IV - Ecology, Ecosystems, & Food Webs Flashcards
1
Q
Characteristics of Life
A
Composed of CELLS Contain DNA Capture & transform MATTER & ENERGY GROWTH, SURVIVAL & REPRODUCTION HOMEOSTASIS EVOLUTION
2
Q
Levels of organization in ecology includes
A
Organism population Community Ecosystem Biosphere
3
Q
Organism
A
any form of life
4
Q
Species
A
groups of organisms that RESEMBLE each other, &, in cases of SEXUALLY REPRODUCING organisms, can potentially interbreed
5
Q
How many species exist/ are discovered??
A
estimates of 5 to 100 million species, most are insects &
microorganisms; so far only about 1.8 million named;
6
Q
Wild/native species
A
population that exists in its natural habitat
7
Q
Domesticated/ introduced species
A
population
introduced by humans
8
Q
Population
A
group of interacting INDIVIDUALS of the
SAME species
9
Q
Population examples
A
sunfish in a pond, white oak trees in a
forest, people in a city
10
Q
Habitat
A
place where a population usually lives
11
Q
Genetic diversity
A
in natural populations individuals VARY in their genetic makeup
12
Q
Community
A
populations of all species living together in a given area
13
Q
Community examples
A
redwood forest community, consisting of
populations of redwoods & other trees, shrubs &
herbaceous species, animals, & microorganisms.
14
Q
Biological community
A
complex interacting
network of plants, animals, & microorganisms.
15
Q
Ecosystem
A
community of different species
interacting with one another (*biotic) & with their non–
living (**abiotic) environment of matter & energy
16
Q
Ecosystem examples
A
a patch of woods, a lake or pond, a farm field, an entire
watershed in a tropical rain forest.
17
Q
Biotic factors
A
Living components/ biota
18
Q
Abiotic factors
A
Non-living components
19
Q
Biotic factors example
A
plants,
animals, & microorganisms
20
Q
Abiotic factors examples
A
water,
air, nutrients, & solar energy
21
Q
Biome
A
large regions characterized by a distinct climate &
specific life–forms, especially vegetation, adapted to the
region.
22
Q
Major biomes include
A
temperate grassland, temperate
deciduous forest, desert, tropical rain forest, tropical
deciduous forest, tropical savannah, coniferous forest,
tundra
23
Q
Aquatic life zone
A
major marine or freshwater areas
containing numerous ecosystems.
24
Q
Major aquatic life zones include
A
akes, streams, estuaries,
coastlines, coral reefs, & the deep ocean
25
Ecosphere/biosphere
all of Earth's ecosystems
| together
26
What Sustains Life?
Energy from Sun
Cycling of matter
Gravity
27
Energy from Sun
one–way flow of usable energy from sun, through
| feeding interactions, to low–quality forms (heat)
28
Cycling of matter
the continual flow of matter between the nonliving
| environment & living organisms;
29
Gravity
enables Earth to hold its atmosphere; causes
| downward movement of matter in nutrient cycles
30
The ultimate source of energy in most ecosystems is ...
the sun
31
Incoming solar radiation goes to ...
```
Heating of atmosphere & earth's surface
Evaporating water
Generating wind
Photosynthesis
Reflected by clouds, dusts, surface
```
32
Outgoing radiation consists of
Reflected incoming radiation
| Degraded heat
33
Nutrient cycles include
```
Carbon
Phosphorus
Nitrogen
Water
Oxygen
```
34
Nutrient
any atom, ion, or molecule an organism
| needs to live, grow, or reproduce
35
Macronutrients
needed in relatively large amounts
36
Macronutrients examples
C, O, H, N, P, S, K, Ca, Mg, Fe
37
Micronutrients
needed in relatively small amounts
38
Micronutrients examples
Na, Zn, Cu, Cl, I
39
Nutrient cycles
involve
continual flow of nutrients from nonliving (air, water,
soil, rock) to living organisms (biota) & back again.
40
All nutrient cycles are driven by
Solar radiation
| gravity
41
Closed System
a system in which energy, but not
| matter, is exchanged between the system & its environment.
42
Closed System example
Earth -> minimal matter lost
| Energy freely flow
43
Open System
a system in which both energy & matter
| are exchanged between the system & its environment.
44
Open System example
Organisms
45
Earth major components
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Atmosphere
Biosphere
46
Earth made up of
Crust
Mantle
Core
47
Living organisms fall into two main categories
producers/autotrophs
| consumers/ heterotrophs
48
Producers
make their own food from compounds obtained in the
| environment.
49
Producers includes
Plants
| Bacteria
50
Green plants make food through
Photosynthesis
51
Bacterias make food through
Chemosynthesis
52
Consumers
get their energy & nutrients by feeding on other organisms
| or their remains.
53
Consumers includes
herbivores, carnivores, decomposers, etc.
54
Photosynthesis
complex chemical reaction in plants, in which solar radiation is captured by chlorophyll (& other pigments) &
used to combine carbon dioxide & water to produce carbohydrates
(e.g., glucose), other organic compounds, & oxygen.
55
Photosynthesis equation
carbon dioxide water + solar energy -> glucose + oxygen
56
aerobic respiration
complex process that occurs in the cells
of organisms, in which organic molecules (e.g., glucose) are
combined with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, & energy.
57
aerobic respiration equation
glucose + oxygen -> carbon dioxide + water + energy
58
Major kinds of consumers
```
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Omnivores
scavengers
Decomposers
Detritivores
```
59
Primary consumers
(=herbivores) feed directly on producers
60
Secondary consumers
=carnivores) feed on primary
| consumers
61
Tertiary consumers
feed only on carnivores
62
Omnivores
consumers that feed on both plants & animals
63
Scavenger
feed on dead organisms
64
Decomposers
consumers that complete the breakdown &
recycling of organic materials from the remains & wastes of other
organisms
65
Detritivores
feed on detritus (partially decomposed organic
| matter, such as leaf litter & animal dung)
66
Detritus feeders includes
Long-horned beetle
Bark beetle
Carpenter ant
Termite & carpenter ant
67
Decomposers includes
Dry rot fungus
| Mushroom
68
Limiting factor
an environmental factor that is more important
| than other factors in regulating survival, growth, or reproduction.
69
Law of tolerance
the existence, abundance, & distribution of a
species in an ecosystem is determined by whether the levels of
one or more physical or chemical factors fall within the range
tolerated by that species.
70
Limiting factor principle
too much or too little of any abiotic
factor can limit or prevent growth of a population, even if all
other factors are at or near the optimum range of tolerance
71
The survival, growth, & reproduction of organisms is
| determined, in part, by
maximum & minimum tolerance
72
food chains
Sequence of organisms, each of which is the food for the next
73
First trophic level
Producers
| Plants
74
Second trophic level
Primary consumers
| Herbivores
75
Third trophic level
Secondary consumers
| Carnivores
76
Fourth trophic level
Tertiary consumers
| carnivores
77
```
In nature,
ecological
efficiency varies
from 5% to 20%
energy available
between
successive
trophic levels
(95% to 80%
loss).
```
About 10%
efficiency is a
general rule
78
Silver Springs, FL Energy Flow
| Producers
20810 Cal/sq. meter/ yr
79
Silver Springs, FL Energy Flow
| Herbivores
3368 Cal/sq. meter/ yr
80
Silver Springs, FL Energy Flow
| Carnivores
383 Cal/sq. meter/ yr
81
Silver Springs, FL Energy Flow
| Top carnivores
21 Cal/sq. meter/ yr
82
Silver Springs, FL Energy Flow
| Decomposers
5060 Cal/sq. meter/ yr
83
Biomass Pyramids
commonly measured as dry weight per
square meter for each trophic level, can either MIRROR the
energy pyramid or be INVERTED
84
Biomass pyramids mirroring energy pyramid example
abandoned field
85
Biomass pyramids inverting energy pyramid example
ocean
86
Inverted biomass pyramids result because
producers are eaten by consumers.
87
Pyramids of Numbers
depend upon both the size of organisms & the biomass pyramid.
88
Pyramids of Numbers mirroring energy pyramid example
Grassland
89
Pyramids of Numbers inverting energy pyramid example
Temperate Forest
90
Why is temperate forest inverted?
forests have smaller numbers of large
| producers than do grassland
91
Gross primary productivity
rate at which
an ecosystem's producers convert solar energy into
chemical energy as biomass
92
Net primary productivity
rate at which
| energy for use by consumers is stored in new biomass.
93
NNP can be calculated by ...
GPP - [rate at which producers use biomass]
94
Estimated annual net primary productivity of major biomes & aquatic life zones
```
Estuaries
Swamps & marshes
Tropical rain forest
...
Tundra
Desert Scrub
Extreme desert
```
95
Estimated annual contribution of the various types of
| biomes & aquatic life zones to Earth's overall net primary productivity
```
Open ocean
Tropical forest
Temperate forest
...
Lakes & streams
Tundra
Extreme desert
```
96
Ecosystem services
natural benefits that support life on
the earth & are essential to the quality of human life &
the functioning of the world's economies.
97
Ecosystem services examples
* control & moderate climate
* recycle vital nutrients
* provide energy & mineral resources
* furnish food, fiber, medicine, timber, & paper
* pollinate crops & useful native plants
* absorb, dilute, or detoxify pollutants
* control populations of pests & disease organisms
* slow soil erosion & prevent flooding
* provide biodiversity of genes & species
98
Why is biodiversity an important ecosystem
| service?
The rich variety of organisms provides material benefits
(food, raw materials, energy, & medicine), ecosystem
services (purification of air & water, natural pest
control…), & aesthetic benefits.
99
What are two principles of ecosystem
| sustainability?
Almost all natural ecosystems achieve sustainability by
1) using renewable solar energy as the energy source; &
2) recycling nutrients needed for survival, growth, &
reproduction.
100
Ecologists learn about ecosystems through a combination
| of methods:
field research
| systems analysis
101
Systems analysis includes
- system measurement
- data analysis
- systems modeling
- systems simulation
- systems optimization
102
New technologies enables scientists to
collect field
| information more effectively across broad geographic scales.
103
New technologies example
Remote sensing
| Geographic Information Systems
104
Remote sensing involves
use of
sensors to collect information about a
system from a distance.
105
GIS provide
the computer
technology for organizing, storing,
and analyzing complex map data
