Module 8 Flashcards
phoresy
interaction in which a phoretic animal (or phoront) latches itself onto a host animal for the purpose of dispersal
common form of commensalism
What types of human activities disrupt ecosystem services
climate change
deforestation
soil erosion
ALL LOWERS BIODIVERSITY
trophic web
food web vs interaction web
how mutualisms (in particular) evolved
increased investments must yield return
how energy moves through a trophic web
primary/secondary/tertiary moves up
only 10% of the energy can move to next level
Why do ecologists subdivide biological communities
Subdividing a community allows scientists a manageable group of organisms to monitor and describe
biotic factor
living components
species and their interactions
abiotic factor
physical factors (describes habitat)
geology
soil composition
temperature
precipitation
disturbance regime
What types of benefits do organisms gain in positive interactions
provision of food, habitat, and more specialized services such as pollination, dispersal, predator defense, and reduction of physical stress
how are species accumulation curves generated?
Each time an inventory is taken you add new species found to a compounding total.
When a plateau is reach, that typically indicates all the species in an area have been found
primary consumers in trophic levels
2nd level
herbivores
heterotroph
nitrogen cycle
Bacteria are essential to the entire nitrogen cycle
Reservoirs:
Processes: Nitrogen fixation, Nitrification, Denitrification
bioaccumulation
organisms absorb substances that they cannot lose and the concentration increases as you move up trophic level (10% with each level)
can lead to the loss or extinction of many species
taxonomic affinities
based on evolutionary relationships
(ex. warblers)
How are interaction webs more informative than trophic/food webs?
Food web only contains interactions between trophic levels while an interaction web shows both trophic and non-trophic interactions.
ecosystem service
an ecosystem service is a naturally occurring ecological process that supports the system (typically viewed in terms of benefits derived by humans)
How are obligate mutualisms different from facultative mutualisms?
Facultative mutualists are ones whose populations persist in the absence of a mutualist, whereas obligate mutualists are ones whose populations go extinct in the absence of a mutualist.
four main categories of ecosystem services
- provisioning services - obtained from ecosystems (i.e seafood, energy)
- regulating services - benefits obtained from the regulating of ecosystem services ( i.e erosion control, flood prevention)
- cultural services - nonmaterial benefits obtained from ecosystem (i.e educatioonal, recreational)
- supporting services - services neccesary for production of all other ecosytem services (nutrient recycling)
What types of questions do ecologists ask when they study ecosystems?
How does the environment affect a community of organisms?
How do the functional processes contribute to ecosystem stability and longevity?
interaction webs
demonstrate relationships among organisms and how energy moves through an ecosystem showing herbivory, predation, & parasitism
phosphorus cycle
Reservoirs: sediments
Process: Weathering & erosion, Run-off, Decomposition, Absorption
biogeochemical cycles
the recycling of matter and nutrients between living organisms and their environment
includes both abiotic and biotic environments
reservoirs: atmosphere, land, water, biota, and beneath Earth’s surface
Includes elements associated with organic life:
carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, & sulfur
species accumulation curves
guilds
organisms who use similar resources
(ex. pollen/nectar feeders)
decomposers in trophic levels
scavengers, detritivores, & other saprotrophs
heterotroph
producers in trophic level
1st level
photosynthetic organisms
autotroph
functional groups
organisms with similar roles in environment
(ex. nitrogen-fixing plants)
carbon cycle
follows how carbon (and therefore energy) move through ecosystems
reservoirs: atmosphere, ocean, fossils, polar ice, living organisms
Carbon reservoirs act as “sinks
Process: Photosynthesis, Respiration/decompositionDiffusion, Freezing/melting, Burning
secondary/tertiary consumers in trophic levels
3rd level/4th level
predators
heterotroph
why are about species accumulation curves important?
measure species richness, species diversity of a ecosystem
Hydrologic cycles
follows how water moves through the environment
reservoirs : ocean, surface water, ground water, terrestrial surfaces, polar ice, living organisms
Process: Condensation/precipitation, Percolation, Run-off, Evaporation, Transpiration
