Ecology Flashcards
What is ecology?
The study of how organisms interact with each other
What is the hierarchy of living things?
Individual—species—population—-community—-ecosystem
What is an ecotone ?
Transitional zones between ecosystems, diversity os greater
What is an invasive species and it’s characteristics?
An invasive species is an exotic species introduced to a new environment.
Has not natural predators, other species cannot compete, prey have no natural defenses
What are some abiotic limiting factors?
Natural factors,
Climate/temperature,
Environment- soul
Sunlight
What are some biotic limiting factors?
Predators, parasites, competition, human activity
What are some biotic factors affecting climate?
Soil—ph
Water
Temperature
Sunlight
What are the layers of soil?
Litter-decomposed organic matter
Topsoil- litter, decomposing plants and animals, most fertile
Subsoil- rocks+minerals
Bedrock- rock
What are some abiotic factors affecting aquatic ecosystems?
Chemical environment, temperature, sunlight, water pressure
What are the zones of a lake?
Littoral- shallow, plant life, lots of photosynthesis
limnetic- open water, some sun
Profundal- deep water, no sun, limited o2
What are the lake layers?
Epilimnion- most nutrients
Thermocline-
Hypolimnion-
Why Is turnover important?
It’s important to spread out the nutrients and O2 in the water
What are the turnover cycles?
Winter- no turnover, cold water on top, warmer water underneath
Spring- turnover, warmer water on top, wind mixes water, epilimnion moves to bottom, nutrients distributed
Summer- no turnover, layers return to normal
Autumn- epilimnion cools off and sinks, nutrients move to bottom
What are some forms of forestry?
Sash and burn, clear cutting, Selective cutting
How do humans monitor aquatic ecosystem?
Bacteria, dissolved o2, biological o2 demand
