Microbial Diversity II Flashcards
What are some factors that structure microbial communities?
Temperature, sunlight, pH, salinity/conductivity, vertical mixing, nitrate, iron, organic matter, phosphate, sulphur, CO2, methane, trace metals, ammonia, O2, grazing, symbiosis, parasitism
What is an autotroph?
An organism that uses inorganic carbon (CO2) as carbon source
What is a heterotroph?
An organism that uses organic carbon as a carbon source
What is a phototroph?
An organism that uses light energy but requires organic carbon
What is a chemoautotroph?
An organism that performs inorganic oxidation reductions
What is a chemoheterotroph?
An organism that oxidises organic matter for energy
What is an OTU?
Operational taxonomic unit = species distinction in microbiology
What is meant by species diversity?
A measure of the assortment or heterogeneity of species within an ecological community that incorporates both species richness and their abundances
What is meant by species richness?
The number of species present in a sample, community, or taxonomic group; it is one component of the concept of species diversity
