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principles of ecology > module 1 > Flashcards

module 1 Flashcards

1
Q

definition of ecology

A

the scientific study of the interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms.

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2
Q

ecological hierarchy

A
  • individual organisms
  • population
  • community (group of populations)
  • the ecosystem (community together with its physical and chemical environment)
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3
Q

taxonomy hierarchy

A
  • species
  • genus
  • family
  • order
  • class
  • phylum
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4
Q

what is a species?

A

members can at least potentially breed together in nature to produce fertile offspring.

species are genetically independent kinds of organisms (in phylogeny)

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5
Q

what must occur to form a species?

A

reproductive isolation

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6
Q

microevolution allele changes build up until:

A
  1. sub-populations can no longer reproduce.
  2. genetic changes between sub-populations are bigger than within sub-populations.
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7
Q

allopatric speciation

A

gene flow interrupted when population divided by geographical barrier.

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8
Q

peripatetic speciation

A

new species formed from an isolated peripheral population

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9
Q

paripatric speciation

A

part of population enters new habitat bordering range of parent species.

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10
Q

behavioural speciation

A

behavioural isolation of populations living in the same geographical area.

for example - sub-populations feeding in the day or at night.

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11
Q

what are adaptations?

A

an inherited characteristic that helps an organism to survive long enough to reproduce more successfully in its changing environment and can either be structural or behavioural.

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12
Q

what are some structural adaptations?

A

camouflage

mimicry

bent hind legs

sharp teeth

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13
Q

what are some behavioural adaptations?

A

migration

hibernation

warning cells

mating dances

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14
Q

plant structural adaptations

A

protection
- thorns
- foul taste

seed dispersal
- wind

obtaining food
- photosynthesis

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15
Q

plant behavioural adaptations

A

tropism - movement of a plant towards (positive) or away (negative) from a stimulus

dormancy - state of rest or inactivity

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16
Q

what adaptation does coral have to light?

A

ability to diffuse light throughout skeleton.

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17
Q

what is the biosphere?

A

global sum of all ecosystems

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18
Q

what is a biome?

A

distinct biological communities that have formed in response to a shared physical climate.

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19
Q

what are terrestrial biomes distinguished by?

what are terrestrial biomes determined by?

A
  • their predominant vegetation.
  • determine by temperature and rainfall.
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20
Q

what is climate?

A

a long term average weather patterns that occurs at a location over decades.

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21
Q

what two components influence climate?

A
  • sunlight intensity
  • proximity to large bodies of water and mountain ranges
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22
Q

tropical rainforest biomes

A
  • constantly high temperature during the year
  • diurnal climate - temperature difference between day and night
  • high precipitation
  • deciduous trees
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23
Q

savannah biome

A
  • constantly high temperatures
  • seasonal rainfalls
  • high amounts of grasses
  • covers 25% of earths landmasses
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24
Q

desert biome

A
  • very dry
  • extreme diurnal temperatures
  • occurs 15-30 degrees N and S.
  • limited vegetation and slow soil development.
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25
Q

temperate grassland biome

A
  • large seasonal variability in temperatures
  • relatively low precipitation
  • biome characterised by absence of trees.
26
Q

temperate deciduous forest biome

A
  • strong seasonal variability in temperature and precipitation
  • deciduous trees
  • four vertical layers of vegetation - mature canopy, juvenile canopy, shrubs and herbs.
27
Q

boreal forest biome

A
  • high latitudes between 50 and 60 degrees
  • low annual temperatures and low precipitation
  • environmental conditions promote the formation of permafrost
  • low diversity of coniferous tree species
28
Q

what are the layers in borial forest

A

TOP - active layer (seasonally frozen ground)

2ND - permafrost table (upper surface of inactive layer)

3RD - permafrost (permanently frozen ground)

4TH - talik (random band of unfrozen ground)

5TH - unfrozen ground below permafrost

29
Q

tundra biome

A
  • between 60 and 70 degree
  • low temperatures and varying precipitations
  • vegetation is overall scarce.
30
Q

polar desert biome

A
  • mean temp below 10 degrees celsius during warmest month of the year
  • annual precipitation less than 250 mm
  • most of these biomes are covered in ice sheets, ice fields or ice caps
  • largely barren environments (presence of few lichens and moss)
31
Q

anthromes

A
  • anthropogenic biomes
  • ecological patterns shaped by human interaction with ecosystems.
  • divided into settlements, villages, croplands, rangelands, semi seminatural lands and woodlands.
32
Q

what doe resources and conditions do?

A

determine where organisms can live.

33
Q

resources

A

consumed by organisms in the course of their growth and reproduction. Once consumed, a resource is not
available to another organisms. This leads to competition between organisms and resource partition

34
Q

conditions

A

physicochemical features of the environment. Conditions are not consumed nor used by the activities of
organisms but do influence these activities.

35
Q

response curves

A

show range of a specific condition and how this influences survival, reproduction and growth.

36
Q

kelp example of how organisms can alter local conditions

A

under the kelp canopy
- pH is higher
- pCO2 is lower
- aragonite saturation state is larger
- calcite saturation state is larger compared with benthos.

37
Q

what is zonation?

A

ecological distribution pattern along the vertical dimension.

pattern driven by availability of resource and environmental conditions which change in space and time.

38
Q

three forms of fundamental ecological interactions

A
  1. predation
  2. competition
  3. mutualism
39
Q

types of competition

A

EXPLOITATIVE - individual interacts indirectly as they compete for common resources.

INTERFERENCE - one organism directly alters another’s access to resources.

APPARENT COMPETITION - individual that do not directly compete affect each other indirectly by being prey to the same predator.

40
Q

competitive exclusion

A

superior competitor can eliminate an inferior one from the area.

41
Q

definitions of mutualism, commensalism and parasitism.

A

MUTUALISM - both or all individuals benefit. can be obligate or facultative.

COMMENSALISM - one individual benefits and the other is not impacted in any way.

PARASITISM - one individual benefits and the other is harmed.

42
Q

parasite mediated competition

A

parasite influences the competitive interaction between two species.

43
Q

dispersal

A

movement of an individual or group away from the population in which they were born
- natal (active or passive)
- adult (usually active)
- gamete (common for non-motile adult individuals; passive)

44
Q

migration

A

directional movement of many individuals from one location to another.
- seasonal
- tidal
- diurnal

45
Q

dormancy

A
  • form of migration through time
  • enables organisms to decrease their dependence on the environment by spending a significant portion of the year out of unfavourable conditions.
  • DIAPAUSE - development is suspended during unfavourable conditions.
46
Q

3 types of generalised spatial patterns in ecology

A
  • random
  • regular
  • aggregated - clustered

THE PERCEPTION OF PATTERN DEPEND ON THE SPATIAL SCALE CONSIDERED.

47
Q

population

A

Group of individuals of the same species living and
interbreeding within a given area.

48
Q

equation for size of population

A

(size of population at time point 0) + (births) - (deaths) + (immigrations) - (emigrations)

49
Q

what influences birth death and migration

A

environmental factors

50
Q

unitary organisms

A

unitary individuals are highly determinate in form and while growing pass through predictable (innately determined) sequences of life history stages

51
Q

modular organisms

A

Modular organisms are structural individuals subdivided
into repeated morphological units, or modules, each
able to acquire, process and share resources. (eg. strawberries can produce other plants)

52
Q

what is phenotypic plasticity

A

The ability of an organism to alter its development and life history in response to
changes in the environment

53
Q

how does cold water coral desmophylllum dianthus display phenotypic plasticity?

A

variation in calcification rate depending on annual temperature variability is experienced by this population

54
Q

semelparous life cycle

A

reproducing only once in a lifetime (long juvenile phase)

  • many offspring produced in the hopes that at leat one makes it to reproduce
55
Q

iteroparous life cycle

A

producing offspring more than once in a lifetime (short juvenile phase)

  • small number of offspring with a large amount of care. more chance of survival.
56
Q

r selected (8 things to remember)

A
  • large number of offspring
  • little or no parental investment
  • low survivorship
  • unstable environments
  • small in size
  • reach maturity early
  • reproduce only once
  • short life expectancy
57
Q

k-selected (8 things to remember)

A
  • small number of offspring
  • large amount of parental investment
  • high survivorship
  • stable environments
  • large in size
  • reach maturity later
  • reproduce many times
  • long life expectancy
58
Q

demography

A

studying vital statistics of populations

59
Q

life tables

A

summarise information about births and deaths in a population.

they organise demography data so that relationships between variables can be examined and perhaps explained.

60
Q

what is life history determined by

A

the frequency and timing of sexual reproduction, by longevity and by growth rate.

principles of ecology (5 decks)

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