What is Ecology? Flashcards
What does an ecologist study?
the interactions between organisms and their environment
what is a biotic environment?
organisms of same species and of other species
What is an abiotic environment?
‘elements’
What is organismal ecology?
How an individual organisms physiology, morphology and behaviour meet challenges posed by it’s environment
What is population ecology?
What determines how many individuals in a population and what causes fluctuations in population over time?
What is community ecology?
How do species interact with each other, what determines how many and which species can co-exist and what drives differences in species compositions among communities?
What is a population?
group of individuals of same species in same area
What is an ecological community?
group of populations of different species in one area
What is ecosystem ecology?
Ecological community plus physical environment, energy flows and chemical cycling
What is landscape ecology?
Asking how questions on ecological processes that occur among multiple ecosystems or communities in the landscape
What is global ecology?
Biosphere
The sum of all planet’s ecosystems
Cycling of gases
What moving food around the globe mean for local ecosystems’ nutrient cycles
What is the Ecological Hierarchy?
- Organismal ecology
- Population ecology
- Community ecology
- Ecosystem ecology
- Landscape ecology
- Global ecology
