Ecology Flashcards
Species
Individuals that can mate and produce fertile offspring
Biome
A large geographical area with similar climate and land characteristics. For example, a desert or tropical rain forest.
The presence of a biome is determined by it’s distance from the equator and the altitude. For example, you can find a tundra on a tropical island, if it is at a high enough altitude. On the island of Hawaii, on Mano kea there is snow all year long.
Population
A group of individuals of the same species living in the same geographical area.
Ecosystem
The collection of community species and the abiotic (non-living) factors which affect them
Community
All of the organisms in a particular geographical area.
Temperate grassland
A biome with cold winter temperatures, seasonal drought, occasional fires, and grazing by large mammals prevents woody shrubs from establishing.
Tropical thorn forest
A forest in tropical low land areas. It has long dry times, succulents, trees, and shrubs.
Tropical deciduous forest
A tropical forest with distinct wet and dry seasons. Re-leafing occurs in the rainy or monsoon season.
Temperate deciduous forest
A forest in our area. Leaves drop in the fall, they’re dormant during the winter, and re-leaf in the spring.
Arctic tundra
A cold biome with very little rainfall and little evaporation. Since it is cold, the water is frozen and not available to plants. Plants are limited to short, mat like species
Taiga
A boreal forest found across North America, Europe, and Asia. Days are long with 18 hours of sun. Winters are cold with little sun. The soil is acidic and there are several meters of snow to insulate the ground in winter. Mice and other creatures are very active in tunnel communities under the snow.
Chaparral
This biome is maintained by periodic fires. Many plants have fire-resistant crowns and seeds which sprout only after exposure to a hot fire.
Littoral zone
Shallow, well lite, warm water near the shore.
Profundal zone
Deep, aphotic water with detritus raining down from the limnetic zone.
Riffles
Shallow river water flowing over a rough bottom.
Turbulent water
A lake or pond has a bond of turbulent water which separates layers of oxygen rich and oxygen poor water.
Benthic zone -
B benthic, b bottom
A bottom zone containing thermal vents and giant worms on the ocean floor, the floor of coral reefs, and the sand you walk on in ankle deep water. Any bottom, except the one you sit on.
Neritic zone
Photic water slightly off shore. A coral reef could be found here.
Oceanic zone
The portion of the ocean which begins beyond the continental shelf and continues to the abyssal zone.
Rocky intertidal upper zone
Crabs and birds can be found eating mollusks and suspension feeding barnacles in this area of the rocky shore. Muscles and barnacles are exposed at low tide and are an easy meal for predators and can dry out in the sun.
Rocky intertidal middle zone
Muscles and barnacles are only exposed to sun and air in the lower tides.
Rocky intertidal bottom zone
This area of the rocky shore is covered with waters almost all the time. Seaweed is abundant and provides cover for many organisms.
Coral reef
Cnidarians called coral secrete a hard calcium carbonate exoskeleton and provide a substrate for symbiotic algae to live on. Sponges and many fish make their home here. Starfish are very damaging, and ocean warming has harmed the coral reef ecosystems.
Estuaries
Are found where fresh water meets the ocean. The water is brackish, or saltier than fresh water. This area is very productive. Crabs, oysters, and the young of sea creatures, as well as many birds can be found in this area. Traditionally, this land has been inexpensive and home to industry. As a result, all world estuaries are badly polluted and exploited.
Photic region of the pelagic-ocean zone
There is enough light in the upper regions of the oceanic zone to support the growth of phytoplankton. This phytoplankton accounts for about half of the earth’s photosynthesis. Zooplankton can also be found living here.
Aphotic region of the pelagic-oceanic zone
Deeper water without light. Large, strange creatures can be found here, many that glow in the dark with bioluminescence.
Equinox
March 21st and Sept. 21st. 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night.
Soltice
Dec. 21st - winter solstice, shortest day of the year.
June 21st - summer solstice, longest day of the year.
Trade winds
Winds originating in the east and flowing to the west
Westerlies
Winds originating in the west and flowing to the east
Uniform distribution
Most common in agriculture with equal spaces between plants
Clumped distribution
Most common natural distribution. Organisms are grouped around a natural resource.
Random distribution
Not common in nature. There is no attraction or repellant for the species.
Population density
The number of individuals per unit area
Birth rate
The number of individuals produced in a given period of time
Sex ratio
In this statistic, only the number of females is important because the number of females is related to the number of births which can occur.
Age structure
The number of individuals in any particular age group. Each group has it’s own birth and death rates.
Life table
A summary of mortality for a population
Cohort
A group of individuals of the same age followed from birth until all are dead
Survivorship curve
A plot of the number of members in a cohort alive at each particular sampling during the life of the cohort.
Logistic growth
Steady incline in numbers over time, followed by a stable population
Exponential growth
Huge increases in population over a short time
Population cycle
An increase in the number of organisms in a population followed by a population crash
Zero population growth
A type of population growth where the number of immigrations and birth equals the number of emigrations and death
Delayed reproduction
Having children at an older age provides the slowest population growth
Individualistic concept of species combination
None of the species react with each other
Interactive concept of species combination
All species interact with each other
Predation
One species eats another species for dinner
Co-evolution
The prey changes or adapts. The predator must also change or adapt to deal with the change in the prey.
Parasitism
One organism eats, or lives on, or in another organism
Mutualism
A lichen is an example because both organisms help each other. Also called symbiosis.
Aposematic coloration
Bright colors are used to indicate the use of physical or chemical defenses on prey. I.e. Coral snakes or monarch butterflies.
Morphological camouflage
When an organism is the same shape and color as it’s surrounding
Cryptic coloration
When an organism blends into the background but is not the same shape as the background.
Competitive exclusion
Two species with a need for similar resource can not exist together. I.e. Paramecium Aurelia and P. Caudatum.
Exploitative competition
When the consumption or use of a resource by one species restricts the use of the resource by the second species.
Interspecific competition
When two or more species in a community use the same resource without restricting each other.
Primary succession
When plants grow on bare ground. I.e. Chicago after the glaciers moved through the area.
Secondary succession
When plants re-grow after a fire, or when farmland is allowed to go wild.
Realized niche
The actual area where an organism if found. I.e. A barnacle may be found on the upper and lower rocks, but is only found on the upper because it would have to compete with too many other organisms on the lower rocks.
Ecological niche
All of the areas where an organism can be found, but may not be found
