Patterns in the Marine Environment Flashcards
Define ecological niche.
A range of environments over which a species lives.
Define abiotic factors.
Factors which affect the physiology of the organism. E.g. temperature, salinity, tides (immersion, emmersion), waves, depth&pressure, viscosity etc.
Define biotic factors.
Predation, parasitism, competition, territoriality, commensalism & mutualism.
Define commensalism.
A relationship between two organisms where one benefits from it without affecting the other.
Define mutualism.
The way two organisms of different species exist in a relationship in which each individual benefits from the activity of the other.
Define predation.
An interaction where a predator feeds on its prey.
Define parasitism.
A non-mutual symbiotic relationship between species where one benefits at the expense of the other.
Define competition.
A contest between organisms for territory, a niche, resources or mates.
Define territoriality.
Nonverbal communication referring to how organisms use space to communicate ownership.
What affects population levels?
Population change results from things like history, growth, survival & emigration/immigration.
What affects population growth?
Limiting resources limit growth, genetic characteristics of species affect their ability to adapt to new and changing environments.
What affects community level interactions?
Dispersal of larvae & adults to appropriate habitats, interspecific competition, grazing/predation, parasitism/disease, disturbance, facilitation&succession.
Define disturbance (physical & biological).
A temporary change in environmental conditions, producing a pronounced change in an ecosystem.
Define facilitation.
Species interactions which benefit at least one of the participants and cause harm to neither.
What are some abiotic factors in the marine environment?
Water depth (pressure), tides (immersion/emersion), waves, currents (velocity), viscosity, density, substratum, pH, oxygen.
What is the photic zone?
The first ~200m of the surface ocean, where enough light penetrates for photosynthesis to occur. Also called the neritic/epipelagic zone.
What is the aphotic zone?
The parts of the ocean where no/little light penetrates (less than 1% of sunlight). Between 200m and 10000m.
What does the bathyal zone contain?
Mesopelagic & bathypelagic.
What does the abyssal zone contain?
The abyssopelagic zone.
What is the mesopelagic zone?
200-1000m, ‘twilight zone’, contains thermocline.
What is the bathypelagic zone?
1000-4000m, ‘midnight zone’.
What is the abyssopelagic zone?
4000-6000m, high pressure, no daylight.
What is the hadopelagic or hadal zone?
6000m and deeper, ‘trench zone’. Deepest trench: 10911m.
What is a neustonic organism?
An organism that floats on top of the water?
What is a nektonic organism?
Organisms that live within the water column but can move independent of water currents.
What is a planktonic organism?
An organism that lives within the water column but cannot move independent of water currents.
What is a benthic organism?
An organism that lives on or within the seabed/benthic zone.
What are the three types of benthic organism?
+Epifaunal - lives on top of seabed.
+Semi-infaunal - lives slightly out of the seabed.
+Infaunal - lives fully burrowed within the seabed.
Where is zonation most apparent?
The littoral zone.
What are the causes of zonation?
Physical, chemical, biological (plant/animal) unpredictability.
What is the vertical light structure of the ocean?
Euphotic, twilight and midnight zones.
What is the salinity gradient of the ocean?
Halocline.
What is the oxygen & nutrients (NO3) gradient of the ocean?
Oxycline & nitracline.
What is biogeography?
The geographic distribution of plants & animalss.
What is macroecology?
Studies the relationship between organisms and their environment at large spatial scales.
What is the relationship between local vs. regional patterns?
Strong relationship between local and regional diversity, however, small areas can have high diversity and this can skew relationships.
What is a biogeographic province?
An area of plant and animal distribution having similar/shared characteristics.
Define biodiversity.
The diversity among living organisms, & all those that have ever lived, including diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.
+Ecological: biomes/provinces, ecosystems, habitats.
+Organism: kingdoms, phyla, species.
+Genetic: populations, individual.
What is species richness?
The most common method of quantifying diversity.
What is a morpho-species?
A species defined by morphology (common in fossil record).
What is a cryptic-species?
Morphologically indistinguishable species incapable of producing fertile young.
What are the theories about increased biodiversity in the tropics?
The cradle hypothesis and museum hypothesis.
What are the groups that species inhabiting ecosystems can be assigned to?
+Deposit/suspension feeders.
+Herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, detritivores.
+Pioneer encrusting suspension feeders.
+Completely dominating encrusting suspension feeders.
What increases functional diversity?
If there are higher numbers of functional groups/higher numbers of each member in group.
What is a keystone species?
A species which if removed would have major ecological consequences for other species.
Define Marine Ecology.
The branch of marine science that studies [the interactions between organisms and their biotic and abiotic environments], and the effects that these interactions have on patterns of distribution and abundance of organisms.
