ESS topic 2 Flashcards
Ecology?
Study of relations of organisms to one another
Ecosystem?
A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
Community?
All interacting living organisms in an area
Population?
The amount of a species
Habitat?
The environment where a species lives: individuals in the same species cam live in different habitats.
Species?
A group of organisms that share common characteristics and interbreed to produce fertile offspring
Biotic/Abiotic?
Living/Nonliving
Niche?
a job or role of a component in an ecosystem or habitat.
Generalists?
A species that can survive on a wide variety of food .eg humans
Specialists?
A species that only eats a small variety of foods eg Koalas only feed on eucalyptus leaves.
Carrying Capacity?
The number of organisms a region can support without environmental degradation (population density or food)
Parasitism
When one organism benefits at the expense of another e.g ticks & bedbugs lice pinworms and tapeworms
Herbivores
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
Predation
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.
Commensualism?
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
Mutualism?
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
Ecological niche?
the sum of a species use of biotic and abiotic resources in an environment
eg
shorebirds share the same habitats but have different niches
J Curve?
rapdily reproducing species displayed on a graph
S curve
slower reproducing species, limiting and slowing population growth
S curve
slower reproducing species, limiting and slowing population growth
Competition?
If two species have the same or very similar niche, they cant live together. One species will win
eg
grey vs red squirrels
Intra/interspecific competition?
Intra = in the same species Inter = between two different species
fundamental niche?
the set of resources a population is theoretically capable of using under ideal conditions
Realized niche?
the resources the population actually uses compared to the fundamental niche
Overshoot/dieback?
Goes above/below the carrying capacity
Lag phase?
Population is low with slow growth
Exponential growth phase?
Population grows at an increasing rate
Transition phase?
Population continues to grow but slows down
Plateau phase?
When the population stabilizes so that there is very little to no population growth.
Environmental resistance?
the set of factors that restrict biotic potential of an organism and put a limit on population growth
desnity dependancy
the impact of present or past populations on the present growth rate
Intristic (internal) desnity dependancy factors?
- Density dependant fertility
- Size of breeding territory
- Social stress
Extristic (outside)
- Predation
- Parasitism
- Interspecific competition
R/K strategists?
R= J curve K = S curve
Trophic levels?
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.
Autotrophs
Selfeeding organisms that produce their own food. -Phototrophs use photosynthesis -Chemotrophs - chemical feeding eg Producers
Heterotrophs
Other-source feeding organisms that derive energy from other living organisms
Decomposers - detrivores and suprotrophs
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)
Photosynthesis?
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.
Respiration?
The process of oxidising an organism’s cells, by transforming stored chemical energy into kinetic energy.
Word and chemical formulae for photosynthesis?
Carbon Dioxide + Water – Glucose + Oxygen
6CO2 + 6H2O – C6H12O6 + 6O2 (all numbers small)
Word and chemical formulae for respiration?
Oxygen + Glucose – Energy +water +co2
602 + C6H1206 – energy + 6H20 + 6CO2 (all numbers small)
Food web?
A diagram that identifies all feeding relationships within a habitat.
Why is energy lost at each flow of a food chain?
Respiration
Percentage energy loss?
Real input/initial input x 100 = energy
100 - energy = energy loss
Define an ecological pyramid?
Graphic model of the quantitative differences between the amount of living material stored at each trophic level of the food chain.
Pyramid of numbers?
Shows the numbers of organisms at each trophic level.
Pyramid of biomass?
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.
Pyramids of productivity
The amount of available energy down the food chain. It takes a large number of producers to sustain PCs and so on.
Pyramids of productivity energy?
Energy transfer is never 100% efficient. Measured in units of energy per unit area per unit time.
Biomagnification
The increase in concentration of persistent or non-biodegradable pollutants along the food chain.
Bioaccumalation?
The build-up of persistent/biodegradable pollutants within an organism or trophic level as they cant be broken down.
Minamata disaster?
Pollutant Mercury to Methylmercury. Caused Minamata disease due to waste dumping, bioaccumulation and biomagnification.
