Life Processes In The Biosphere Flashcards
What is an ecological niche?
The lifestyle of a species and how it interacts with other species, e.g predator prey relationships, species competition for food etc.
What is a plagioclimax?
Habitat where human activity has prevented it from developing further. E.g humans scything meadowland so it doesn’t turn into woodland.
Define the term, species.
A group of organisms that:
resemble each other more than members of other species
naturally breed with other members of the same species to produce fertile offspring
do not naturally interbreed with members of other species.
Define the term, taxon.
Any group of related organisms, eg cats, rhinos etc.
What is a psammosere?
A habitat that started from sand, starting out as an inhabited area.
Define the term population.
The number of all the living individuals of a certain species within a specific area.
Define the term biome.
A vast area with a particular climatic features and a unique community
Define the term, ecological niche.
The lifestyle of a species:
Where and how it lives, breeds, feeds etc
If the niches of two species overlap a lot then one species will out- compete the other
through
inter-species competition
Define the term biodiversity
The variety and abundance of living organisms in an area
Describe what seres are
A sequence of communities from the uninhabited area to the climax community
Hydrosere-water starting
Psammosere-starting with sand
Lithosere-starting with rock
Define the term, deflected succession
Succession where the community development is altered but human activity, producing a different community eg by grazing. If the deflecting activity continues then the long term community is a plagioclimax
Describe secondary ecological succession
Ecological restarts after after ecosystem disturbance or the ceasing of processes that maintained a plagioclimax. Secondary succession is faster than primary succession-soil already present which may contain seeds.
