Lecture 4 Flashcards
Who is recognized as the Father of Modern Ecology and developed the niche concept?
G.E. Hutchinson.
What is the niche concept?
The role that an organism has in its ecosystem. Includes both the physical and environmental conditions.
What is the niche?
n-dimension hypervolume.
What is a dimension?
Environmental conditions and resources that are needed for a population to exist.
What is an ecological niche?
The unique set of resources used by a species, which includes its interactions with other species.
What is a fundamental niche?
The entire set of conditions under which a species can survive and reproduce.
What is a realized niche?
The set of conditions actually used by the species after interactions with other species.
What is the size of the realized niche compared to the fundamental niche?
The realized niche is smaller than the fundamental niche.
What are trophic levels?
Groups based on how species get energy and nutrition.
What are autotrophs?
Organisms that get their energy from the sun and produce their own food (such as plants).
Why are autotrophs called producers?
Because they are the foundation of energy for all other organisms.
What are hetertrophs?
Organisms that eat other organisms to get energy.
Why are heterotrophs called consumers?
Because they consume other organisms.
What is a Herbivore?
An organism that eats only plants.
Why are herbivores referred to as primary consumers?
Because they are the first to consume the producers.
What is a carnivore diet?
Organisms that feeds on herbivores.
Why are some carnivores referred to as secondary consumers?
Because they feed on primary consumers who feed on primary producers.
Why can carnivores also be classified as tertiary consumers?
Because they feed on other carnivores.
What is an omnivore?
An organism that eats plants and animals.
Are omnivores primary, secondary, or tertiary consumers?
They can be any depending on the life stage.
What are detritivore?
Decomposers that eat dead organisms.
What is the grazing food web/ green web?
A web of producers and consumers.
What is the detrital food web/ brown web?
A web of decomposers.
What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?
A food chain has only one path and a food web has many paths.
How are humans classified?
As primary, secondary, or tertiary consumers and omnivores.
What is a tiger classified as?
Heterotroph, carnivore.
What is a mushroom classified as?
Heterotroph, decomposer.
What is a Venus flytrap classified as?
Autotroph
What is a purple emperor butterfly classified as?
Heterotroph, omnivore.
What is competition?
When organisms compete for limited resources.
What is Competitive Exclusion Principle?
Two species cannot occupy the same niche (also known as Guass’ Clause).
How old and what year did Guass form Gauss’ Clause?
He was 22 years old, in 1934.
What organism did Gregory Gauss use to define Gauss’ Clause?
Protists.
What is interspecific competition?
Members of different species compete for the same resources.
What is intraspecific competition?
When members of the same species compete for the same resources.
Which type of competition is more intense?
Intraspecific competition, because they have overlapping niches.
