lec 1- intro to ecology Flashcards
what is ecology?
distribution and abundance of organisms, interactions between biotic and abiotic components, energy movement, and resource management
what is an individual?
an organism that acquires nutrients and energy and produces waste, have a membrane boundary that separates internal processes from the external environment
what is a species?
individuals that are capable of interbreeding or share genetic similarity
what is a population?
individuals of a same species living in a particular area
what is a community?
populations of species living together in a particular area
what is ecosystem?
one or more communities of living organisms interacting with their nonliving physical and chemical environments
what is biosphere?
all ecosystems on earth
what is the governing principles of ecology?
-matter and energy cannot be created nor destroyed, but can change form
-ecological systems gain and lose matter and energy, a dynamic steady state occurs when gains and losses are in balance
what causes large-scale patterns of environmental variation?
Climate
what are factors in climate?
light, temperature, precipitation, wind and ocean circulation
what are the two types of climate oscillation?
- el nino/la nina
- pacific decadal oscillation (PDO)
how do we characterize broad ecological patterns?
biomes
the rotation of the earth around its axis causes what?
daily periodicity (day vs night)
the rotation of the moon around the earth causes what?
lunar cycles (tides)
the revolution of the earth and the sun combined with the tilted axis causes what?
seasonal patterns by hemisphere
