Ecology Flashcards

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1
Q

Biosphere

A

The entire portion of the Earth inhabited by life. Sum of all the plate’s ecosystems.

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2
Q

Global Ecology

A

Examines how the regional exchange of energy and materials influence the functioning and distribution of organisms across the biosphere.

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3
Q

landscape/ seascape

A

Mosaic of connected ecosystems.

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4
Q

Landscape Ecology

A

Focuses on factors controlling exchanges of energy, materials, and organisms across multiple ecosystems.

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5
Q

Ecosystem

A

Community of organisms in an area and the physical factors with which those organisms interact.

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6
Q

Ecosystem Ecology

A

Emphasizes energy flow and chemical cycling between organisms and the environment.

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7
Q

Community

A

Group of populations of different species in an area

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8
Q

Community Ecology

A

Examines how species interactions, such as predation and competition, affect community structure and organization.

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9
Q

Population

A

Group of individuals of the same species living in an area.

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10
Q

Population Ecology

A

Analyzes factors that affect population sizes and how and why it changes through time.

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11
Q

Organismal Ecology

A

How and organisms structure, physiology, and behavior meet challenges posed by its environment.

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12
Q

Ecology

A

Scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment.

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13
Q

Tropics

A

Those regions that lie between 23.5 degrees North and 23.5 degrees South.

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14
Q

Climate

A

Long-term prevailing weather conditions in a given area

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15
Q

Macroclimate

A

Weather patterns global, regional, and landscape level.

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16
Q

Microclimate

A

Very fine, localized weather patterns, such as those encountered by the community ohm organisms.

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17
Q

Abiotic

A

Non-living factors that influence the distribution and abundance of organisms.

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18
Q

Biotic

A

Living factors or other organisms in an environment.

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19
Q

Biome

A

Any of the worlds major ecosystem types. Often classified by predominant vegetation for terrestrial biomes and physical environment for aquatic biomes.

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20
Q

Climograph

A

Plot of the annual mean temperature and precipitation in a particular region.

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21
Q

Ectone

A

Area of integration between biomes.

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22
Q

Canopy

A

Upper most layer in a terrestrial biomes.

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23
Q

Disturbance

A

An event such as fire, storm, or human activity that changes a community, removing organism from it and altering resource availability.

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24
Q

Tropical rain forest

A

Terrestrial biome characterized by relatively high precipitation and temperatures year-round.

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25
Q

Tropical dry rain forest

A

Terrestrial biome characterized by relatively high precipitation and temperatures year-round, but with a pronounced dry season.

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26
Q

Savanna

A

Tropical grassland biomes with scattered individual trees and large herbivores and maintained by occasional fires and drought.

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27
Q

Temperate Grasslands

A

Terrestrial biome that exists at midlatitude regions and is dominated by grasses and forbs.

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28
Q

Northern Coniferous Rainforest

A

Terrestrial biomes that characterized by long, cold winters and dominated by cone-bearing trees.

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29
Q

Temperate Broadleaf Forest

A

Biome located throughout midlatitude regions where there is sufficient moisture to support growth of large, broadleaf deciduous trees.

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30
Q

Tundra

A

Terrestrial biomes at the extreme limits of plant growth.

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31
Q

Photic Zone

A

Top layer of aquatic biomes where there is sufficient light for photosynthesis.

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32
Q

Aphotic Zone

A

Bottom Layer of aquatic biomes where little light penetrates.

33
Q

Pelagic Zone

A

Both the Photic and Aphotic Zones.

34
Q

Abysmal Zone

A

Deep part of the ocean, 2,000m to 6,000m deep. Part of the Aphotic Zone.

35
Q

Benthic Zone

A

Bottom surface of aquatic environment.

36
Q

Benthos

A

Community of organisms that live Benthic Zone of an aquatic environment.

37
Q

Detritus

A

Dead organic matter

38
Q

Thermocline

A

Narrow stratum of abrupt temperature change in the ocean and in many temperate-zone lakes.

39
Q

Turnover

A

The mixing of waters as a result of changing water temperature profiles in a lake.

40
Q

Oligotrophic Lake

A

A nutrient poor lake, clear lake with few phytoplankton.

41
Q

Eutrophic Lake

A

Lake with high rate of biologic productivity supported by a high rate of nutrient cycling.

42
Q

Littoral Zone

A

In a lake, the shallow, well-lit waters close to shore.

43
Q

Limnetic Zone

A

In a lake, the well-lit open surface waters far from shore,

44
Q

Wetland

A

A habitat that is inundated by water at least some of the time and that supports plants adapted to water saturated soils.

45
Q

Esuary

A

Area where fresh water stream or river merges with the ocean.

46
Q

Intertidal Zone

A

The shallow zone of the ocean adjacent to land and between the high and low tide lines.

47
Q

Oceanic Pelagic Zone

A

Most of the oceans waters far from shore, constantly mixed by ocean currents.

48
Q

Coral Reefs

A

Typically warm water, tropical ecosystem dominated by the hard skeletal structures secreted primarily by coral.

49
Q

Marine Benthic Zone

A

The ocean floor

50
Q

Neurotic Zone

A

The shallow regions of the ocean overlaying the continental shelf.

51
Q

Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents

A

A dark, hot, oxygen-deficient environment associated with volcanic activity on or near the sea floor.

52
Q

Dispersal

A

The movement of individuals away from their parent location.

53
Q

Density

A

Number of individuals per unit area or volume

54
Q

Dispersion

A

Pattern of spacing among individuals within the boundaries of the population

55
Q

Mark-Recapture Method

A

Sampling technique used to estimate the size of animal populations.

56
Q

Immigration

A

Influx of new individuals from other areas.

57
Q

Emigration

A

Movement of individuals out of a population and into other locations.

58
Q

Territoriality

A

The defense of a bounded space against encroachment by other individuals.

59
Q

Demography

A

Study of vital statistics of populations and how they change over time.

60
Q

Life Tables

A

Age-specific summaries of the survival pattern of a population.

61
Q

Cohort

A

A group of individuals of the same age.

62
Q

Survivorship Curve

A

A plot of the proportion or numbers in a cohort still alive at each age.

63
Q

Reproductive Table

A

Age specific summary of the reproductive rates in a population.

64
Q

Exponential Population Growth

A

Growth of a population in an ideal, unlimited environment, represented by a J-shaped curve when population size is plotted over time.

65
Q

Carrying Capacity

A

Maximum population size that a particular environment can sustain.

66
Q

Logistic Population Growth

A

Population growth that levels off as population size approaches carrying capacity.

67
Q

Life History

A

Traits that affect an organisms schedule of reproduction and survival.

68
Q

Semelparity

A

Reproduction in which an organisms produces all of its offspring in a single event. (Big-Bang reproduction)

69
Q

Iteroparity

A

Reproduction in which adults produce offspring over many years. (Repeated Reproduction)

70
Q

K-Selection

A

Selection for life history traits that are sensitive to population density. (Density-Dependent Selection)

71
Q

R-Selection

A

Selection for life history traits that maximize reproductive success in uncrowned environments. (Density-Independent Selection)

72
Q

Density Independent

A

Referring to any characteristic that is not affected by population density.

73
Q

Density Dependent

A

Referring to any characteristic that varies with population density.

74
Q

Population Dynamics

A

The study of complex interactions between biotic and abiotic factors influence variations in population size.

75
Q

Metapopulations

A

Growth of spatially separated populations of one species that interact through immigration and emigration.

76
Q

Demographic Transition

A

In a stable population, the transition from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates.

77
Q

Age Structure

A

Relative number of individuals of each age in a population.

78
Q

Ecological Footprint

A

The aggregate land and water area required by a person, city, or nation to produce all of the resources it consumes and to absorb all the waste in generates.