Final Exam Terms and Definitions

Question 1

Actual Evapotransition

Answer 1

amount of water lost from an ecosystem to the ATM due to a combination of evaporation and transportation by plants

Question 2

ammonification

Answer 2

conversion of organic forms of nitrogen to ammonium, generally mediated by bacteria

Question 3

bottom up control

Answer 3

control of a community or ecosystem by physical or chemical factors like temp or nutrient availability

Question 4

community importance

Answer 4

change in quantitative community or ecosystem trait resulting from change in species abundance

Question 5

decomposition

Answer 5

breakdown of organic matter accompanied by release of carbon dioxide and other inorganic compounds: its a key process in nutrient cycling

Question 6

denitrification

Answer 6

conversion of nitrate to gaseous nitrogen, generally mediated by bacteria

Question 7

keystone species

Answer 7

species that despite low biomass, exert strong effects on the structure of the communities that inhabit

Question 8

nutrient cycling

Answer 8

use, transformation, movement, and resume of nutrients in ecosystems

Question 9

persistence

Answer 9

community’s ability to continue to exist

Question 10

resilience

Answer 10

capacity to recover structure and function after disturbance- highly resilient community or ecosystem may be completely disrupted by disturbance but quickly to its former state

Question 11

resistance

Answer 11

capacity of a community or ecosystem to maintain structure and or function in the face of potential disturbance

Question 12

return-time

Answer 12

the time it takes for a community to return to equilibrium following disturbance

Question 13

top down control

Answer 13

control of influence of consumers on ecosystem processes

Question 14

total impact

Answer 14

the magnitude of change resulting when a species has been removed regardless of direction of change

Question 15

Liebig’s Law of Minimum

Answer 15

rate of a biological process is limited by that factor in least amount relative to the organisms requirement

Question 16

Shelford’s Law of Tolerance

Answer 16

Distribution of a species controlled by that environments factor for which the organism has the narrowest range of TOLERANCE

Question 17

Diffusion

Answer 17

gradual spread of limits of geographical range of a species over ecological time

Question 18

JUMP dispersal

Answer 18

long distance movement of particular individuals often w/ aid if wins os another species, followed by successful establishment of a new population

Question 19

SECULAR dispersal

Answer 19

diffusion and local adaption of a species over geological time

Question 20

resource competition

Answer 20

organisms utilize common resources on short supply

Question 21

interference competition

Answer 21

organisms seeking a rescue harm one another in the process even in the resource is NOT in short supply

Question 22

intERspecific competition

Answer 22

2 species use same limited resource or harm one another WHILE seeking resources

Question 23

intRAspecific competition

Answer 23

individuals of SAME species use same limited resources or harm one another while seeking said resources

Question 24

fundamental niche

Answer 24

-abiotic factors
- necessary base and core
- where a species CAN be found
-range and parameters a species CAN survive

Question 25

Realized niche

Answer 25

-biotic factors
-the ACTUAL niche space occupied

Question 26

succession

Answer 26

gradual change in plant and animal communities in area following disturbance

Question 27

primary succession

Answer 27

occurs on NEWLY exposed geological substrates following ant situation where new substrate is exposed or created

Question 28

secondary succession

Answer 28

follows AFTER a disturbance and removes members from existing community without destroying soil

Question 29

Pioneer community

Answer 29

platens which colonized within first few years

Question 30

primary productivity

Answer 30

amount of NRG fixed by photoautotrophs per unit time

Question 31

GROSS primary production

Answer 31

total amount fixed bu ALL PHOTOAUTOTROPHS in ecosystem

Question 32

net primary production

Answer 32

ross primary production - photoautotphs respiration

Question 33

GROSS secondary production

Answer 33

total NRG amount entering trophic leave through consumer ingestion

Question 34

NET secondary production

Answer 34

growth and reproduction = ingestion-respiration-excertaion-urine

Question 35

equilibrium

Answer 35

state of system which stability is maintained by opposing forces that pops altered by some event quickly return to equilibrial state

Question 36

Food web theory

Answer 36

communities with higher connectance should be more stable

Question 37

species right communities are more ______

Answer 37

stable!

Question 38

primary productivity hypo

Answer 38

MORE productive ecosystems=LONGER food chains
- food chain length=related to PRODUCTIVITY

Question 39

what increases primary productivity hypo

Answer 39

PRODUCTIVITY

Question 40

ecosystem size hypo

Answer 40

food chain length should INCREASE with eco size

Question 41

productive-space hypo

Answer 41

BOTH increase food chain length
- large/ more productivity in lakes= LONGEST food chain

Question 42

_____ productivity systems always have _____ length

Answer 42

LOW!

Question 43

Behavioural cascade

Answer 43

top down control of primary production/some other community process by predator behaviour

Question 44

Character displacement

Answer 44

Shift in 1 or both species resource use with DECREASES niche overlap

Question 45

Resource partitioning

Answer 45

Species split/divide to avid less competition overlap

Question 46

Niche shift

Answer 46

Temporary CAN lead to character displacement

Question 47

R selected species

Answer 47

Species which selection favoured life-history traits that INCREASE growth rates

Question 48

k selected species

Answer 48

Have life history traits that favour efficient utilization of resources like food/nutrients