Ecosystems and Ecology Flashcards
Species
a group of organisms sharing common characteristics that interbreed and produce fertile offspring
Habitat
the environment in which a species normally lives
Niche
the particular set of abiotic and biotic conditions to which a organism or population responds
Fundamental niche
the full range of conditions and resources which a species could survive or reproduce
Realized niche
the actual conditions and resources in which a species exists
Abiotic factors
non living factors that influence the organisms and ecosystems
Biotic factors
living factors such as the interactions between organisms
Population
group of organisms of the same species living in the same area at the same time which are capable of interbreeding
Limiting factors
factors that slow population growth as it approaches the carrying capacity of a system.
Intraspecific competition
competition over food, habitat and mates by members of the same species
Interspecific competition
individuals of different species competeting over food and habitats
Predation
when one animal, the predator, eats another animal
Herbivory relationships
an animal (herbivore) eating a green plant. some plants have defense mechanisms against this
Parasitism
a relationship between two species in which one species (the parasite) lives in or on the other, gaining food from it
Mutualism
a relation between two or more species in which all benefit and none suffer
Carrying capacity
the number of species which a region can support without environmental degradation
What are S and J curves
graphs that show population change
S curves
Start with exponential growth. Above a certain population, the growth slows down, resulting in a population of constant size
J curves
the population grows exponentially at first, then suddenly collapses. The collapses are called diebacks. The reason diebacks happen is because the population exceeds the carrying capacity
Community
group of populations living and interacting with each other in a common habitat
ecosystem
a community and the physical environment it interacts with
respiration
the conversion of organic matter into carbon dioxide and water in all living organisms
photosynthesis
produces the raw material for producing biomass
producers
typically plants or algae and produce their own food using photosynthesis
bioaccumulation
the build up of persistent/non biodegradable pollutants within an organism
biomagnification
the increase in concentration of persistent or non biodegradble pollutants along a food chain
food chain
the flow of energy from one organism to the next. a food chain shows the feeding relationships between species in an ecosystem
types of producers
autotrophs
green plants which make their own food from carbon dioxide and water using energy from sunlight
types of producers
chemosynethetic organisms
organisms which make their own food from other simple compounds, do not require sunlight and are often bacteria found in deep oceans
consumers
feed on autotrophs to obtain energy.
pyramid of biomass
the biomass (mass of each individual x number of individuals) at each trophic level
units are in units of mass per unit area
pyramid of productivity
shows the rate of flow of energy or biomass through each trophic level.
Net primary productivity =
gross primary productivity - respiratory losses
gross primary productivity
The total amount of carbon compounds produced by photosynthesis of plants in an ecosystem in a given period of time.
