Studying Organisms in Ecosystems Flashcards
What abiotic factors effect the distribution of life patterns?
- Climate
- Latitude
- Elevation
- Temp.
- Humidity
- Moisture
- Salinity (salt concentration)
- Light
Define “climate”
Average weather conditions in a region over a period of time
Define “biomes”
general or large ecosystems with a particular mix of plants, animals, and other organisms adapted to certain environmental conditions
What are 6 types of terrestrial biomes?
- Desert
- Tundra
- Grassland
- Taiga
- Temperate deciduous forests
- Tropical rainforest
What are 7 types of aquatic biomes?
- Lakes
- Rivers
- Estuaries (rivers flowing into an ocean)
- Corral Reefs
- Intertidal zones (ocean meets land)
- Open ocean
- Deep sea
Define “habitat”
Place/area within a biome with certain biotic and abiotic characteristics
Define “range”
Geographical area where population or species can be found. Species will only be found where habitat requirements are met.
Define “ecological niche”
The role members if a species play in a community, includes total range of biotic and abiotic requirements needed to survive.
Define “biodiversitity”
variety of species determined by a variety of habitats and niches dependant on abiotic and biotic components
define a “limiting factor”
any biotic and abiotic element that controls the number of individuals in a population
5 abiotic limiting factors and how they effect the ecosystem
- Sunlight (differing amounts of sunlight based on the north and south poles)
- Temperature (Seasonal changes)
- Altitude (Amount of oxygen available)
- Water (amount/type of precipitation)
- Soil (amount of nutrient in soil etc.)
What are 3 biotic limiting factors
- Competition
- Predators
- Parasitism
What are the two types of competition?
- Intraspecific competition
- Interspecific competitions
Define “intraspecific competition”
Members of the same population compete for a limited resource
Define “Interspecific competition”
Members of different populations compete for limited resources
How does biodiversity effect an ecosystem?
The greater the biodiversity, the less competition there is for any niche (job)
How do invasive species effect an ecosystems?
An introduction of a new species to an ecosystem increases the amount of competition in an ecosystem
How does parasiteism effect an ecosystem?
parasite derives nourishment from another organism (host)
What is the difference between preditorism and parasiteism?
Unlike predation, in parasitism, the host is not permanently damaged/consumed.
Are density dependant factors mostly abiotic or biotic?
Biotic
What are the 3 types of sampling in an ecosystem
- Samples
- Transect
- Quadrants
What happens in samples?
Small portions of an entire population to estimate the population’s size
What happens in an transect? Why are they used?
- A long rectangle is used to divide the ecosystem with a random starting point and direction, counting individuals of species along a certain distance.
- They are used for dynamic/large organisms
What happens in an quadrat? Why are they used?
- Random locations chosen of the same size, number of individuals of species within each quadrat is counted
- Used for static/small organisms
