Ecosystems Flashcards
What is a population?
A population as a group of organisms of the same species occupying a particular space at a particular time that can potentially interbreed.
What is Ecology
Ecology is the science of the relationships between organisms and their environments.
What is a community
All the populations of all different species living in one habitat, i.e. the living or biotic part of an ecosystem form a community. Within an ecosystem there may be several of these.
What is Ecosystem
A community and the non-living components of its environment together form an ecosystem. Ecosystems can range in size from the very small to the very large.
Biotic conditions
the living features of an ecosystem, for example the presence of predators or food.
Abiotic conditions
are the non-living features of an ecosystem, such as the temperature of pH of the soil
What is a habitat
The physical or abiotic part of an ecosystem (i.e. the actual place where the organisms live) is called the habitat. Within an ecosystem there may be several of these.
What are adaptations and whcih 3 factors
An adaptation is a feature that members of a species have that increases their chance of survival and reproduction. They can be
Physiological ( processes inside their body)
Behavioural ( the way an organism acts)
Anatomical ( structural features of their body)
A giraffe has a long neck to help them reach vegetation that’s high up. This increases their chance of survival when food is scarce.
What is this adaptation
Anatomical
Penguins huddle together for warmth. This helps them to survive the harsh winds of an Antarctic storm.
Behavioural Adaptation
Yeast can respire glucose aerobically or anaerobically. This increases their chance of survival because they can still release energy when oxygen concentration is low.
Physiological adaptation
Which of these are biotic
How do measure the following
pH of soil rainfall wind speed max/min temperature
Light intensity oxygen concentration humidity air pressure
The Ecological Niche
A species niche refers to its role in its habitat and is governed by adaptation to both abiotic and biotic conditions.
A detailed description of a niche should include many aspects such as its food, its habitat, its reproduction method, breeding cycle, etc. for example gerbils are desert seed-eating mammals or fungi are asexual soil-living saprophytes.
Identifying the different niches in an ecosystem helps us to understand the interactions between populations.
Members of the same population always have the same niche, and will be well adapted to that niche, e.g. nectar feeding birds have long thin beaks.
narrow niches are called specialists VS broad niches are called generalists
Species with narrow niches are called specialists (e.g. anteater).
Many different specialists can coexist in the same habitat as they are not competing, this can lead to high diversity, for example warblers in a coniferous forest feed on insects found at different heights.
Specialists rely on a constant supply of their food, so are generally found in abundant, stable habitats such as tropical rain forests.
Species with broad niches are called generalists (e.g. common crow).
Generalists in the same habitat will compete, so there can only be a few, leading to low diversity. Generalists can cope with a changing food supply (such as seasonal changes) since they can switch from one food to another or even one habitat to another (for example by migrating).
In reality the cormorant is quite different to the shag:
In reality the cormorant is quite different to the shag:
it occupies narrower ledges
it fishes further out to sea
it captures fish and eels from the upper layers of the water
This means they are both able to be successful in the same ecosystem
two species try to occupy the same niche
If two species try to occupy the same niche, they will compete with each other. One species will be more successful than the other, until, only one species is left
Ecological niche
Ecological niche isa term for the position of a species within an ecosystem, describing both the range of _______and _______conditions necessary for _____________of the species, and its ecological role in the ecosystem
Ecological niche isa term for the position of a species within an ecosystem, describing both the range of abiotic and biotic conditions necessary for persistence of the species, and its ecological role in the ecosystem
