Ecology Continued Flashcards
Evaporation
Water changed from a liquid to an atmospheric gas
Transpiration
Evaporation of water from plant leaves
Condensation
Water vapor cools and condenses into water droplets (clouds)
Precipitation
Water droplets become large and return to earths surface
Nutrients
All of the chemical substances an organism needs to live
Legumes
Plant containing seed pods (peas, beans, peanuts)
Nitrogen fixation
Converting nitrogen gas (N2) into ammonia (NH3)
Denitrification
Some of the nitrogen is converted to N2 (nitrogen gas) and released back into the atmosphere
Ecosystem
A collection of all the organisms that live in a particular place together with their nonliving environment
Biotic factor
All of the living parts of an ecosystem
Abiotic factor
All of the nonliving parts of an ecosystem
Tolerance
The ability of a species to survive and reproduce under a range of environmental conditions
Habitat
The area where an organism lives including the biotic and abiotic factors that affect it
Niche
The full range of physical and biological conditions in which an organism lives and the way in which the organism uses those conditions (the role of an organism)
Resource
Any necessity of life (water, food, nutrients, light, space)
Competition
When two organisms try to use an ecological resource in the same place at the same time
Intraspecific competition
Between members of the same species
Interspecific competition
Between members of different species
Competitive exclusion principle
No two species can occupy the same niche in the same habitat at the same time
Predation
One animal captures and feeds on another animal
Herbivory
One animal (herbivore) feeds on a producer (plants)
Keystone species
A population change in the keystone species can cause dramatic changes in its community
Symbiosis
A close, long term interaction between two species in which at least one benefits
Biogeochemical cycles
How matter is passed through the biosphere and used by organisms
Runoff
Water running on the surface
Ground water
Water not on the surface
Predator
The animal doing the hunting
Prey
The animal being hunted
Water cycle
Evaporation, transpiration (evaporation of water from plant leaves), condensation, precipitation. How water is passed through the environment
Carbon cycle
Carbon dioxide is released into atmosphere by cellular respiration, burning fossil fuels, ect
Carbon dioxide is taken up by plants for photosynthesis and Carbon used to build carbohydrates
Carbon is passed along food chains as carbohydrates and exalted back into environment as Carbon dioxide or turned into body material and released during decomposition
Nitrogen cycle
a continuous series of natural processes by which nitrogen passes successively from air to soil to organisms and back to air or soil involving principally nitrogen fixation, nitrification, decay, and denitrification
Nitrogen gas
Makes up 78% of earths atmosphere. Used to make ammonia. N2. Found in atmosphere, not usable by plants
Ammonia
Made during nitrogen fixation. Can be converted into nitrates and nitrites. NH3. Fixed nitrogen usable by some plants
Nitrites
Bacteria in soil convert ammonia to nitrites which is then used by autotrophs to make proteins which are eaten by consumers who use the nitrogen to make their own proteins. NO2. More usable nitrogen by plants
Nitrates
Bacteria in soil convert ammonia to nitrates which is then used by autotrophs to make proteins which are eaten by consumers who use the nitrogen to make their own proteins. NO3. More usable nitrogen by plants
Phosphorus cycle
Phosphate is taken up by plants from soil or water and bound into organic compounds. These organic compounds move through the food webs and are returned to the soil
Phosphates
Found in rocks, soil minerals, and ocean sediment. It is in the form of inorganic phosphate. PO4 3-
Mutualism
Both organisms benefit from the relationship
Commensalism
One organism benefits from the relationship, the other is not affected
Parasitism
One organism benefits, the other is harmed
Parasite
An organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host’s expense
Host
an animal or plant on or in which a parasite or commensal organism lives
Ecological succession
Predictable changes that occurs in a community over time
Primary succession
Occurs on surfaces where no soil exists and there is no existing community
Pioneer species
The first species to populate an area during primary succession
Secondary succession
Follows a disturbance that destroys the community without destroying the soil
Climax community
Uniform and stable community that is the end result of primary and secondary succession
Geographic range
Indicates the area where a population can be found
Population density
Number of individuals per unit area
Growth rate
Tells us if a population is getting larger, smaller, or staying the same
Age structure
Describes the numbers of males and females of each age in a population
Population growth
How a population changes over time
Immigration
The movement of individuals into an area
Emigration
The movement of individuals out of an area
Birth rate
Number of individuals born to a population in a year
Death rate
Number of deaths in a population in a year
Exponential growth
Growth whose rate becomes more rapid in proportion to the growing total number or size. Explosive growth
J shaped curve
Caused by slow growth of a small population in the beginning, then exponential growth because of unlimited resources for a larger population
S shaped curve
Caused by logistic growth after exponential growth
Logistic growth
A populations growth slows or stops after a period of exponential growth
Carrying capacity
The largest number of individuals that an environment can support
Limiting factor
A factor that causes a populations growth to decrease or stop. It controls the size of a population.
Density dependent factor
Become limiting only when the population density becomes high enough
Predation
One organism captures and feeds on another
Density independent factor
Factors that affect all in the same way regardless of the population density
Population
All the members of a species in a given area
