Ecosystems Flashcards
study study study
how does energy flow in a food web
10% of energy gets moved on to the next trophic level.\
Autotrophs have the most energy
there are only usually 4-5 levels bc energy is not usually available to higher you go
def. of Dynamic Equilibrium
The balance between different parts of the ecosystem
5 natural disasters in an ecosystem
tornadoes
wildfires
disease
drought
volcanic eruptions
Eutrophication def.
a body of water becoming nutrient-rich
ecological succession
the process of one ecological community gradually changing into another
species
a group of organisms that have similar traits and are able to produce fertile offspring
pioneer species
the first species that colonizes new or undisturbed land
secondary sucession
orderly change that occurs in a place where soil remains after a community of organisms has been removed.
climax community
a stable community that no longer goes through major ecological changes
primary succession
establishment of a community in an area of bare rock or bare sand, where no topsoil is present.
population
all the organisms of the space species that live in the same area at the same time.
pioneer species for primary sucession
lichens and mosses
Pioneer stages of primary succession
1st- lichens
2nd- mosses and ferns
3rd- herbs and weeds
intermediate stages of primary succession
4th- grasses
5th- shrubs
6th- shade intolerant trees
climax community of primary succession
8th- shade tolerant trees
Pioneer stages of secondary succession
1st- annual plants
2nd- grasses and herbs
Intermediate stages of secondary succession
3rd- shrubs
4th- pines
5th- young oak/hickory
6th- pines die, oak/hickory mature
Climax community of secondary succession
7th- mature oak/hickory forest
natural events that cause secondary succession
wildfires
floods
resource extraction
Aquatic succession
sediment carried by rainwater and streams build up in bottoms of water.
Eventually, water disappears and the area turns into land.
Effects on Aquatic Succession on Ecosystems
too much sediment can damage habitats, clog waters and cause flooding. this leads to
- habitat loss
- change in available nutrients
-decrease in light available for plant
def. of biodiversity
the number and variety of organisms found in a specific region
def. of species biodiversity
the number and quantity of each species in an ecological communtiy
biodiversity index
a measure of species diversity in a given location
Ecosystem diversity
the variety of ecosystems in the biosphere
sustainable ecosystem
an ecosystem that can remain diverse and productive over time without outside influence or assistance.
resilience
the ability of an ecosystem to maintain balance even in the face of significant disturbances.
genetic diversity
the variety of genes or inherited traits that are present in a population
How to calculate biodiversity index
Biodiversity index =
total # of individualas in the same area
be able to tell about ecosystem health, stability and sustainability
yes
how long does primary succession take
hundreds or thousands of years
how long does secondary succession take
about 75 years
what disturbances causes primary succession
glacier retreat/crawl
volcanic eruption
How do negative human activities impact ecosystems
creates imbalance in food webs and give negative effects to sustainability
Importance of biodiversity and how it impacts the sustainability of ecosystems?
Ecosystems with high biodiversity are more stable and resilient to disturbances. With more species present, energy flow is still maintained even if something happened to a species.
Without biodiversity, ecosystems become less productive and more vulnerable to collapse leading to a less sustainable ecosystem.
