Environmental Sci: Chapter 2 Ecology of Life Flashcards
The study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment.
Ecology
It seeks to understand the vital connections between living organisms and the world around them.
Ecology
What are the two subdivisions of ecology?
Autecology and Synecology
It deals with the study of the individual organism, its life history, behavior, characteristics and its adaptation to the environment.
Autecology
What are the three categories used for autecology?
a) Temperature-dependent sex determination
b) Difference in bill size and shape of Finches in Galapagos island
c) Changes in RBC number when in high altitude area
It deals with the study of groups of organisms which are associated as a unit in relation to its environment.
Synecology
The complex of living organisms, their physical environment, and all their interrelationships in a particular unit of space.
Ecosystem
All organisms and within this place are interacting all the time and adjustments must occur if the organism is to survive.
Ecosystem
Occurs when there is relationship between two different organisms, in which partner benefits from the relationship.
Mutualism
Occurs when there is a relationship between two different organisms, in which one partner benefits from the relationship, while the other is harmed. Typically, the partner that benefits (parasite), lives on or in the other organisms (host) and feeds on it.
Parasitism
Occurs when there is a relationship between two different organisms, in which one partner benefits from the relationship, while the other neither benefits, nor is harmed.
Commensalism
This is a biological interaction where a predator (an organism that is hunting) feeds on its prey ( the organism that is attacked).
Predation
This will occur between organisms in an ecosystem when their niches overlap, they both try to use the same resource and the resource is in short supply.
Competition
These are the forms of an environment resistance that limits the population. The things that keep population from growing too large
Limiting Factors
What are the two general classification of limiting factors?
Density Independent factors and Density dependent factors
This can affect the population no matter what its density is
Density Independent Factors
This can only affect a population when it reaches a certain density
Density Dependent Factors
State the four density independent factors
- Natural Disasters
- Temperature
- Sunlight
- Human Activities
State the three density dependent factors
- Competition
- Predation
- Diseases
This is an important ecological factor. It brings about changes in the life forms of plants and animals.
It is very irregularly distributed on the earth’s surface.
Water
The three types of plants according to water requirements
Hydrophytes, Mesophytes, and Xerophytes
These plants can survive in aquatic environments
Hydrophytes
These plants require to be in plenty of moisture and watery conditions
Hydrophytes
These plants’ stomata are usually absent
Hydrophytes
These are plants that can survive in moderate climates and tend to be in semi-arid zones
Mesophytes
These are plants that can survive in physiologically dry conditions
Xerophytes
In what zone do xerophytes require?
Arid Zone
These plants’ stomata have been exposed on the leaf surfaces
Mesophytes
These plants have very less stomata that are sunken
Xerophytes
On land, the character of this determines largely the character of vegetation and the types of animals that maintain themselves upon it
Soil
This is soil which is good for agriculture and made up particles of gravel sand and clay with the addition of organic materials called humus.
Loam
Smallest organic particle of soil compared with silt and sand. It retains water before drying; it is sticky and not suitable for plant growth. Water moves very slowly.
Clay
Made up of very fine particles of soil and clay. Deposited as sediments.
Silt
Inorganic soil particles those are larger than silt and clay. Plants do not grow well because water goes rapidly through the spaces between particle, and water dries quickly.
Sand
For microorganisms, how are they classified for temperature?
Psychrophiles, mesophiles and thermophiles
