Topic 2 Flashcards
Ecology
study of how living things interact with each other
Ecosystem
An environment in which living and non living factors within interact
Habitat
particular area in which plants/animals live which has conditions necessary for survival
Niche
Interaction of an organism with its ecosystem
Community
All the different organisms in particular habitat
Population
total number of individuals of the same species living in a particular habitat
Adaptation
organisms have special features/behaviour which helps them be successful in their habitat so they have a good chance of survival
Species
a group of similar organisms that can interbreed
Realised niche
where the species actually exists
Fundamental niche
full potential of where, when and how a species can exist
Abiotic factor
Physical/environmental factors ( non living)
E.g water, light - needed for photosynthesis, oxygen content
Biotic factor
caused by other living organisms
E.g competition - for food, light, water, Disease - caused by microorganisms, Predation.
Competition
when resources are limiting populations compete in order to survive
Intraspecific competition
competition within species
Interspecific competition
competition between species
- Exists when niches of different species overlap
- Neither species benefit, although better competitors suffer less.
Limiting factors
Populations are constrained by limiting factors
Carrying capacity
maximum number of organisms that an area/ecosystem can sustainably support over long period of time
J -curves
- A population growth curve that is initially slow becomes increasingly rapid
- I does not slow down
Models
A simplified description design to show the structure of an working system or concept
Respiration
process that the body uses energy from digested food
This type of respiration is called aerobic because energy is released with oxygen.
Photosynthesis
Energy
- sunlight contains a broad spectrum of wavelengths.
- almost half of the sun’s total radiation is visible light
- Very little of sunlight available from the Sun ends up as biomass in ecosystems
Producers
- organisms that use sunlight to create food
- photoautotrophs
Consumers
- Organisms that cannot make their own food
- Obtain food their energy by eating other organisms
- heterotrophs
Decomposers
obtain their food from dead biomass created by the ecosystem
food web
number of food chains meshed together
food chain
Ways in which energy and nutrients travel/ move trough an ecosystem
Pyramid of productivity
take into account the rate of production over a period of time in each tropic level
triangle pattern
pyramid of biomass
show the amount of the number of biomass at each level at certain point in time
Pyramid of number
- show the number of organism in each trophic level
productivity
Production per time unit
primary productivity
the rate of change in producers in energy or biomass per unit time
secondary productivity
rate of change on consumers
gross production
total gain in energy or biomass per unit are per time
Gross primary productivity
amount of photosynthesis carried out in producers
Gross secondary productivity
is gained through absorption in consumers
Net productivity
the gain in energy or biomass per unit are per time remaining after allowing for respiratory losses
NPP
actual growth of the producer
NSP
the gain by consumers in energy or biomass per unit per time remaining after respiratory losses (R)
NPP=GPP-R
NSP=GSP-R
Biome
the environment in which a species normally lives
Simpson’s diversity index
D= diversity index N= total number of organisms in the ecosystem
n= number of individuals of each species
Simpson’s diversity index p2
A high value for D suggests a stable and ancient site.
A low value of D could suggest pollution, recent colonization or agricultural management.
Richness
the number of different organisms in a particular area.
Evenness
how the quantity of each different organism compares with the other.
Carbon cycle
the series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment, involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the atmosphere through respiration, the decay of dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels.
