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Biology UAS > Ecology > Flashcards

Ecology Flashcards

1
Q

what is ecology

A

scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the environment

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2
Q

etymology of ecology

A

Greek: oikos = home, logos = study

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3
Q

types of ecology (6)

A

global, landscape, ecosystem, community, population, organismal

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4
Q

what is global ecology

A

Studies how regional energy & material flow affect organism distribution across the biosphere

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5
Q

what is Landscape Ecology

A

Examines energy, material, and organism exchange across ecosystems

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6
Q

what is Ecosystem Ecology

A

Focuses on energy flow and nutrient cycling in ecosystems

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7
Q

what is Community Ecology

A

Studies interactions between species in an area

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8
Q

what is Population Ecology

A

Analyzes population size and changes over time

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9
Q

what is Organismal Ecology

A

Explores how an organism adapts to environmental challenges

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10
Q

levels of organisation (13)

A

biosphere > biome > ecosystem > community > population > organism > organ system > organ > tissue > cell > organelle > organelle > molecule > atom

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11
Q

what is the biosphere

A

the sum of all the planet’s ecosystems and landscapes

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12
Q

what is a biome

A

a large geographic area biotic unit with similar plants, animals, and environmental conditions

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13
Q

what are biomes characterised by (3)

A

distinctive vegetation, climate, and animal life

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14
Q

what is an ecosystem

A

community of organisms and their interactions with physical factors in the area

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15
Q

examples of non-living factors (4)

A

pH, levels of dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, sunlight

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16
Q

what is a community

A

a group of populations of different species in an area

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17
Q

what is a population

A

group of individuals of the same species living in an area

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18
Q

what happens in a population

A

members may compete with each other for food, water, mates, etc.

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19
Q

what is an organism

A

an individual living entity that can carry out basic life functions

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20
Q

types of environmental factors (2)

A

abiotic (non-living) and biotic (living)

21
Q

examples of abiotic factors (3)

A

climate, soil, and physical geography

22
Q

examples of biotic factors (3)

A

plants, animals, and microorganisms

23
Q

what is a tolerance curve

A

graph of performance plotted against environmental variables (e.g. temperature)

24
Q

what is acclimation

A

it’s when organisms adjust their tolerance to abiotic factors

25
Q

how is acclimation different from adaptation

A

occurs within the lifetime of an individual without affecting the evolution patterns of the species

26
Q

elements of environments that can change (4)

A

Temperature, light, moisture, salinity, etc.

27
Q

types of organisms that acclimate to changes and how they do it? (2)

A

conformers: change internal conditions with external environment
regulators: use energy to maintain internal conditions

28
Q

strategies of escaping temporarily from unfavorable conditions? (2)

A

dormancy: state of reduced activity
migration: move to more favorable habitat

29
Q

what is a niche

A

role of a species in an ecosystem, including how it gets energy, its habitat, interactions with other organisms, and responses to environment

30
Q

types of niches and their descriptions (2)

A

Fundamental niche: Potential range a species could occupy without competition or other interactions.
Realized niche: Actual range occupied, limited by biotic and abiotic factors.

31
Q

what’s a habitat

A

place an organism lives out its life

32
Q

types of ecological interactions (6)

A

Competition, Predation, Mutualism, Parasitism, Commensalism, Amensalism

33
Q

what is competition and types (2)

A

Interaction where individuals vie for limited resources
Intraspecific: within same species
Interspecific: between different species

34
Q

what is predation

A

consumption of prey by predator

35
Q

mutualism + example

A

symbiotic relationship where both participating species benefit
ex: bee and flower

36
Q

parasitism

A

parasite benefits at the expense of host

37
Q

commensalism + example

A

one benefits while the other is unaffected
ex: pilot fishes swim with shark to eat parasites and leftovers

38
Q

amensalism + example

A

one is negatively affected, the other is unaffected
ex: fish and algal bloom

39
Q

ways organisms are divided based on how they obtain and use energy (2: 2, 3)

A

nutrition (obtain energy)
- autotrophs
- heterotrophs
energy flow (use energy)
- trophic levels
- food chain & web
- energy pyramids

40
Q

what are autotrophs (producers)

A

organisms that use sunlight or chemical energy to create energy-rich compounds through photosynthesis

41
Q

what are heterotrophs (consumers)

A

Organisms that cannot make their own food and feed on other organisms for nutrition

42
Q

types of heterotrophs (5)

A

herbivores: plants only
carnivores: meat only
omnivores: plants and animals
scavengers: dead animals
decomposers: chemically break down decaying matter

43
Q

what are trophic levels

A

Hierarchical levels showing position of an organism in a food chain, representing transfer of energy between organisms

44
Q

what are food chains and webs

A

Food chains show linear energy transfer from one organism to another
Food webs are interconnected food chains showing multiple energy pathways in an ecosystem

45
Q

what are energy pyramids

A

they show that energy is lost at each trophic level due to metabolism, heat, and other factors

46
Q

why should we care about ecology (8)

A
  1. Understanding Ecosystem: To understand the structure and function of ecosystems
  2. Biodiversity Conservation: To identify ways to preserve and protect diverse ecosystems and species
  3. Environmental Management: To make informed decisions about resource use, land management, and conservation strategies
  4. Climate Change: To better predict and mitigate the effects of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem services
  5. Ecosystem Services: To appreciate the value of ecosystem services and work toward sustainability
  6. Human Health: To understand the relationships between ecosystems, diseases, and environmental pollutants.
  7. Sustainable Resource Management: To ensure that resources are used in ways that meet current needs without compromising future generations
  8. Informed Decision-Making: To develop policies and practices promoting environmental sustainability
47
Q

ecosystem services (4)

A
  1. provisioning: products obtained from nature
  2. regulating: services provided by nature that regulate environment
  3. cultural: nonmaterial benefits provided by nature that enrich lives
  4. supporting: services that let other services function
48
Q

examples of each ecosystem service (8)

A
  1. provisioning: food, timber
  2. regulating: water, air cleaning services
  3. cultural: recreation, learning
  4. supporting: soil formation, nutrient recycling

Biology UAS (7 decks)

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