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Population Ecology > Multi-species interactions > Flashcards

Multi-species interactions Flashcards

1
Q

What is an ecological community ?

A

A group of potentially interacting species living in the same place

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2
Q

What is found at the basic trophic level of an ecosystem ?

A

Autotrophs or Heterotrophs

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3
Q

What are autotrophs ?

A

Produce organic matter from inorganic material

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4
Q

Give species specific examples of autotrophs.

A

Cyanobacteria

Giant Redwoods

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5
Q

What are heterotrophs ?

A

Organisms which obtain organic matter from other organisms.

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6
Q

Give species specific examples of heterotrophs.

A

Viruses and blue whales

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7
Q

What are chemolithotrophs ?

A

The use of chemical oxidation to obtain energy from inorganic compounds.

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8
Q

Give an example of Chemolithotrophs.

A

Hot sulphur springs

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9
Q

Is all energy on a basic level, produced by light energy ?

A

NO

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10
Q

What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem ?

A

They process organic material, returning nutrients to the ecosystem in inorganic form.
These nutrients are taken up by primary producers

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11
Q

What does the number of trophic levels in an ecosystem depend on ?

A

Amount of energy entering ecosystem
Energy loss between trophic levels
Form, structure and physiology of organisms at each level

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12
Q

Only 10% of energy produced is transferred at each trophic level.
State why

A

The transfer is affected by;

Respiration 
Growth
Reproduction
Defecation
Non-predatory death
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13
Q

Which is the best food source for conversion into new living tissue, High or low quality ?

A

High quality food sources are converted more effectively.

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14
Q

Give the maximum number of trophic levels in a terrestrial system.

A

5

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15
Q

Give the maximum number of trophic levels in a marine system.

A

7

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16
Q

Why are marine systems able to have more trophic levels than terrestrial system ?

A

Terrestrial- plants are complex organisms, hard to break down.

Marine- Plankton is a simple structure, easier to digest.

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17
Q

What is an ecosystems GPP ?

A

Gross primary productivity

= Total amount of organic matter produced by photosynthesis

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18
Q

What is an ecosystems NPP ?

A

Net primary productivity

= Energy left for plant after subtracting what the plant uses in respiration

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19
Q

What affects productivity in an terrestrial ecosystem ?

A

Temperature. will increase up to 30C and then decline

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20
Q

What are the key factors affecting productivity in oceans ?

A

Light and nutrients

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21
Q

Where does photosynthesis occur in the ocean ?

A

Light will only penetrate the top layer of the ocean, so photosynthesis only occurs in the surface waters

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22
Q

Where do nutrients come from in the ocean ?

A

Upwelling’s

Runoff from the land

23
Q

What do nutrients promote in the ocean ?

A

Plankton blooms

24
Q

Where is the lowest productivity in an ocean ?

A

In the open ocean

25
Q

What do food webs demonstrate ?

A

The feeding connections in ecological communities

26
Q

How can the stability of a food web be increased ?

A

By increasing the complexity (number of species) in the web

27
Q

Who pioneered the food web ?

A

Charles Elton

28
Q

What is a keystone species ?

A

Species which have a DISPROPORTIONALLY LARGE IMPACT on their environment relative to their abundance

29
Q

How do keystone species impact their environments ?

A

Have a cascading effect on the ecosystem

Play a key role in maintaining structure.

30
Q

What are keystone mutualists ?

A

Species that have mutually beneficial interactions with other organisms

31
Q

Give 2 examples of keystone mutualists

A

Banksia
Only nectar source for honeyeaters

Cassowary
Seed will only grow after passing through this species

32
Q

What would occur if mutualist species were lost ?

A

There would be a profound impact on the whole ecosystem.

33
Q

Give 2 examples of ecosystem engineers

A

Grizzly bears
(leaving salmon on the riverbank for use as a fertiliser, nutrient rich faeces)

Prairie Dogs
(Tunnels impact the ecosystem by channelling rainwater and giving shelter. Graze vegetation encouraging other species )
34
Q

What are ecosystem engineers ?

A

An organism that modifies, creates or destroys habitats

Affects the availability of resources to other species,

Causes physical changes in biotic or abiotic materials

35
Q

What is ecosystem stability ?

A

The ability of an ecosystem to maintain its structure and function over long periods,

36
Q

Which ecosystems are at dynamic equilibrium ?

A

Mature ecosystems

37
Q

Define inertia in an ecosystem

A

The resistance of an ecosystem to change

38
Q

Define resilience in an ecosystem,

A

The ability of an ecosystem to return to normal after a disturbance

39
Q

What do theoretical models of ecosystems suggest ?

A

That there are multiple relationships between diversity and stability in an ecosystem

40
Q

Give an example of ecosystem stability at an ecosystem level in plants.

A

The abundance of a plant species will increase in response to the decreased abundance of another.

41
Q

Give an example of ecosystem stability at a species level

A

A plant species will be resilient to the habitat.

As more species arrive, this resilience will enable the community to the adapt to the changing environment

42
Q

What is the biological insurance hypothesis ?

A

Resilient species will buffer the habitat against the loss of other species by continuing to thrive
Continue function of lost species

43
Q

When will succession of a population end ?

A

When the population becomes self-perpetuating and stable

44
Q

What does primary succession form ?

A

A new habitat

45
Q

Why does secondary succession occur ?

A

Due to a disturbance in a existing community.

46
Q

Describe the strategy of early succession communities

A

They are R strategists

47
Q

What happens to these R strategists as the community develops ?

A

They are outcompetes by K selected species to create a more stable ecosystem

48
Q

Can a climax community ever occur in a habitat ?

A

No, General environmental disturbance makes this unattainable.

49
Q

List the ways plants can effect an ecosystem.

A

Autogenic (changes in soil)
Plant structure (shade, water filt)
Encourage animals
Alter climatic factors

50
Q

How are ecosystems maintained ?

A

By cycling energy and nutrients which are obtained from external sources

51
Q

What do food webs help organise ?

A

The complex network of interactions among species in a community.

52
Q

What are allogenic effects on a habitat ?

A

Changes due to external influences

Soil erosion, leaching, deposition of salt and clay

53
Q

What are autogenic effects on a habitat ?

A

Changes in soil, caused by organisms in a community

PH alteration by plants growing

54
Q

Describe an example where the collapse of a keystone species led to a positive impact for another species

A

Otter population crashed in 1990
Due to increase in killer whale
Collapse in kelp forests, habitat for fish and regulate wave impact
Decreased food source for eagles
Switched diet to seabirds and other fish- Higher calorific content
Increased in eagle population

Population Ecology (6 decks)

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