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Ecology Flashcards

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AP® Biology flashcards Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Biosphere

A

The global ecosystem

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2
Q

Global ecology

A

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

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3
Q

Landscape ecology

A

The factors controlling exchanges of energy, materials, and organisms across multiple ecosystems

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4
Q

Ecosystem

A

The community of organisms in an area in the physical factors with which those organisms interact

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5
Q

Ecosystem ecology

A

Emphasizes energy flow and chemical cycling within organisms in the environment

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6
Q

Community

A

A group of populations of different species in an area

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7
Q

Community ecology

A

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

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8
Q

Population

A

A group of individuals of the same species living in an area

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9
Q

Population ecology

A

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

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10
Q

Climate

A

The long-term prevailing weather conditions in a given area

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11
Q

Components of climates

A

Temperature, precipitation, sunlight, and wind

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12
Q

Abiotic

A

Nonliving; factors: Chemical and physical attributes of the environment influence the distribution and abundance of organisms

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13
Q

Biotic

A

Living; factors: other organisms that are part of the individual’s environment

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14
Q

Biomes

A

Major life zones characterized by vegetation type or by the physical environment

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15
Q

Disturbance

A

Event such as a storm, fire, or human activity that changes a community removing organisms from it and altering resource availability

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16
Q

Photic zone

A

Where there is sufficient light for photosynthesis

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17
Q

Aphotic zone

A

Where little light penetrates

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18
Q

Benthic zone

A

Consists of organic and inorganic sediments and is occupied by communities of organisms called benthos

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19
Q

Thermocline

A

A narrow layer of abrupt temperature change; it separates the warm and cold air

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20
Q

Estuary

A

The transition zone between a river and the sea

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21
Q

Oligothrophic lakes

A

Nutrient poor and generally oxygen rich

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22
Q

Eutrophic lakes

A

Nutrient rich and often to pleaded of oxygen in the deepest zone in summer and is covered with ice in the winter

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23
Q

Dispersal

A

The movement of individuals or gametes away from their area of origin or from centers of high population density

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24
Q

Density

A

The number of individuals per-unit area or volume

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25
Q

Dispersion

A

The pattern of spacing among individuals within the boundaries of the population

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26
Q

Immigration

A

The influx of new individuals from other areas

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27
Q

Emigration

A

The movement of individuals out of the population into other locations

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28
Q

Territoriality

A

The defense of a bounded physical space against encroachments by other individuals

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29
Q

Demography

A

The study of the vital statistics of populations and how they change over time

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30
Q

Cohort

A

A group of individuals of the same age from birth until all of the individuals are dead

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31
Q

Type I curve

A

Flat at the start indicating low death rates at younger age then drops deeply as death rates increase among older age groups

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32
Q

Type III curve

A

Dropped sharply at the start reflecting high death rates for the young but flattens out as death rates decrease for those who survive

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33
Q

Type II curve

A

Intermediate with a constant death rate over the organisms life span

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34
Q

Zero population growth

A

Occurs when the per capita birth and death rates are equal

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35
Q

Exponential population growth

A

A population whose members all have access to abundant food and are free to reproduce at their physiological capacity

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36
Q

Carrying capacity (k)

A

The maximum population size that a particular environment can sustain

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37
Q

Logistic population growth

A

The per capita rate of increase approaches zero as the population size nears it’s carrying capacity

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38
Q

Density independent

A

A birth or death rate that does not change with population density

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39
Q

Density dependent

A

Death/birth rate that rises as population density rises

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40
Q

Population dynamics

A

Population fluctuations; influenced by many factors and in turn affect other species

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41
Q

Metapopulation

A

When a number of local populations are linked

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42
Q

Interspecific competition

A

-/- Interaction that occurs when individuals of different species compete for a resource that limits their growth and survival

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43
Q

Competitive exclusion

A

A slight reproductive advantage will eventually lead to local elimination of the inferior competitor

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44
Q

Ecological niche

A

The specific set of biotic and abiotic resources that an organism uses in its environment

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45
Q

Resource partitioning

A

The differentiation of niche is that enable similar species to coexist in a community

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46
Q

Fundamental niche

A

The niche potentially occupied by that species

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47
Q

Realized niche

A

The portion of its fundamental niche that it actually occupies in a particular environment

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48
Q

Character displacement

A

Tendency for characteristics to diverge more in overlapping than in separate populations

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49
Q

Cryptic coloration

A

Camouflage

50
Q

Aposemartic coloration

A

Chemical defense; warning coloration

51
Q

Batesian mimicry

A

A palatable or harmless species mimics and unpalatable or harmful one

52
Q

Müllerian mimicry

A

Two or more unpalatable species resemble each other

53
Q

Herbivory

A

An organism eats parts of a plant or alga

54
Q

Symbiosis

A

When individuals of two or more species live in direct and intimate contact with one another

55
Q

Parasitism

A

+/- symbiotic interaction; when a parasite derives its nourishment from its host which is harmed in the process

56
Q

Mutualism

A

An interspecific interaction that benefits both species

57
Q

Commensalism

A

And interaction between species that benefits one of the species but neither harmed nor helps the other

58
Q

Facilitation

A

When a species has positive effects on the survival and reproduction of other species without necessarily living in the direct and intimate contact of a symbiosis

59
Q

Biomass

A

The total mass of all individuals in a population

60
Q

Ecological succession

A

When a disturbed area is colonized by a variety of species which are gradually replaced by other species which are intern replaced by still other species

61
Q

Primary succession

A

A process that begins in a virtually lifeless area where soil has not yet formed

62
Q

Secondary succession

A

When an existing community has been cleared by some disturbance the leaves the soil intact

63
Q

Primary producers

A

Ultimately supports all others consists of autotrophs

64
Q

Primary consumers

A

Herbivores

65
Q

Secondary consumer

A

Carnivores

66
Q

Tertiary consumers

A

Carnivores that eat other carnivores

67
Q

Detritivores/decomposers

A

Consumers they get their nutrients from nonliving organic material

68
Q

Detritus

A

Nonlivingorganic material such as remains of dead organisms, feces, fallen leaves, and wood

69
Q

Primary production

A

The amount of light energy converted to chemical energy in the form of organic compounds by autotrophs during a given time period

70
Q

Gross primary production

A

The amount of energy from light converted to the chemical energy of organic molecules per unit of time

71
Q

Net primary production

A

Equal to gross primary production minus the energy used by the primary producers for their outer traffic respiration; Amount of new biomass added in a given period of time

72
Q

Net ecosystem production

A

A measure of the total biomass accumulation during that time

73
Q

Limiting nutrient

A

The element that must be added for production to increase

74
Q

Eutrophication

A

A process of the nutrients becomes highly concentrated in a body of water causing an increase in phytoplankton

75
Q

Secondary production

A

The amount of chemical energy in consumers food that is converted to new biomass during a given period

76
Q

Production efficiency

A

The percentage of energy stored in assimilated food that is not used for respiration

77
Q

Trophic efficiency

A

The percentage of production transferred from one trophic level to the next

78
Q

Turnover time

A

The time required to replace the standing crop of a population or group of populations calculated

79
Q

Minimum viable population

A

The minimal population size at which a species is able to sustain its numbers

80
Q

Critical load

A

The amount of added nutrient usually nitrogen or phosphorus that can be absorbed by plants without damaging ecosystem integrity

81
Q

Greenhouse effect

A

The warming of her due to the atmospheric accumulation of carbon dioxide and other gases which absorbs reflected infrared radiation and reradiate some of it back toward earth

82
Q

Ecology

A

The scientific study of the interactions between organisms and the environment

83
Q

What is the most inclusive level of organization

A

A biosphere

84
Q

2 major climatic factors affecting the distribution of organisms in terrestrial ecosystems are

A

Water and temperature

85
Q

To determine density you need to the the population size and

A

The size of the area they live in

86
Q

In wild populations individuals most often show a __ pattern of dispersion

A

Clumped

87
Q

In models that describe population growth r stands for

A

Per capita population growth rate

88
Q

Resource competition, territoriality, disease, and toxic wastes are some of the factors that provide__ and help regulate population

A

Negative feedback

89
Q

A broad-based pyramid-shaped age structure is characteristic of a population that is

A

Growing rapidly

90
Q

If rmax is doubled how would the population growth rates change

A

The population growth rates will double

91
Q

Consider a population whose growth over a given time period can be described by the exponential model: dN/dt=rN

A

A population with a positive value of r will grow exponentially

92
Q

Consider a population whose growth can be described by the logistics growth model dN/dt=rmaxN[(K-N)/K]

A

At low values of N the logistic growth and exponential growth (dN/dt=rN models predict similar population growth

93
Q

According to the principle of competitive exclusion two species cannot continue of occupy the same

A

Ecological niche

94
Q

An organism’s Trophic level refers to ___

A

It’s food source

95
Q

Keystone species are those species

A

Whose absence would cause major disruption ins a community

96
Q

Grass growing in a sand dune, is replaced by shrubs, and then by trees is an example of

A

Ecological succession

97
Q

An earthworm that feeds on the remains of plants and animals is acting as a ___

A

Detritivore

98
Q

When a human eats a steak the human is acting as a

A

Secondary consumer

99
Q

A surface exposed by a retreating not glacier is a starting point for

A

Primary succession

100
Q

If a local population of a species goes extinct which of the following outcomes is/are possible

A

Population numbers of species that interacted with the extinct population may increase, genetic variation may be lost from the species as a whole, the overall adaptive prospects of the species may decline

101
Q

Biological magnification means

A

The concentration of toxins increases at higher Trophic levels in a food chain

102
Q

On a global scale energy __ ecosystems whereas chemical elements ___ ecosystems

A

Flows through….. Are recycled in

103
Q

The relationship between biomass and primary productivity is that___

A

Primary productivity is the rate at which biomass is produced

104
Q

Why is a diagram of energy flow from Trophic level to Trophic level shaped like a pyramid

A

Most energy at each level is lost leaving little for the next

105
Q

Biogeochemical cycles are crucial to ecosystem function because

A

Nutrients and other life-sustaining molecules are in a limited supply and mist be continually recycled

106
Q

What process your body with energy

A

Fats

107
Q

Which element is found in a lol organic compounds

A

Carbon

108
Q

What name is given to organisms that convert the carbon in organic compounds into carbon in carbon dioxide

A

Decomposers

109
Q

What is not an organic molecule

A

Minerals

110
Q

To find Trophic efficiency

A

You take the top number and divide by the bottom number and put it as a percent

111
Q

Approximately __% of the energy at one Trophic level is passed on to the next highest Trophic level

A

5-10

112
Q

What removed carbon from the atmosphere

A

Algae

113
Q

Detritus is composed of

A

Dead organic matter and excreted wastes

114
Q

Which of these are the two major sources of nitrate pollution in rivers

A

Animal wastes and fertilizers

115
Q

Aquatic nitrate pollution can result is

A

An algal bloom that when the algae dies and are decomposed by bacteria leads to hypoxia and the death of fish

116
Q

Which area is not one of the 3 major reservoirs of the global carbon cycle

A

Sedimentary rock

117
Q

How does carbon move from the biota to the atmosphere

A

Carbon dioxide is released during cellar respiration

118
Q

Nitrifying bacteria convert__ to ___

A

Ammonium…. Nitrites

119
Q

____ removed nitrogen from the atmosphere

A

Nitrogen fixation

120
Q

Denitrifying bacteria convert___ to___

A

Nitrates… Nitrogen gasses

121
Q

Why is it that nitrogen is often a limiting plant nutrient despite the fact that the atmosphere is 80% nitrogen gas (N2)

A

Because plants cannot fix N2

Biology (3 decks)

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