Population and community Flashcards
the study of the relationships among organisms and the environment
ecology
a group of interbreeding organisms of one species occupying a location at the same time
population
includes all of the populations, representing multiple species, that interact in a given area
community
a community plus it nonliving environment, including air, water, minerals, and fire
ecosystem
the physical location where the members of a population normally live
habitat
the number of individuals of a species per unit area or unit volume of habitat
Population density
widely used technique to estimate animal populations
mark-recapture
a chart that shows the probability of surviving to any given age
life table
a graph of the proportion of surviving individuals at each age
survivorship curve
invest great energy and time into each offspring
Type I
provide a great deal of parental care, however, the threats of predation and diseases are constant throughout life
Type II
die at a very young age
Type III
the series of events in an organism’s life from conception through death
life history
individuals tend to reproduce at an early age and have many offspring that receive little care
opportunistic life history
individuals tend to produce a small number of offspring that receive extended parental care
equilibrium life history
the number of new individuals is proportional to the population’s size
exponential growth
which is the maximum number of individuals that the ecosystem can support indefinitely
carrying capacity
early growth of a population may be exponential, but growth slows and stops as the population approaches the habitat’s carrying capacity
logistic growth
conditions whose effects increase as the population grows
Density-dependent factors
exert effects that are unrelated to population density
Density-independent factors
those that occur among the living species in the community
Biotic interactions
the total of all the resources a species requires for its survival, growth, and reproduction
niche
cycle of heating and cooling, rising and falling air
convection cell
the major types of ecosystems
biomes
range from the lush tropics to the frozen poles
Terrestrial biomes
include fresh water and the oceans
aquatic biomes
relatively dry, with short summer and long, cold winters
Taiga (boreal forest)
mild winters, cool summers, and abundant rain and fog
Temperate rain forest
summers are warm, winters are cold
Temperate deciduous
forest
moderately moist, with hot summer and cold winters
Temperate grassland
warm and wet year-round
Tropical rain forest
snow covers the land during the bitterly cold and dark snow
Tundra
summer are hot and dry, winters are mild and moist
Chaparral
(Mediterranean shrubland)
dry with less than 20 cm of rainfall per year
Desert
warm year-round, with distinct wet and dry seasons
Tropical Savanna
ice caps are extremely cold, dry, and windy year-round
Polar ice
Light penetrates the regions of lake to different degrees. Rooted plants and phytoplankton thrive along the shore, providing food and shelter for organisms
Standing water
A river carries water and sediments towards the ocean, providing moisture and habitat to aquatic and terrestrial organisms.
Running water (river)
cover most Earth’s surface, contain 97% of the planet’s water. Both light and nutrients are abundant in the shallow waters above the continental shelf, supporting high primary productivity and extensive marine food webs
Open ocean
an area where the freshwater of a river meets the salty ocean. Organisms can withstand extreme nutrients from both the river and the tides
Estuary
the area between the high tide and low tide marks
Intertidal zone
border tropical coastlines where the water is clear and sediment-free. These vast underwater structures of calcium carbonate are built by coral animals.
Coral reef
