Unit 2 Flashcards
the commonness or rarity of a species
evenness
more evenness=more diversity
Frogs are a great water/air quality indicator species because
they breathe from their skin
DO goes down & BOD goes up when water is…
polluted
Dissolved oxygen (DO)
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
a single, identifiable source of a pollutant, such as a smokestack or waste discharge pipe
a pollution source you can point to
point source
using $ units to describe the value of nature/ecosystems
Natural Capital
(ecosystem service types)
Provisionary services include
goods produced or provided by ecosystems
(ecosystem service types)
Regulating
Benefits from regulation processes of ecosystems
ex: pollination, predator-pest balence
(ecological service types)
Cultural
Non-material benefits from nature/ecosystems
(ecological services)
Supporting
Factors (Habitat) necessary for producing ecosystem services
Ex: Nutrient Cycling, Soil Formation, primary production
Specialist species develop in isolated habitats (like islands) because of
limited food resources
Islands closer to a mainland will have more species on them than further islands because…
they are easier to reach by mainland species
native island species are more prone to extinction because
specialist species are more vulnerable to unpredictable events
the range of conditions, such as temperature, salinity, flow rate, and sunlight that an organism can endure before injury or death results
(can apply to individuals or species)
Ecological Tolerance
If the range of tolerance is very narrow the species is…
very vulnerable to environmental changes
for each abiotic factor, organisms have a range of conditions it can survive
Law of tolerance
Resources that are present in excess of an organism’s tolerance or in insufficient quantities to meet the basic needs of an organism
limiting factors
Short Disturbances leads to…
fast growing species will become dominant
Rare Disturbances means that
competitive species will become dominant
Intermediate disturbances leads to
allows for greater diversity
Environmental changes force organisms
to alter behaviors, move, or perish
What marine biomes would species with a wide range of salinity inhabit?
Estuaries
organisms that are best adapted to an environment survive and reproduce more than others
Natural Selection
inherited trait that increases an organism’s chances of survival (Behavior, Physical, or Physiological)
Adaptation
2+ species reciprocally affect each other’s evolution through natural selection
Coevolution
gradual changes of species’ structure in ecosystems after a disturbance ???? in a disturbed ecosystem will affect the total biomass, species richness, and net productivity over time. Disturbance ex: (volcano, forest fire, clear cutting etc)
Succession
Stages of Succession:
- Initial Autotroph (something that feeds itself)
- Rapidly Growing Autotrophs with Seeds
- Larger Autotrophs
Primary Succession
NO SOIL! Takes the longest, includes lichens & mosses
ex: on bare rock, after a glacial retreat, on a new sand dune, paved sur
Secondary Succession
SOIL! Quicker than primary, may include some plants/animals
ex: wildfire, flood, human cleared land
an early successional species that positively changes the local environment
Facilitation
an early successional species that negatively changes the local environment by making immigration of a later species difficult
ex: plant releases chemicals that prevent germination of competitors
Interference
must cope with unfavorable conditions during growth & seed distribution, like low nutrient availability (from limited soil development)
Pioneer Species
ex: early species that moved into a new area & adapted to new conditions
a species with a strong role in structuring/building an ecosystem, physically modifies the environment & benefits and maintains habitats, found in all types of ecosystems can either reduce or increase species diversity depending on its role in an ecosystem
Foundation Species
ex: kelp provides shelter for other organisms in marine ecosystems
species who play a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community, affecting many other organisms in an ecosystem determining the types and numbers of various other species who survive
Keystone Species
EX: the jaguar acts as a keystone predator due to its widely varied diet
a plant or animal that, by its presence, abundance, scarcity, or chemical composition, demonstrates a distinctive aspect or quality of the biological condition of a present ecosystem
Indicator Species
