Ecology Flashcards
Levels of biological organization
organism, population, communities, ecosystem, biosphere
define population
group of organisms of the same species
what is a species
any group of similar organisms capable of producing fertile offspring
what is a community in biology?
consists of populations of different plants and animal species interacting with eachother in a given environment
define ecosystem
an ecosystem encompasses the interaction between living biotic communities and the nonliving environment
biosphere
includes portions of the planet that support life: the atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere
lithosphere
rock and soil surface
hydrosphere
oecans
photic zone
top layer of water through which light can penetrate.
Where aquatic photosynthetic activity takes place
what is substratum?
soil or rock.
It determines the nature of plant and animal life in the soil.
Define niche
the niche defines the functional role of an organism in its ecosystem.
The niche describes what the organism eats, where and how it obtains its food, what climactic factors it can tolerate, nature of predators, etc.
Why do herbivores have longer digestive tracts?
longer digestive tract provides greater surface area and time for digestion
3 types of symbiosis
commensalism, mutualism, parasitism
what is obligatory symbiosis?
when one or both organisms in a symbiotic relationship cannot survive without the other
Define commensalism
(+/0)
Symbiotic relationship in which one organism is benefited by the associate, and the other is not affected.
Define mutualism
(+/+)
Symbiotic relationship in which both organisms derive some benefit
Define parasitism
(+/-)
Symbiotic relationship in which a parasite benefits at the expense of the host.
When does parasitism exist the most?
when competition for food is most intense
the relationship between fungi and algae is an example of ____
mutualism.
In lichen, the green algae produces food for itself and the fungus by photosynthesis. The meshes of fungal thread support the algae and conserve rainwater
worms in animals is an example of what kind of relationshi?
parasitism
the relationship between a barnacle and whale is an example of ____
commensalism.
Barnacle attaches to whale to obtain a wider feeding opportunity through the migration of the whale. No effect on whale.
define saprophytism
Saprophytes include those protists and fungi that DECOMPOSE dead organism matter .
Eg. mold, mushrooms, bacteria of decay, and slime molds
define scavenger
Scavengers are animals that consume dead animals
Hardy-Weinberg equations
p + q = 1
p^2 + 2pq + q^2 = 1
