Ecology Flashcards
The zone in water where light penetrates; all aquatic photosynthesis occurs here
photic zone
the zone in water that has almost no light penetration; only animals and other heterotrophs exist here
aphotic zone
Abiotic and biotic factors are responsible for limiting the __ __ of species
geographic distribution
all the biotic and abiotic resources in the environment used by an organism
niche
When an organism occupies a niche certain resources are __ or certain qualities of the environment are ___ or ____. No two species can occupy the same niche ___ because they compete for __ and __ at the same time of the year
consumed, changed, exploited, indefinitely, food, mate
____ describes how individuals in a population are distributed. It may be __, ___ or ___
dispersion, clumped, uniform, random
__ ___ is the description of the abundance of individuals of each age, and changes based on the _ ___
age structure, reproductive rate
_ ___ describe how the mortality of individuals in a species varies during their lifetimes. Type I is where most individuals survive to _ ___ but mortality quickly increases in __ __. ___ are an example. Type II is when the probability of survival is __ and ___ of age. An example is ___. Type III is when most individuals die __ with few surviving to _ ___ and beyond. ___ are an example and this type is typical of species that produce __ ___ ___.
survivorship curves, middle age, old age, humans, constant, independent, hydras, young, reproductive age, oysters, free swimming larvae
__ ___ is the maximum growth rate of a population under ideal conditions. It is affected by age at __ ___, the __ ___, the ___ of reproduction, the reproductive lifetime, and the ___ of offspring that reach maturity
biotic potential, reproductive maturity, clutch size, frequency, survivorship
The maximum number of individuals of a population that can be sustained by a habitat
carrying capacity
elements that prevent a population from reaching its full biotic potential
limiting factors
__ ____ limiting factors are ones that become more intense as the population density increases. This includes competition for ___, the spread of ____, __, ___ and toxic effects of __ ___.
density dependent, resources, disease, parasites, predation, waste products.
__ ____ limiting factors are ones where the effect’s intensity occurs independently of the density of the population. Examples include -_ ___ or big __ changes
density independent, natural disasters, temperature
when the reproductive rate is at its maximum
intrinsic rate
occurs whenever the reproductive rate is greater than zero, creating a J-shaped curve
exponential growth
Occurs when limiting factors restrict the size of the population to the carrying capacity of the habitat; s-shaped curve
logistic growth
When the population size fluctuates in response to varying effects of limiting factors
population cycle
In a ______ ___ the members have low reproductive rates with longer maturation times, and their size is roughly constant at ____. The population levels out at the __ __ and thus growth curves are ___. Competition among individuals tend to be stronger and there is a limitation imposed by ____. Because of strong __ __ most organisms survive.
K-selected population, K, carrying capacity, sigmoidal, resources, parental care
___ ___ species have rapid exponential population growth. They have numerous offspring that are ____ and have fast ____ so that little parental care is needed. They are generally found in __ ___ environments affected by density independent factors. They are also characterized by ___ ____ that quickly invade a habitat and reproduce. These species have ____ growth curves. The population densities are well below the __ __ so there is little competition.
R-selected population, small, maturation, rapidly changing, opportunistic species, exponential, carrying capacity
Human population growth has been ___ since about 1000 years ago. This is enabled by increase in __ __, reduction in ___ and human ___, and habitat ___ because of advancements. The rate is still increasing but it is ___ ___
exponential, food supply, disease, waste, expansion, slowing down
Bacterial growth has four phases plotted as the logarithm of ___ ___ vs ___. The first phase, the __ __ is when bacteria are adapting to growth conditions. Individual bacteria are ___ but are not yet able to divide. The second phase, the __ ___, is the exponential growth of the population as it _____ every time period. The third phase, the __ ___, is when the growth rate equals the __ ___ due to growth limiting factors. The fourth phase, the __ ___ is when bacteria die
number of bacteria, time, lag phase, maturing, log phase, doubles, stationary phase, death rate, death phase
the aggregate land and water area necessary to produce all the resources to sustain an individual / group and absorb all their wastes
ecological footprint
describes the total number of different species present
species richness
the amount of individuals of each species
relative abundance
The __ __ ___ measures the species diversity. The ____ the value the more diverse the community. Higher diversity communities are often more resistant to ___ __
shannon diversity index, higher, invasive species
Species richness generally declines along a __ ___ from the tropics to the poles due to the fact that the tropics are ___ and its ___. In terrestrial communities, ___ and ___ correlate with diversity and can be measured via ____, of the evaporation of water from soil and plants. Species richness also increases when the ___ of ____ increases. Species richness also depends on the ___ __ and from the __. Equilibrium is reached when new immigrations are balanced by ____.
latitudinal gradient, older, climate, sunlight, precipitation, evapotranspiration, diversity, habitats, extinctions
says that when two species compete for exactly the same resources one is likely to be more successful; no two species can sustain coexistence if they occupy. the same niche
competitive exclusion principle / Gause’s principle
When two species occupy the same niche but pursue slightly different resources, minimizing competition
resource partitioning
Occurs where unique differences among species diverge even more when they coexist near each other due to certain traits allowing for more success in obtaining resources in their partitions
character displacement / niche shift
the are that a species could potentially survive in in the absence of competing species is the __ __, while the __ ___ is the actually area that it lives in due to factors such as competitors.
fundamental niches, realized niches
A __ ___ is one that kills and eats another animal. A ____ spends most of its life living off a host and obtaining nourishment by feeding off the host’s tissues. The host usually does not die until the parasite has completed at least one __ __. A ____ is an insect that lays its eggs on the host. After the eggs hatch the larvae obtain nourishment by consuming the host’s ___. The host eventually dies, but not until the larvae complete development and begin ___.
true predator, parasite, life cycle, parasitoid, tissue, pupation
____ are animals that eat grass and ___ are animals that eat leaves. They only eat part of the plant and thus ___ it
grazers, browsers, weaken
when one organism benefits while the other is unaffected
commensalism
when both organisms benefit in their association
mutualism
when species have positive effects on the survival and reproduction of another species without necessarily living in direct intimate contact for symbiosis
facilitation
protist and fungi that decomposed dead organic matter
saprophytism
organisms that consume dead animals directly
scavengers
competition between members of the same species is ___ __ and is influenced by ___ and _____ forces. ____ ___ is between members of different species and is ultimately ___ for both since they are competing against each other for resources
intraspecific interactions, disruptive, cohesive, interspecific competition, negative
___ ___ occurs directly between individuals via aggression, etc. Other individuals are directly prevented from __ ___ themselves on the habitat to prevent the sharing of mutual resources. This can be done via ____, which is the production of biochemicals by an organism to influence the growth / survival / ___ of other organisms
interference competition, establishing themselves, allelopathy, reproduction
Competition that occurs indirectly through the depletion of a common resource
exploitation competition
competition that occurs between two species preyed on by the same predator
apparent competition
freshwater fish live in a _____ environment which causes an ___ intake of water. Thus the fish seldom drink and excrete _ ___. Saltwater fish live in ___ environments are are constantly drinking and excreting __ across their gills
hypo-osmotic, excess, dilute urine, hyper-osmotic, salt
Arthropods secrete solid __ ___ ___ to conserve water
uric acid crystals
Plants possess ___ __ on the leaf surface and stomata. Stomata are on the _____ leaf surfaces only. The leaves are shed in the ___. Desert plants have extensive __ ___, ____ __ and extra thick ___ and few stomata.
waxy cuticles, lower, winter, root systems, fleshy stems, spiny leaves, cuticles
