ORGANISMS AND POPULATIONS Flashcards
WHAT IS ECOLOGY?
IT IS A SUBJECT THAT STUDIES THE INTERACTIONS AMONG ORGANISMS AND BETWEEN THE ORGANISM AND ITS PHYSICAL AND ABIOTIC ENVIRONMENT
WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE FORMATION OF VARIOUS BIOMES?
- ANNUAL VARIATIONS IN THE INTENSITY AND DURATION OF TEMPERATURE DUE TO THE TILT OF THE PLANET AND REVOLVING AROUND THE SUN WHIHC RESULTS IN VARIOUS SEASONS
- ANNUAL VARIATION IN THE PRECIPITATION
WHAT ARE THE KEY ELEMENTS THAT LEAD TO SO MANY VARIATIONS?
THE ABIOTIC COMPONENTS ARE TEMPERATURE, WATER, LIGHT AND SOIL
THE BIOTIC COMPONENTS PATHOGENS, PARASITES, PREDATORS AND COMPETITION
WHAT IS THE MAIN COMPONENT WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADAPTATIONS?
IT IS THROUGH NATURAL SELECTION THAT THE ORGANISMS EVOLVED TO ADAPT TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND OPTIMISE ITS SURVIVAL AND REPRODUCTION IN ITS HABITAT
WHAT IS A NICHE?
THE INVARIABLY RANGE OF THE CONDITIONS THAT THE ORGANISM CAN TOLERATE, THE DIVERSITY IN THE RESOURCES IT USES AND THE FUNCTIONAL ROLE IN THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM COMPRISES A NICHE
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR ABIOTIC FACTORS WHICH ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE VARIATIONS IN THE POPULATIONS?
TEMPERATURE
WATER
LIGHT
SOIL
HOW DOES THE TEMPERATURE AFFECT THE VARIATIONS IN THE ORGANISM FOUND IN A PARTICULAR HABITAT?
DUE TO THE CONSTANT DECREASE IN THE TEMPERATURE FROM THE EQUATOR THE TYPES OF ORGANISMS FOUND VARY TO A GREAT EXTENT. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TEMPERATURE IS THAT THEY AFFECT THE KINETICS OF THE ENZYMES AND THROUGH IT THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND METABOLIC PROCESSES
EURYTHERMAL ANIMALS AND STENOTHERMAL ORGANISMS
EURYTHERMAL - CAN THRIVE IN A WIDE RANGE OF TEMPERATURE
STENOTHERMAL - RESTRICTED TO A NARROW RANGE OF TEMPERATURE
WHAT FACTORS OF WATER BECOMES IMPORTANT FOR THE ORGANISMS LIVING IN WATER?
PH AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
SALINITY DATA:
- ——— IN INLAND WATERS
- ——— IN THE SEA
- ——— IN SOME HYPERSALINE REGIONS
LESS THAN 5
30-35
MORE THAN 100
EURYHALINE
STENOHALINE
CAN TOLERATE A WIDE RANGE OF SALINITIES
RESTRICTED TO A NARROW RANGE OF SALINITIES
WHAT FACTORS OF LIGHT ARE IMPORTANT?
DIURNAL ADN SEASONAL VARIATIONS
INTENSITY
DURATION
THESE FACTORS ARE CUES FOR TIMING THEIR FORAGING, REPRODUCTIVE AND MIGRATORY ACTIVITIES
PLANTS ARE DEPENDENT ON THE SUNLIGHT TO MEET THEIR PHOTOPERIODIC REQUIREMENT FOR FLOWERING
SPECTRAL QUALITY OF THE LIGHT IS ALSO IMPORTANT
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SOIL ON WHICH ON THE SURVIVAL OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS DEPEND?
SOIL COMPOSITION GRAIN SIZE PERCOLATION RATE WATER HOLDING CAPACITY PH MINERAL COMPOSITION TOPOGRAPHY
IN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT THE SEDIMENT CHARACTERISTICS DETERMINE THE TYPE OF BENTHIC ANIMALS THAT CAN THRIVE THERE
REGULATORS AND CONFORMERS
CAN MAINTAIN CONSTANT BODY TEMPERATURE, CONSTANT OSMOTIC CONCENTRATION, ETC (MAINTAIN HOMEOSTASIS) BY PHYSIOLOGICAL MEANS
BODY TEMPERATURES CHANGE WITH THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT
WHAT IS THE REASON BEHIND THE SUCCESS OF MAMMALS?
THEIR ABILITY TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT BODY TEMPERATURE
ALL PLANTS ARE CONFORMERS. TRUE OR FALSE
TRUE
WHY ALL ORGANISMS ARE NOT ABLE TO SWEAT TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT BODY TEMPERATURE?
IT IS BECAUSE THERMOREGULATION IS ENERGETICALLY EXPENSIVE PROCESS
WHY SMALL ANIMALS TEND TO LOSE UP HEAT MUCH FASTER IN COLDER ENVIRONMENTS?
IT IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LARGER SURFACE AREA RELATIVE TO THEIR VOLUME. THEY HAVE TO EXPEND MUCH ENERGY TO GENERATE HEAT THROUGH METABOLISM. THIS IS THE REASON WHY SMALL ANIMALS ARE NOT FOUND IN THE POLAR REGIONS
WHICH NATIONAL PARK IN RAJASTHAN IS A HOST TO THOUSANDS OF BIRDS FROM SIBERIA?
KEOLADO NATIONAL PARK IN BHARATPUR
HOW DO BACTERIA, FUNGI AND LOWER PLANTS SURVIVE IN THE UNFAVOURABLE CONDITIONS?
THEY DEVELOP THICK WALLED SPORES WHICH HELP THEM SURVIVE IN UNFAVOURABLE CONDITIONS
WHICH STRUCTURE IN HIGHER PLANTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SURVIVAL IN UNFAVOURABLE CONDITIONS?
SEEDS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DISPERSAL AND ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING THE PLANT TO SURVIVE IN UNFAVOURABLE CONDITIONS SINCE THE EMBRYO IS IN A DORMANT STATE
WHEN THE CONDITIONS ARE FAVOURABLE, THE SEEDS DEVELOP AND GERMINATE INTO A NEW PLANT
HIBERNATION
AESTIVATION
DIAPAUSE
BEARS GOING INTO A DEEP SLEEP DURING WINTERS
SNAILS AND FISHES GO INTO A DEEP SLEEP DURING SUMMER. TO AVOID SUMMER RELATED PROBLEMS SUCH AS HEAT AND DESSICATION
ZOOPLANKTON SPECIES IN LAKES AND PONDS ENTER A STAGE OF SUSPENDED GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
ADAPTATION CAN BE OF HOW MANY TYPES?
BEHAVIOURAL, MORPHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL
KANGAROO RAT ADAPTATIONS
THROUGH INTERNAL FAT OXIDATION IT CAN MEET THE WATER REQUIREMENTS
IT CONCENTRATES URINE SO THAT MINIMAL AMOUNT OF WATER IS USED TO REMOVE
DESERT PLANT ADAPTATIONS
THICK CUTICLE ON THEIR LEAF
SUNKEN STOMATA
SPECIAL PHOTOSYNTHETIC PATHWAY (CAM PATHWAY) THAT ENABLES THE STOMATA TO REMAIN
DESERT PLANTS HAVE LEAVES REDUCED TO SPINES
PHOTOSYNTHETIC FUNCTION IS TAKEN OVER BY FLATTENED STEMS
WHAT IS ALLEN’S RULE?
MAMMALS FROM COLDER CLIMATES GENERALLY HAVE SHORTER EARS ADN LIMBS TO MINIMISE HEAT LOSS
HOW ARE SEALS ABLE TO SURVIVE IN COLDER CLIMATES?
THEY HAVE A THICK LAYER OF FAT BELOW THEIR SKIN THAT ACTS AS AN INSULATOR AND REDUCES LOSS OF BODY HEAT
ALTITUDE SICKNESS INCLUDES
NAUSEA, FATIGUE AND HEART PALPITATIONS
HOW DOES THE BODY COMPENSATE FOR OXYGEN DEFICIENCY AT HIGHER ALTITUDES?
BY INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF RED VLOOD CELLS
HOW DO THE FISHES MANAGE TO SURVIVE IN COLD WATERS IN THE ANTARCTIC?
THE FISHES HAVE DEVELOPED A PROTEIN WHICH ACTS AS AN ANTIFREEZING AGENT
HOW ARE DESERT LIZARDS ADAPTED TO THE ENVIRONMENT?
THEY BASK IN THE SUN AND ABSORB HEAT WHEN THEIR BODY TEMPERATURE IS BELOW THEIR COMFORT ZONE AND MOVE INTO THE SHADE WHEN THEIR AMBIENT TEMPERATURE STARTS INCREASING
WHAT IS AN AGE PYRAMID?
IF THE AGE DISTRIBUTION (PER CENT INDIVIDUALS OF A GIVEN AGE OR AGE GROUP) IS PLOTTED FOR THE POPULATION THE RESULTING STRUCTURE IS CALLED AN AGE PYRAMID
RELATIVE DENSITIES
FISH CAUGHT PER TRAP IS A GOOD WAY TO MEASURE THE FISH IN A POND
PUG MARKS OR FECAL PELLETS ARE A WAY TO ESTIMATE THE TOTAL POPULATION OF THE TIGER
EXPONENTIAL GROWTH
WHEN RESOURCES ARE UNLIMITED
WHEN THERE IS NO COMPETITION
WHEN THERE ARE NO PREDATORS TO KEEP A CHECK ON THE GROWING POPULATION
THE SHAPE OF THE GRAPH OBTAINED IS A J-SHAPE
LOGISTIC GROWTH
WHEN THERE ARE LIMITED RESOURCES
WHEN THERE IS COMPETITION FOR THE EXISTING RESOURCES
WHEN THERE ARE PREDATORS TO KEEP A CHECK ON THE POPULATION
WHAT IS THE CARRYING CAPACITY?
IT IS DEFINED AS THE LIMIT BEYOND WHICH THERE IS NO GROWTH IN THE POPULATION.
CARRYING CAPACITY IS REPRESENTED BY ‘K’
VERHULST-PEARL LOGISTIC GROWTH
LAG PHASE
THEN PHASES OF ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION
FINALLY AN ASYMPTOTE
SHAPE - SIGMOID
BREED ONLY ONCE IN THEIR LIFE ——–
BREED MANY TIMES ——–
PACIFIC SALMON AND BAMBOO
MOST BIRDS AND MAMMALS
LARGE NUMBER SMALL SIZED ORGANISMS ——
SMALL NUMBER LARGE SIZED ORGANISMS ——
OYSTERS AND PELAGIC FISHES
BIRDS AND MAMMALS
INTERSPECIFIC INTERACTION ARISES FROM THE INTERACTION OF POPULATION OF TWO ———– SPECIES
DIFFERENT
THE INTERACTION COULD BE:-
BENEFICIAL
DETRIMENTAL
NEUTRAL
PREDATION IS A WAY OF TRANSFERRING ENERGY FROM FIXED PLANTS TO HIGHER TROPHIC LEVELS. TRUE OR FALSE
TRUE
PREDATORS ARE CALLED ‘CONDUITS OF ENEGRY’. TRUE OR FALSE
TRUE
PREDATORS ARE USEFUL IN THE SENSE THAT:-
CONDUITS OF ENERGY
MAINTAINING THE SPECIES DIVERSITY BY REDUCING THE INTENSITY OF COMPETITION AMONG COMPETING PREY POPULATION
PRUDENT IN NATURE AND KEEPS A CHECK ON THE PREY POPULATION BY NOT OVER-EXPLOITING IT
