Ecology Review Flashcards
Biomass
Primary productivity reflected as dry weight of organic material
Secondary Productivity
Rate at which organisms convert chemical energy from food into own new biomass (10% efficiency)
Gause’s Principle
Two species can not exist in the same niche, one will outcompete the other which will either go extinct or adapt (character displacement and resource partitioning???)
Batesian Mimicry
Harmless copies dangerous
Mullerian Mimicry
Two dangerous resemble each other
Aposematic coloration
Use bright colors to warn that they’re poisonous, unpalatable, etc.
Counter shading
Parts in shadow are light parts in light are dark. (Why????)
Ecology
Study of interactions between organisms and environment
Dissolved oxygen
Amount of oxygen present in water- indication of health of water
Low flow or high bacteria means low DO
Stages of logistic growth
Initial lag, exponential, leveling
Character displacement
Competition leads to adaptations that would not have occurred otherwise as they would not have been necessary, evolve to decrease competition
6 terrestrial biomes
TRF, tundra, coniferous forest (taiga), deciduous forest, grassland, desert
Factors that distinguish between biomes
Land: temp, water, soil
Water: fresh or salt (meet point is estuary)
Marine: Depth, contact with coast
Intertidal/NEURETIC
Highly photic, contact with coast
Open sea/OCEANIC
Photic, no contact with coast