ESS topic 2 Flashcards

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1
Q

Ecology?

A

Study of relations of organisms to one another

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2
Q

Ecosystem?

A

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment

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3
Q

Community?

A

All interacting living organisms in an area

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4
Q

Population?

A

The amount of a species

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5
Q

Habitat?

A

The environment where a species lives: individuals in the same species cam live in different habitats.

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6
Q

Species?

A

A group of organisms that share common characteristics and interbreed to produce fertile offspring

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7
Q

Biotic/Abiotic?

A

Living/Nonliving

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8
Q

Niche?

A

a job or role of a component in an ecosystem or habitat.

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9
Q

Generalists?

A

A species that can survive on a wide variety of food .eg humans

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10
Q

Specialists?

A

A species that only eats a small variety of foods eg Koalas only feed on eucalyptus leaves.

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11
Q

Carrying Capacity?

A

The number of organisms a region can support without environmental degradation (population density or food)

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12
Q

Parasitism

A
When one organism benefits at the expense of another 
e.g
ticks & bedbugs
lice
pinworms and tapeworms
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13
Q

Herbivores

A
When a species only eats plants and producers. Often called grazers. Similar to predator prey relationship, causes adaptations in both species
eg
Caterpillars and leaves
Koalas and eucalyptus
Pandas and bamboo
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14
Q

Predation

A

Preying of one animal on another, a biological interaction where one animal kills and eats another. Helps control and prevents overpopulation of a species, and controls old age and disease in prey.

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15
Q

Commensualism?

A
Long term biological interaction between two species where one species is benefited while the other stays neutral. 
eg
Sharks and remora fish
Monarch butterfly and milkweed
Whales and barnacles
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16
Q

Mutualism?

A
AN interaction between two or more species that resulths in positive and beneficial effects on reproduction and/or survival of all interacting species.
eg
termites and protozoa
Digestive bacteria and humans
oxypeckers and zebras/rhinos
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17
Q

Ecological niche?

A

the sum of a species use of biotic and abiotic resources in an environment
eg
shorebirds share the same habitats but have different niches

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18
Q

J Curve?

A

rapdily reproducing species displayed on a graph

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19
Q

S curve

A

slower reproducing species, limiting and slowing population growth

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20
Q

S curve

A

slower reproducing species, limiting and slowing population growth

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21
Q

Competition?

A

If two species have the same or very similar niche, they cant live together. One species will win
eg
grey vs red squirrels

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22
Q

Intra/interspecific competition?

A
Intra = in the same species
Inter = between two different species
23
Q

fundamental niche?

A

the set of resources a population is theoretically capable of using under ideal conditions

24
Q

Realized niche?

A

the resources the population actually uses compared to the fundamental niche

25
Q

Overshoot/dieback?

A

Goes above/below the carrying capacity

26
Q

Lag phase?

A

Population is low with slow growth

27
Q

Exponential growth phase?

A

Population grows at an increasing rate

28
Q

Transition phase?

A

Population continues to grow but slows down

29
Q

Plateau phase?

A

When the population stabilizes so that there is very little to no population growth.

30
Q

Environmental resistance?

A

the set of factors that restrict biotic potential of an organism and put a limit on population growth

31
Q

desnity dependancy

A

the impact of present or past populations on the present growth rate

32
Q

Intristic (internal) desnity dependancy factors?

A
  • Density dependant fertility
  • Size of breeding territory
  • Social stress
33
Q

Extristic (outside)

A
  • Predation
  • Parasitism
  • Interspecific competition
34
Q

R/K strategists?

A
R= J curve
K = S curve
35
Q

Trophic levels?

A

the position that an organism occupies in a food chain.

  • You can have different roles within a foodchain
  • You can be a part of several foodchains
  • Your fundamental role would not change.
36
Q

Autotrophs

A
Selfeeding organisms that produce their own food.
-Phototrophs use photosynthesis
-Chemotrophs - chemical feeding
eg
Producers
37
Q

Heterotrophs

A

Other-source feeding organisms that derive energy from other living organisms

38
Q

Decomposers - detrivores and suprotrophs

A

Detrivores = Ingest non living organic matter eg woodlice

Suprotrophs = lives in or on nonliving organic matter, secreting digestive enzymes into it and absorbing digestive products (bacteria and fungi)

39
Q

Photosynthesis?

A

Photosynthesis is the process in plants that converts sunlight into chemical energy to provide energy for the plant. Usually involves chlorophyll to convert this energy.

40
Q

Respiration?

A

The process of oxidising an organism’s cells, by transforming stored chemical energy into kinetic energy.

41
Q

Word and chemical formulae for photosynthesis?

A

Carbon Dioxide + Water – Glucose + Oxygen

6CO2 + 6H2O – C6H12O6 + 6O2 (all numbers small)

42
Q

Word and chemical formulae for respiration?

A

Oxygen + Glucose – Energy +water +co2

602 + C6H1206 – energy + 6H20 + 6CO2 (all numbers small)

43
Q

Food web?

A

A diagram that identifies all feeding relationships within a habitat.

44
Q

Why is energy lost at each flow of a food chain?

A

Respiration

45
Q

Percentage energy loss?

A

Real input/initial input x 100 = energy

100 - energy = energy loss

46
Q

Define an ecological pyramid?

A

Graphic model of the quantitative differences between the amount of living material stored at each trophic level of the food chain.

47
Q

Pyramid of numbers?

A

Shows the numbers of organisms at each trophic level.

48
Q

Pyramid of biomass?

A

Represents the standing stock/storage of each trophic level measured in units such as grams of biomass per square (gm-2) or Joules per square metre (Jm-2). It is the total dry mass of organic matter in ecosystems.

49
Q

Pyramids of productivity

A

The amount of available energy down the food chain. It takes a large number of producers to sustain PCs and so on.

50
Q

Pyramids of productivity energy?

A

Energy transfer is never 100% efficient. Measured in units of energy per unit area per unit time.

51
Q

Biomagnification

A

The increase in concentration of persistent or non-biodegradable pollutants along the food chain.

52
Q

Bioaccumalation?

A

The build-up of persistent/biodegradable pollutants within an organism or trophic level as they cant be broken down.

53
Q

Minamata disaster?

A

Pollutant Mercury to Methylmercury. Caused Minamata disease due to waste dumping, bioaccumulation and biomagnification.