Midterm Review Flashcards
Evolutionary Strategies
The common purpose
To lodge one’s genes as deeply into the future as you can get them
Adaption
coming together of traits that allow creatures to lodge their genes into the future
Ecology
Study of the relationships between organisms and their environment
Questions to test for adaptation
- Is the thing complex?
- Does it have some kind of cost or a risk that is variable?
- Does it persist over evolutionary time?
Evolutionary Strategies
- Annual: completes life cycle in one season
- Biennial: flowery plant that completes growing in two season
- Perennial: lasting or existing for a long time
Increasing levels of complexity
- Individual
- Population
- Community
- Ecosystem
- Biome
- Biosphere
Individual organism
Single living entity that has a unique genome and exhibits traits and behaviors influenced by genetic and environmental factors
Modular organisms
Environmental variability generates greater variability between docular “individuals”
(the zygote develops into a discrete unit which then produces more units like itself)
Population
individuals + space + time
a group of individuals belonging to the same species, living in a given area at a given moment
Population
a group of individuals belonging to the same species occupying a given area at a given moment
Species
groups of interbreeding populations that are reproductively isolated from other such groups
Three key features of populations
- Size (# of individuals)
- Density (# of individuals per unit of space)
- Dispersion (clumped, uniform, random)
Population Dynamics
deals with variation in time and space of population size and density for one or more species
Population dynamics main factors
+: immigration, natality
-: emigration, mortality
Carrying capacity
Maximum population size that can be supported by the available resources
Community
a group of populations interacting with each other and living in the same area at a given time
populations + interactions
Ecosystem
a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment
community + environment + interactions
Ecological Niche
Tolerances and requirements interact to define what an individual or species need to practice its way of life
(describing both the range of conditions necessary for persistence of the species, and its ecological role in the ecosystem)
Fundamental Niche
ideal conditions under which a species can thrive
Realized Niche
the actual space that an organism inhabits as a result of limiting pressures from other species
Niche
an opportunity that can be exploited productively by biological organisms
Biome
a region of the earth’s surface and the combination of climate, plants, and animals that are found in it
Biosphere
The region of the earth that encompasses all living organisms, the worldwide sum of all biomes
Hypervolume
all the factors that can influence the species
Properties of Ecosystem
- Structure
- Energy Flow
- Nutrient Cycling
- Interdependence and Interactions
- Biodiversity
- Homeostasis
- Trophic levels and food webs
- Succession and development
- Spatial and Temporal patterns
Components of structures and what they do
- Abiotic: non-living elements (influences types of organisms that can live in an ecosystem)
- Biotic: living organisms
- Producers (autotrophs): organisms like plants and algae that produce their own food through photosynthesis
- Consumers (heterotrophs): organisms that feed on producers or other consumers
- Decomposers: organisms that break down dead organic matter
Energy flow
sun -> photosynthesis -> food web (producers to consumers)
Law of thermodynamics
At each trophic level, energy loses heat
energy is not recycled
Nutrient Cycling
Nutrients are cycled within ecosystems and move between biotic and abiotic components
Various processes for nutrients moving between biotic and abiotic components
photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and nutrient absorption
Interdependence and Interactions
species within an ecosystem are interconnected through various relationships
What do interdependence and interactions do for an ecosystem?
helps regulate population sizes, maintain balance, and shape community structure
Biodiversity
refers to the variety of species within an ecosystem
higher biodiversity = higher resilience to disturbances
Homeostasis (stability)
ability to withstand disturbances
maintains homeostasis through feedback mechanisms and maintain functions
homeostasis (resilience)
capacity of an ecosystem to recover after disturbance
Trophic levels and food webs
organisms are arranged into different trophic levels based on their role in the ecosystem’s energy flow
How do ecosystems change and develop overtime?
Succession
Primary Succession
Development of an ecosystem in a barren environment
Secondary Succession
Re-establishment of an ecosystem after a disturbance
Ecosystems can vary based on…
Spatial distribution and temporal patterns
Spatial distribution
how organisms and physical components are arranged
Temporal patterns
how they change over time
Coevolution
two or more species affect each other’s evolution
Abiotic hostile forces of nature
- Predictable
- Unpredictable
Heterospecific
Problems presented by individuals from different species
ex:
How do I avoid being eaten?
How do I feed myself?
How do I avoid predation?
How do I avoid being stolen?
Conspecifics
Problems presented by the same species
ex:
- How do I win against someone who wants the same thing I want?
- How do I attract a mate?
Types of Biotic interactions
- Competition: - -
- Predation: + -
- Commensalism: 0 +
- Mutualism: + +
Limiting Factors
conditions in the environment that limit the growth or distribution of organisms
Liebig’s Law of the Minimum
the growth of an organism is controlled by the scarcest resource
Shelford’s Law of Tolerance
The abundance or distribution of an organism can be controlled by certain factors
optimal survival conditions based within a minimum and maximum threshold
Stoichiometric Ecology
how the balance of energy and elements influences living systems
C : N : P
Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorous need to be balanced
Biogeographical Regions Factors
- Climate
- Plate tectonics
- Evolutionary history
- Barriers
Climate influencing biogeographical regions
temperature, precipitation ,etc shape the habitats and species in each region
Plate tectonics influencing biogeographical regions
isolated species and allowed divergent evolution
Evolutionary history influencing biogeographical regions
Regions like the Neotropical and Indomalayan have species that evolved in isolation over long periods, contributing to high endemism
Barriers influencing biogeographical regions
Oceans, deserts, and mountains act as natural barriers, limiting species migration and promoting the development of distinct bioregions
Increasing levels of complexity
Individual
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biome
Biogeographical Region
Biosphere
Biogeochemical cycles
the movement of nutrients and other elements between biotic and abiotic factors
Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen Fixation ( converting N2 into biologically available nitrogen)
Nitrification (converts ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate)
Denitrification (process that converts nitrate to nitrogen gas)
Ammonification (when an organism excretes waste or dies, the nitrogen in its tissues is in the form of organic nitrogen)
Assimilation (absorption of N3 in plants moves nitrogen from abiotic to biotic compartment)
Carbon Cycle
Photosynthesis (plants take CO2 to break down into glucose during )
Animal respiration (Animals eat then release CO2)
Root respiration (emits carbon)
Organic carbon (they secrete waste and return CO2 in the soil)
Transportation and Factory
emissions (emits carbon)
Ocean acidification(when ocean absorbs carbon but turns it acidic and is bad for the fish)
Phophorous Cycle
Phosphorus rock formation
Weathering and erosion
Rivers
Runoff
Soil, plants, animals (Plants absorb phosphate and turn it into rna, dna, atp)
Drainage
Marine plants, animals
Dissolved phosphates into sediments backup to rock formation
Soil
top layer of earth’s surface that contains minerals and nutrients to support plants and organisms
Types of soil
Sand(large particles, drains quickly)
Silt(medium particle, retains water)
Clay(smallest particle, slow drainage)
Loam(balance of all 3, clumbly, drains well but also retains moisture)
Soil health is important for…
water retention and plant growth
Pollution types
Physical pollutants (plastics)
Chemical pollutants (Herbicides, pesticides, lead, mercury, etc)
Biological Pollutants (Pathogens and invasive species)
Types of organic farming practices
Bioremediation (Uses microorganisms to breakdown harmful chemicals in the soil and water)
Phytoremediation (uses plants to clean up contaminated environments)
Chemical treatment (Oxidation reactions can help breakdown pesticides into less harmful compounds)
Physical remediation (Direct removal of pollutant materials by soil excavation or dredging)
Desertification
Land degredation
caused by: Deforestation, Overgrazing, Unsustainable agriculture
effects: Biodiversity diminishes, Fertile land becomes less productive
Bioaccumulation
the gradual accumulation of substances in an organism
(ex. same fish keeps eating contaminants)
Biomagnification
the increase in concentration of these chemicals in each organism up the food chain
(ex. animal eats a contaminated animal that also ate a contaminated animal)
