Unit 2- Chapters 13, 14, 15, and 16 Flashcards
vocab and key ideas
ecology
the study of interactions among living things and between living things and their surroundings
levels of organization
organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome
community
a group of different species that live together in on area
ecosystem
includes all of the organisms as well as climate, soil, water, rocks, and other nonliving things in a given area
biome
a major regional or global community of organisms
biotic factors
living things (plants, animals, fungi, bacteria
abiotic
nonliving things (soil, temperature, moisture, wind, sunlight)
biodiversity
the assortment of living things in an ecosystem
keystone species
a species that has an unusually large effect on its ecosystem
producer
organisms that get their energy from nonliving resources
same as autotrophs
autotrophs
organisms that get their energy from nonliving resources
same as producers
consumers
organisms that get their energy by eating other living or once-living resources
same as heterotrophs
heterotrophs
organisms that get their energy by eating other living or once-living resources
same as consumers
chemosynthesis
process by which an organism forms carbohydrates using chemicals, rather than light, as an energy source
food chain
a sequence that links species by their feeding relationships
herbivores
eat only plants
carnivores
eat only animals
omnivores
eat plants and animals
detritivores
organisms that eat dead organic matter
decomposers
detritivores that break down organic matter into simpler compounds
five types of consumers
herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, detritivores, decomposers
specialist
is a consumer that primarily eats one specific organism or a very small number
generalist
consumers that have a varying diet
trophic levels
levels of nourishment in a food chain
show energy flow
food web
a model that shows the complex network of feeding relationships and the flow of energy within and sometimes beyond an ecosystem
biomass
a measure of the total dry mass of organisms in a given area
energy pyramid
a diagram that compares energy used by producers, primary consumers, and other trophic levels
habitat
can be described as all of the biotic and abiotic factors in the area where an organism lives
ecological niche
composed of all of the physical, chemical, and biological factors that a species needs to survive, stay healthy, and reproduce
competitive eclusion
when two species are competing for the same resources, one species will be better suited to the niche, and the other species will be pushed into another niche or become extinct
ecological equivalents
species that occupy similar niches but live in different geographical regions
competition
when two organisms fight for the same limited resourse
predation
process by which one organism captures and feeds upon another organism
symbiosis
a close ecological relationship between two or more organisms of different species that live in direct contact with one another
mutualism
an interspecies interaction in which both organisms benefit
commensalism
a relationship between two organisms in which one recieves an ecological benefits from another, while the other neither benefits nor is harmed
parasitism
a relationship when one organism benefits while the other is harmed
population density
a measurement of the number of individuals living in a defined space
population dispersion
the way which individuals of a population are spread in an area or volume
- clumped
- uniform
- random
survivorship curve
a generalized diagram showing the number of surviving members over time from a measured set of births
immigration
the movement of individuals into a population from another population
emigration
the movement of individuals out of a population and into another population
exponential growth
occurs when a population size increase dramatically over a period of time
logistic growth
occurs when a population begins with a period of slow growth followed by a brief period of exponential growth before leveling off at a stable size
carrying capacity
the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that the environment can normally and consistently support
population crash
the dramatic decline in the size of a population over a short period of time
limiting factor
the factor that has the greatest effect in keeping down the size of a population
density-dependent limiting factors
limiting factors taht are affected by the number of individuals in a given area
density-independent limiting factors
the aspects of the environment that limit a population’s growth regardless of the density of the population
canopy
the uppermost branches of the trees
grassland
an area where the primary plant life is grass
desert
recieves less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation each year
deciduous
trees that have adapted to winter temperatures by dropping their leaves
coniferous
trees that retain their needles all year
taiga
the boreal forest
located in cooler climates
tundra
located byond the taiga in far northern latitudes
chaparral
Mediterranean shrubland
hot dry summers and cool, moist winters
nonrenewable resource
used faster than they are formed
renewable resources
cannot be used up or can replenish themselves over time
ecological footprint
the amount of land necessary to produce and maintain enough food and water, shelter, energy, and waste
for one person???
pollution
any undesirable factor or pollutant, that is added to the air, water, or soil
smog
a type of air pollution caused by the interaction of sunlight with pollutants produced by fossil fuel emissions
particulates
microscopic bits of dust, metal, and unburned fuel
produced by many different industrial processes
acid rain
a type of precipitatioin produced when pollutants in the warer cycle cause rain pH to drop below normal level
greenhouse effect
occurs when carbon dioxide, water, and methane molecules absorb energy reradiated by earth’s surface and slow the release of this energy from Earth’s atmosphere
global warming
the trend of increasing global temperatures
indicator species
a species that provides a sign, or indication of the quality of the ecosystem’s environmental conditions
same as bioindicator
biommagnification
a pollutant that moves up the food chain as predators eat prey, accumulating in higher concentrations in the bodies of predators
habitat fragmentation
occurs when a barrier forms that prevents an organism from accessing its entire home range
introduced species
any organism that was brought to an ecosystem as the result of human actions
ecologists study…
…environments at different levles of organization
ecological research methods include…
…observation, experimentation, and modeling
an ecosystem includes…
…both biotic and abiotic factors
changing one factor in an ecosystem can…
…affect many other factors
producers providev
…energy for other organisms in an ecosystem
almost all produces obtain energy from…
…sunlight
a food chain is a…
…model that shows a sequence of feeding relationships
a food web shows…
…a complex network of feeding relationships
water cycles through…
…the environment
elements essential for life also…
…cycle through the environment
hydrogogic cycle
the circular pathway of water on earth from the atmosphere to the surface, below ground, and back
also called water cycle
biogeochemical cycle
the movement of a particular chemical through the biological and geological, or living and nonliving, parts of an ecosystem
nitrogen fixation
the process by which certain types of bacteria convert gaseous nitrogen into nitrogen compounds
an energy pyramid shows…
…the distribution of energy among trophic levels
other pyramid models illustrate an ecosystem’s…
…biomass and distribution of organisms
a habitat differs from a…
…niche
resource availability gives…
…structure to a community
competition and predation are two important ways in which organisms…
…interact
symbiosis is a…
…close relationship between species
population density is the…
…number of individuals that live in a defined area
geographic dispersion of a population shows…
…how individuals in a population are spaced
survivorship curves help to describe the…
…reoroductive strategy of a species
Changes in a population’s size are determind by…
…immigrations, births, emigration, and deaths
population growth is based on…
…available resources
ecological factors limit…
…population growth
earth has _____ major biomes
6
polar ice caps and mountains are ___ considered biomes
not
pullutants accumulate in the…
…air
air pollution is…
…changing earth’s biosphere
water pollution affects…
…ecosystems
biomagnification causes…
…accumulations of toxins in the food chain
preserving biodiversity is important to the…
…future of the biosphere
loss of habitat…
…eliminates species
introduced species can…
…disrupt stable relationships in an ecosystem
