Ecology Flashcards
What is an individual in ecology?
Single member of a species
Define population in ecological terms.
Individuals of the same species in the same area at the same time
What constitutes a community in ecology?
Multiple different populations (different species) living and interacting at the same time
What is an ecosystem?
Interaction between a community and the non-living (abiotic) parts of the environment
What does habitat refer to?
The place where an organism lives
Define abundance in an ecological context.
The number of organisms in an ecosystem
What is meant by distribution in ecology?
The spread of living organisms in an ecosystem
Define biodiversity.
The amount of variation in the types of animals
True or False: High biodiversity ecosystems are less stable than low biodiversity ecosystems.
False
What is the core practical method for investigating the population size of an organism?
Using quadrats
Fill in the blank: Measure the area you’re sampling in _______.
m²
What is the purpose of placing a quadrat at randomly generated coordinates?
To avoid bias in measuring areas with lots or a little of the organisms
How much of the total area should be sampled in the quadrat method?
5 - 10% of the total area
What do you do after counting the number of organisms in each quadrat?
Find the average and multiply it by the total area
What does measuring the abundance of the species help determine?
The population size of an organism in different areas
What is the purpose of using quadrats in biodiversity measurement?
To investigate the distribution of organisms in their habitats and measure biodiversity.
What should you do after placing the quadrat at regular intervals?
Count the amount of organisms in each quadrat to measure abundance.
What types of factors affect the abundance and distribution of organisms in an ecosystem?
Abiotic factors and biotic factors.
Define biotic factors in ecosystems.
Living factors that affect organisms, such as pollinating insects and competition.
List three examples of biotic factors.
- Pollinating insects
- Parasitism
- Food availability
How does food availability impact species in an ecosystem?
It could increase or decrease species and impact their food source.
What is the impact of disease on species in an ecosystem?
It can decrease the number of a species.
What is an example of a biotic factor related to predation?
Predation by other animals.
Define abiotic factors in ecosystems.
Non-living factors that affect organisms, such as temperature and humidity.
List three examples of abiotic factors.
- Pollution
- Light intensity
- pH
How does light intensity specifically affect ecosystems?
It particularly affects plants.
What is salinity?
How much salt there is in the environment.
Fill in the blank: _____ can affect the number of organisms in an ecosystem.
[Abiotic and biotic factors]
True or False: Humidity is considered a biotic factor.
False.
What could be a consequence of competition among animals in an ecosystem?
It can lead to decreased availability of resources.
What is nest site availability in the context of biotic factors?
The availability of suitable locations for organisms to build nests.
How does temperature serve as an abiotic factor?
It influences the metabolic processes of organisms.
What are the three main types of organisms in trophic levels?
Producers, Consumers, Decomposers
Producers photosynthesize, consumers eat other organisms, and decomposers break down dead organisms.
What is the role of producers in an ecosystem?
Organisms that photosynthesize
Producers convert sunlight into energy, forming the base of the food chain.
Define primary consumer.
First consumer in a food chain
Primary consumers are typically herbivores that eat producers.
What is an apex predator?
Top of the food chain, is nothing’s prey
Apex predators play a crucial role in maintaining the structure of an ecosystem.
What is the function of decomposers?
Break down dead organisms
Decomposers, like bacteria and fungi, recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.
What does the direction of the arrows in a food chain represent?
Energy transfer
The arrows indicate the flow of energy from one organism to another.
List two pros of food chains.
- Shows relationships between organisms
- Predicts changes in ecosystem dynamics
Understanding these relationships is crucial for ecological studies.
List two cons of food chains.
- Oversimplification
- Doesn’t show the role of decomposers
Food chains can miss important ecological interactions.
What do pyramids of numbers show?
Numbers of each organism at each trophic level
This helps visualize the population distribution within an ecosystem.
What typically happens to the number of organisms at each trophic level due to energy wastage?
Numbers normally get smaller
Energy loss occurs at each level, leading to fewer organisms as you move up the pyramid.
What are pyramids of biomass used for?
To look more accurately at the amount of energy at each trophic level
Biomass provides a better understanding of energy distribution in ecosystems.
Fill in the blank: _______ are organisms that eat other organisms.
Consumers
Consumers include herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores.
What does the dry body mass of organisms refer to in ecological terms?
It uses the dry body mass of the organisms eaten.
What shape do pyramids of biomass and numbers always look like?
Always look pyramids shaped.
In drawing pyramids of biomass and numbers, what is important regarding the height of the bars?
The height of the bar isn’t important, but keep them all the same height.
How should the bars be arranged in a pyramid to show the trophic levels?
Stack the bars on top of each other to show the trophic levels.
Which organisms are placed at the bottom of the trophic levels in a pyramid?
Producers go at the bottom, then primary consumers etc.
What should be labeled on the x-axis for pyramids of numbers and organisms?
Label the axis either number of organisms or mass of organisms.
Why is energy wasted at each trophic level?
Only about 10% of energy is transferred at each level.
What is one reason energy is lost at each trophic level?
Not all the organism is eaten so some of the energy is lost there.
What happens to energy after an animal has eaten?
It will excrete some energy which means when it is eaten it doesn’t have as much energy in it.
What is a factor that uses up energy before organisms are eaten?
Many of the organisms will be moving and respiring.
True or False: When an organism eats another, it digests every bit of the organism.
False.
Does the organism digest all of the other organism it eats?
No
