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T2 (Ecosystems) Definitions Flashcards

1
Q

Species

A

A group of organisms with common characteristics that can interbreed to produce fertile offspring

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2
Q

Ecosystem

A

A community of interdependent organisms and the physical environment they interact with (Made up of biotic and abiotic components)

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3
Q

Producers / Autotroph

A

Plants that convert energy into matter (make their own food)

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4
Q

Consumers

A

Animals that eat plants or other animals (can’t make food themselves)

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5
Q

Decomposers

A

Organisms that breakdown waste into component parts for reuse (obtain food from breakdown of dead organic matter)

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6
Q

Population

A

A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time

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7
Q

Biotic

A

Living

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8
Q

Abiotic

A

Non-living

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9
Q

Habitat

A

The environment in which a species usually lives

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10
Q

Niche

A

The role an organism plays and the position it holds in the environment

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11
Q

Limiting Factors

A

The resources in the environment that limit the growth, abundance and distribution of organisms/populations in an ecosystem

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12
Q

Density dependent factors

A

Ones that affect the population only when it reaches a certain density

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13
Q

Density independent factors

A

Control populations no matter what the density of it is

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14
Q

Carrying Capacity

A

The maximum number of individuals of a species that the environment can sustainably support in a given area

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15
Q

Predation

A

Where one organism (the predator) hunts and kills another (the prey) in order to provide it with the energy for survival and reproduction

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16
Q

Herbivory

A

The consumption of plant material by an animal (Herbivores)

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17
Q

Parasitism

A

One species benefits at the expense of another - When an organism (the parasite) takes nutrients from another organism (the host)

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18
Q

Mutualism

A

Two organisms of different species exist in a mutually beneficial relationship

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19
Q

Intraspecific Competition

A

Occurs when members of the same species compete for a limited resource

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20
Q

Interspecific Competition

A

Where members of different species compete for a resource that they both need

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21
Q

Fundamental niche

A

The full range of conditions and resources in which a species could survive and reproduce

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22
Q

Realized niche

A

The actual conditions and resources in which a species exists due to biotic interactions

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23
Q

Community

A

A group of populations living and interacting with each other in a common habitat (multiple species)

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24
Q

Trophic Level

A

The position an organism (or group of organisms in a community) occupies in the food chain

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25
Bioaccumulation
The increase in the concentration of a pollutant in an organism as it absorbs or it ingests it from its environment
26
Biomagnification
The increase in the concentration of the pollutant as it moves up through the food chain
27
Photosynthesis
The process by which green plants convert light energy from the Sun into useable chemical energy stored in organic matter
28
Respiration
The conversion of organic matter into carbon dioxide and water in all living organisms, releasing energy
29
Pyramids of numbers
Records the number of individuals at each trophic level coexisting in an ecosystem
30
Pyramids of biomass
Represents the biological mass of the standing stock at each trophic level at a particular point in time measured in units such as grams of biomass per square metre (g m–2)
31
Pyramids of productivity
Shows the flow of energy through each trophic level of a food chain over a period of time
32
Biomass
The mass of living organisms in a given area expressed as dry weight of mass per unit of area or g m–2
33
Productivity
The conversion of energy into biomass in a given time expressed as J m-2 yr-1. The rate of growth of plants and animals in the ecosystem.
34
Gross
The total amount of products made
35
Net
What is left over after losses. Ecosystem losses include respiration and fecal loss
36
Primary
To do with plants
37
Secondary
To do with animals
38
Net primary productivity (NPP)
NPP = GPP – R (Respiration) | The gain by producers in energy or biomass per unit area per unit time remaining after allowing for respiratory losses
39
Gross secondary productivity (GSP)
GSP = food eaten – fecal loss | The total energy or biomass assimilated by consumers
40
Net secondary productivity (NSP)
NSP = GSP – R
41
Gross primary productivity (GPP)
All the biomass produced by primary producers in a given amount of time
42
Sustainable yield (SY)
The amount of biomass that can be extracted without reducing natural capital of the ecosystem.
43
Energy
Flows
44
Matter
Cycles
45
Succession
The process in which an area changes over time
46
Biome
A collection of ecosystems that are classified according to their predominant vegetation; they share similar climatic conditions and organisms that have adaptations to the environment
47
K-strategists
Produce very few offspring, but they increase the quality of them by investing in a lot of parental care
48
r-strategists
Focus on increased quantity of offspring at the expense of quality (little / no parental care)
49
Zonation
A spatial change in response to changing conditions // The arrangement or pattern of communities in bands in response to change in some environmental factor over a distance
50
Primary Productivity
The gain by producers (autotrophs) in energy or biomass per unit area per unit time.
51
Secondary Productivity
The biomass gained by heterotrophic organisms, through feeding and absorption, measured in units of mass or energy per unit area per unit time.
52
Net Secondary Production
The gain by consumers in energy or biomass per unit area per unit time remaining after allowing for respiratory losses
53
Organic
Made from living matter
54
Inorganic
Made from non-living matter
55
Tricellular Model (of Atmosphere Circulation)
Explains the distribution of precipitation and temperature, and how these influence structure and relative productivity of di erent terrestrial biomes.
56
Climax Community
A community of organisms that is more or less stable (i.e. in steady-state equilibrium), and is also in equilibrium with natural environmental conditions such as climate. It is the end- point of ecological succession.
57
Dichotomous Key
A stepwise tool for identification where there are two options based on different characteristics at each step. The outcome of each choice leads to another pair of options. This continues until the organism is identified.
58
Species Richness
the number of species in a community
59
Species Diversity
the number of species and their relative abundance in a given area or sample
60
Commensalism
Population Interaction where 1 benefits and there is no impact (pos or neg) on the other
61
Individual
A single organism of one species
62
Primary Succession
The colonisation of new land that is exposed by avalanches, volcanoes, or glaciers by pioneer organisms (starts from rocks)
63
Secondary Succession
The sequence of community changes that take place after a community is disrupted by natural disasters or human actions (start from soil & left over organisms)
64
Population Density
Number of individuals of each species per unit area

ESS (16 decks)

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