured

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25
Q

Batesian mimicry

A

animal lacks poison similar to one with poison

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26
Q

Mullerian mimicry

A

animal with a little poison similar to one with lots of poison

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27
Q

aggressive mimicry

A

attracts prey with a mimicked cry

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28
Q

what is symbiosis
3 types?

A

closely associated animals
commensalism, mutualism and paraitism

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29
Q

Commensalism

A

one benefits and one is unaffected

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30
Q

Mutualism

A

both benefit from the relationship

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31
Q

Paraitism

A

an organism benefits at the expense of another

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32
Q

Species richness

A

the number of different species in a community

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33
Q

Relative Abundance

A

quantities of different species in communities

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34
Q

Effects on species diversity

A

Latitude - latitudinal gradient
Productivity - rate of generational biomass (increase with biodiversity)
Stability - resistancy to environmental change

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35
Q

Community Stability

A

Resistance - how much the system changes
Resilience - how much of the system is retained

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36
Q

What is elasticity and amplitude

A

elasticity - how quickly it recovers
amplitude - the degree that the system can move

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37
Q

Climax communities

A

when a community reaches a relatively stable state

38
Q

Primary succession

A

when a community forms for the first time

39
Q

Secondary succession

A

when growth and change is at its highest

40
Q

3 types of biotic communities

A

Producers - produce their own food (autotrophs)
Consumers - depend on producers (heterotrophs)
Decomposers - break down remains

41
Q

types of consumers

A

Herbivores - only plants/algae
Carnivores - only animals
Omnivores - both plants and animals
Bacterivores - only bacteria

42
Q

Trophic level

A

Feeding levels of organisms, biomass decreases as levels increase

43
Q

biomass

A

the total mass of organisms at each stage of the food web in an ecosystem

44
Q

Energy transfer efficiency

A

Flow of NRG decreases 10% left each different tropic level (lost to heat)

45
Q

Difference between food web and food chain

A

food web - relationship of the community
food chain - simple linear sequence

46
Q

Dominant species

A

most abundant or most biomass

47
Q

Keystone Species

A

key to maintaining biodiversity and the community structure

48
Q

Bottom-Up trophic control

A

nutrients control the community

49
Q

Top-down trophic control

A

predation controls the community

50
Q

bio-accumulation

A

an organism cannot eliminate the toxin and it accumulates

51
Q

bio-magnification

A

toxins become more concentrated with each trophic level

52
Q

Ecosystem

A

the community and its abiotic factors

53
Q

Primary Production

A

Quantity of biomass production by primary producers (light => chemical)

54
Q

Gross Primary Production

A

total biomass produced in a given ecosystem

55
Q

Net Primary Production

A

stored biomass available to consumers (lost to respiration)

56
Q

Secondary Productivity

A

Rate at which consumers convert chemical energy into biomass

57
Q

Biochemical cycles

A

nutrients cycling between biotic and abiotic parts of the ecosystem

58
Q

What is the water cycle (parts)

A

evaporation, condensation, precipitation, ground and surface water movement

59
Q

Humans impact on the nitrogen cycle

A

increase in groundwater from sewage and fertilizer
agriculture removes nitrogen
acid rain increases nitric acid

60
Q

Steps of Phosphorus Cycle

A

rock weathering => soil => producers => consumers => soil

61
Q

human impact on phosphorus cycle

A

increase of P in groundwater and soil from sewage, fertilizer and detergents

62
Q

Short-term carbon cycle

A

roughly a year
cycle through respiration and photosynthesis
fluxuates due to the season

63
Q

long-term carbon cycle

A

thousands-millions of years
biomass, atmosphere, soil, oceans, sedimentary rock and sediment

64
Q

Carbon Sinks

A

natural/artifical reservoir that accumulates and stores carbon-containing chemicals

65
Q

Carbon Sources

A

Process of releasing carbon

66
Q

What is the Anthropocene

A

new global era due to the human impact on the environment

67
Q

what is fertilizer

A

used to boost primary production
contain phosphates, nitrogen and potassium in soil until it rains

68
Q

eutrophication

A

the excessive richness of nutrients

69
Q

what is the ozone depletion from

A

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) - chlorine reacts with O3

70
Q

Climate

A

pattern of long-term weather

71
Q

Paleoclimate

A

the study of ancient climates through proxy variables (ex. trees)

72
Q

Albedo

A

Reflection of sunlight

73
Q

Total solar irradiance

A

the rate the NRG from the sun reaches the earths atmosphere

74
Q

Sunspots

A

dark blotches that are cooler

75
Q

Faculae

A

bright blotches release more radiation

76
Q

Perihelion

A

when the earth is close to the sun in an elliptical

77
Q

Aphelion

A

when the earth is farthest from the sun in the elliptical

78
Q

Greenhouse Effect

A

Gasses creating a buffer in the earths atmosphere allows solar radiation to enter and traps the heat

79
Q

Greenhouse Gas

A

the gas that traps and emits radiation
CO2, CFCs, Methane and Nitrous Oxide

80
Q

Climate Forcing

A

the difference of insolation absorbed by the earth and energy radiated back to space

81
Q

Positive and Negative forcing

A

Positive - more incoming (warming)
Negative - more outgoing (cooling)

82
Q

Climate Change

A

Change of weather patterns over periods of time

83
Q

Solar Radiation

A

changes in the irradiance of the sun

84
Q

Melankovitch Cycles

A

Periodic changes in earths angle and orbit around the sun

85
Q

Vulcanism

A

emits many greenhouse gases

86
Q

anthropogentic climate change

A

climate change associated with the production of greenhouse gases by humans

87
Q

CO2 Emissions - Fossil Fuels

A

fossil fuels are an inactive part of the carbon cycle which exacerbates the greenhouse effect

88
Q

Ocean Acidification

A

the increase in CO2 increases oceanic H2CO3

89
Q

Ice Coverage

A

ice and snow have high albedo increasing warming
melting raises the sea level
high inertia

90
Q

Agricultural Yields

A

increase CO2 boost crop yields, decreases protein content

91
Q

Species Range Shift

A

moving to different areas due to temperature change

92
Q

Phenological Shift

A

the animal and plant life cycle due to temperature

Biology (9 decks)

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