EcoSystems and Distribution of Organisms Flashcards
Biodiversity
The total variety and abundance of different species present in a an ecosystem
Populations
Number of organism of the same species in an ecosytem
Community
Populations of different species living in an area
Ecosystem
A community of organisms living in a particular habitat and their interactions with each other and their shared environment
Habitat
The place where an organism lives
Species
A group of organism that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring
Herbivore
An organism the consumes only plant material
Carnivore
An organism that consumes only animal material
Omnivore
An organism that consume plant and animal material
Consumer
An organism that eats other organism to obtain a food source
Producer
Green plant which makes their own food source through the process of photysynthesis
Prey
An organism that is hunted and killed by predators
Predator
An organism, that hunts and kills other animals for food
Indicator Species
A species that by their presence or absence indicates levels of environmental qualities
-water pollution
-air population
Niche
The role an organism plays in a community relates to
-the resource it requires
-interactions with other organisms
Abiotic Factors
Non Living factors that affect the distribution of organisms living in an ecosystem
Example of Abiotic Factors
PH
Light Intensity
Temperature
Soil Moisture
Biotic Factors
Living factor that affect the distribution of organism in an ecosystem
Example Of Biotic factors
Competition
Grazing
Predation
Food Availability
Disease
Food Chain And Web
-shows feeding relationships
-represents energy flow
Stable Ecosystem
A stable ecosystem has a wide variety of organisms living and their interacting with each other
Sampling Abiotic Factors
Thermometer
Light Meter
Moisture/ Ph meter
How to measure temperature(abiotic)
-thermometer
A source of error is not leaving it in for enough time
Leave it in for at least 1 min
How to measure light intensity(abiotic)
-light meter
A source of error is shading in light meter
Point sensor directly at light source
How to measure soil moisture/ph(abiotic)
-Moisture/Ph meter
A source of error is cross-contamination between samples
Clean the probe between readings
Quadrat
A quadrat is a square frame with a known area
Used to estimate the number of plants or slow moving animal in a given area
Source of Error Quadrat
Using a small sample size
-Set several quadrats to ensure the results are reliable(increase sample size)
Sample sites may be specifically chosen
-Throw quadrat at random to ensure results are not biased
Counting Organisms more than once
-Follow simple counting rules to ensure each organism is only counted once
Pitfall Trap
-Its a cup placed level with the ground and covered with leaves
-Used to estimate the number of small active animals in a given area
Source of Error Pitfall
Using a small sample size
- Set up several pitfall traps to ensure the results are reliable
The trapped organism may be eaten by predators
- Camouflage the pitfall trap using foliage(leaf)
The trapped organism may escape
-Check contents regularly
Biological Keys
Used to identify different organism based on their physical appearance
Competition
Occurs when resources required for survival are available is short supply.
-one species is successful while the other is successful
Interspecific Competition
Between individuals of two different species for 1 or few resources they require. Less Intense
Intraspecific Competition
Between members of the same species for the exact same resources. More Intense
Transect Line
Sample at 1m intervals
NOT RANDOM
