Environment Ecology Ecosystems Flashcards
Environment
An environment is a natural component in which biotic and abiotic factors interact among themselves and with each other.
Abiotic components include
climate, weather, humus, natural phenomenon like lightning, etc.
Biotic components include
living organisms, dead and decaying matter, bones, fossils, etc. Biotic is not the same as organic.
Habitat
Habitat is the physical environment in which an organism lives (address of an organism). Many habitats together make up the environment.
Organic compounds and Inorganic compounds
Organic compounds- 1. having at least one carbon-hydrogen bond 2. those obtained directly or indirectly from plants and animals. Eg. biomolecules like carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids
Inorganic compounds- 1. (typically lacking carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds). 2. The compounds obtained from minerals are known as inorganic compounds
Ecosystem
An ecosystem can be visualized as a functional unit of nature, where living organisms interact among themselves and with the surrounding physical environment. An ecosystem can be of any size but usually encompasses specific species. E.g., Aquatic Ecosystem.
Classification of Ecosystems
terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Forest, grassland, and desert are some examples of terrestrial ecosystems
Pond, lake, wetland, river and estuary are some examples of aquatic ecosystems.
Ecosystem vs Environment
An ecosystem (has life in it) is a functional unit of nature or environment. An environment (may or may not have life) is a group of ecosystems.
Ecology
is the study of interactions between organisms, and organisms and the surroundings in an ecosystem.
Ecological community
A community of organisms interacting with one another
Biodiversity
The flora and fauna of a geographical area
Biosphere
The biosphere is the biological component (supporting life) of the earth which includes the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. It consists of all living organisms, together with the dead organic matter produced by them.
The biosphere is absent at extremes of the North and South poles, the highest mountains, and the deepest oceans since existing hostile conditions do not support life. Occasionally, spores of fungi and bacteria do occur at a great height beyond 8,000 metres, but they are metabolically inactive and hence represent only dormant life.
limiting factors
That limit the range of an organism.
Eurythermal
organisms can tolerate and thrive in a wide range of temperatures
Stenothermal
organisms can tolerate and thrive in a small range of temperatures
Stenohaline
Organisms that tolerate a low range of salinities
Euryhaline
Organisms that tolerate a wide range of salinities
pH
pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity (basicity) of a solution, on a scale from 0 to 14.
A high pH (above 7) indicates that the solution is alkaline or basic.
pH 7 is considered neutral, meaning the solution is neither acidic nor alkaline.
A low pH (below 7) indicates that the solution is acidic.
Fast growing forests
Abundant sunlight, nutrition, resources
Tropical Rainforests
Temperate Rainforests
Mangrove Forests
Planted Commercial Forests
Biotic Components
Autotrophs and Heterotrophs
The rainforest soil is deficient in nutrients. Why?
Rainforest ⇒ It rains almost every day ⇒ The topsoil is continuously washed away ⇒ nutrients are also washed away (leaching of nutrients) ⇒ very little fertility remains in topsoil ⇒ most of the seeds don’t germinate for years. But the layer below the topsoil is very fertile. Thus, plants proliferate once their roots reach the sub-soil and if they receive enough sunlight.
Slow growing forests
harsh climatic conditions, poor soil quality, short growing seasons, and limited resource availability. Boreal forests, Tundra and alpine forests, Montane cloud forests, Mediterranean forests etc.
Propagules and in a rainforest
Propagules are any part of a plant that can give rise to a new plant. This includes Seeds,, Vegetative structures like cuttings, runners, suckers, tubers, and spores.
Autotrophs
Primary producers (self-nourishing) are green plants, certain bacteria and cyanobacteria/blue-green algae that carry out photosynthesis. In the aquatic ecosystem, microscopic algae (plankton) are the primary producers.
Macro and Micro Consumers
Macro Consumers-
Primary consumers that feed mainly on plants. E.g., sheep, rabbit, etc.
Secondary consumers feed on primary consumers. E.g., wolves, dogs, snakes, etc.
Tertiary Consumers feed on both primary and secondary consumers. E.g., lions (can eat wolves), snakes etc.
Micro Consumers-
Phagotrophs are tiny organisms that feed by ingesting organic matter or organisms.
Osmotrophs are organisms that obtain their nutrients by the uptake of dissolved organic matter from the ambient medium through osmosis (movement of a solvent through a semipermeable membrane).
Saprotrophs/decomposers/detrivores are bacteria and fungi (e.g., mushrooms) which obtain energy and nutrients from dead organic substances (detritus).
Heterotrophs
Consumers (other nourishing) are incapable of producing their own food. They depend on organic food derived from plants, animals, or both. Consumers can be divided into two broad groups, namely micro and macro consumers.
Dieback
Dieback refers to the progressive dying, usually backwards from the tip of any portion of the plant. This is one of the adaptive mechanisms to avoid adverse conditions like drought. In this mechanism, the root remains alive for years together, but the shoots die. E.g. sal, red sanders, silk-cotton tree etc.
An organism
is an individual living being that can act or function independently.
Species
are a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes (interbreeding).
Community
Communities are named after the dominant plant form. Major Communities: These are large-sized and relatively independent. They depend only on the sun’s energy from outside. E.g., Tropical evergreen forests. Minor Communities: These depend on neighbouring communities and are often called societies. They are secondary aggregations within a major community. E.g., A mat of lichen on a cow dung pad.
Population
The population is a community of interbreeding organisms (same species) occupying a defined area during a specific time.
Niche
unique functional role and position of a species in its habitat or ecosystem. A niche is unique for a species, while many species share the habitat. No two species in a habitat can
have the same niche.
Ecotone
zone of transition between two ecosystems. E.g., grassland (between forest and desert), estuarine (between fresh water and saltwater), mangrove forests (between marine and terrestrial ecosystems). have far greater productivity than natural ecosystems. This is called the edge effect, and the species which occur primarily or most abundantly in this zone are known as edge species.
Home Range
A home range is an area where an animal lives and moves on a daily or periodic basis (a little bigger than habitat.
A biome
a large, distinct ecological community of plants, animals, and other organisms that is shaped by the climate and environmental conditions of a particular area.
