Option C Ecology and conservation Flashcards
keystone species
one in which its presence has a disproportionate impact on ecosystem and its removal often leads to significant changes
niche
is the role or function or an organism or species in a ecosystem
fundamental niche
of a species is the potential mode of existence
realized niche
the actual mode of existence, depending on adaptations and competition with other species
competitive exclusion
is a principle which states that two species cannot occupy the same niche
competition
is a situation in which one organism or species contends for the same resources as another
predation
when an organism kills a prey to feed on it
grazing
herbivores feed on plants or algae
Symbiosis
long-term interaction between different biological species it can be mutation, parasitism or commensalism
Mutualism
when both organisms benefit
Parasitism
when an organism lives on/in host and feeds from it causing the host harm
Commensalism
one species gains and benefits while the other species is neither benefited nor harmed
biome
a community of living organisms that share the same climate
taiga
a temperate forest w. cold winters and warm summers. There is little precipitation. Its main store is litter with little flow between stores
desert
dry with very hot days and cold nights. Main store is in soil and there is major flow from biomass to litter
Tropical rain forest
rainy and hot. Biomass is its main store with a high rate of flow
Biomass
the total dry organic matter
gross production
the total amount of organic matter produced per unit area per unit time by a trophic level in an ecosystem
Net production
the amount of gross production remaining after the amount used for respiration by the trophic level has been subtracted
Feed conversion ratio
the efficiency of production of an animal food source
Poikilotherms
animals whose body temp varies with the enviroment
homeotherms
animals that maintain their body temp.
Primary succession
occurs in areas that were not inhabited by living organisms
Secondary succession
occurs in areas that were already inhabited but suffered disturbance
biomagnification
is the increasing concentration of toxins in the tissues of organisms at successive higher levels in a food chain
in situ conservation
refers to conservation of species in their own natural reserves or national parks
ex situ conservation
the preservation of species outside their natural habitats
indicator species
organisms that indicate the health of an ecosystem or level or pollution
Biodiversity
measures the variation of species in a community
Richness
the number of different species present in a community
Evenness
how close in numbers each species in an environment is - how equal the community is
Lincoln index
uses data obtained from the capture-mark-release-recapture method to estimate the size of a population
sigmoid growth curve
shows changes in population over time
Natality
number of births
mortality
number of deaths
immigration
when organisms arrive at an environment
emmigration
when organisms leave an environment
carrying capacity
the max population an environment can hold due to food, territory or breeding sites
eutrophication
the enrichment with nutrients of a body of water leading to the excessive growth of plants and algae, causing oxygen depletion
Biochemical oxygen demand
is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic organisms to break down organic material
