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ecology
ap bio unit 8
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| exponential growth curve | the rate of growth of any population given enough time and the absence of environmental limitations (j shaped) |
| logistic growth curve | the rate of growth of populations taking into account the carrying capacity (K) of the environment |
| carrying capacity (K) | the max density of population that the environment can support over time (birth rate = death rate) (s shaped) |
| populations usually rise from | lower death rate |
| density dependent limiting factors | predation, parasitism, disease - as pop of host/prey increases, a higher % of population is victimized |
| intra specific competition | - within - the competition among individuals of the same species for essential resources |
| interspecific competition | - the competition between individuals of different species for essential resources |
| niche rule | the more two niches overlap, the more intense the competition which leads to character displacement or extinction of inferior species |
| emigration | as density increases, crowding may induce physiological or behavioral changes that result in individuals leaving |
| physiological changes | overcrowding may induce individuals to delay or inhibit reproduction |
| density independent limiting factors | - abrupt changes in weather - physical disruption of habitat |
| high Rmax species | - r strategist species - many small offspring - little parental care - early reproductive age and small adults - unstable environments - high pop growth rate - density independent factors - less comp/ability to compete |
| low r max species | - most large mammals - density dependent limiting factors - fewer, larger offspring - larger adults - stable climate - lower (r) - high ability to compete |
| I survivorship curve | - late loss - most individuals survive to old age |
| II survivorship curve | - constant loss - throughout life there is a constant threat of death - the longer individuals lives, the increasingly less likely it will survive |
| III survivorship curve | - early loss - most individuals die before reaching maturity |
| human interaction in biological communities nearly always has the effect of | - simplifying them - reducing species diversity - simplifying complex food webs - extreme fluctuations to changing conditions |
| ecological succession | a more or less orderly process of community change - replacement in the course of time of existing species within a given area, by other species |
| why ecological sucesssion? | the community living in the area alters the area in alters the are in such a way to make it less favorable for themselves and more favorable for another more dominant community |
| primary succession | newly formed land (sand, lava) |
| secondary succession | reestablishment after being disrupted |
| common trends in succession | - species composition changes more rapidly in earlier stages (pioneer species) - net productivity increases later - more inorganic nutrients - height/mass increase - more canapies - more complex food webs - climax community represents "end of road" |
| climax community | - slower changes (more stable) - higher productivity - more biodiversity - higher biomass - food webs = more complex - niches highly specialized |
| pioneer community | - rapid changes - lower productivity - fewer number of different species - less complex food webs |
| species | organisms capable of producing fertile offspring in their natural environment |
| population | all the members of one species living in a general area |
| community | all the populations (combined) living in a general area |
| biotic factors | - species - populations - community |
| abiotic factors | - soil conditions - water - sunlight - temperature - wind |
| ecosystem | the interaction between the community and its physical surroundings - can also be thought of as distinct biotic communities such as: wetlands, marshes, and ponds |
| biomes | similar or related ecosystems |
| ecotones | transitional areas between biomes |
| biosphere | " mother of all biomes " - the regions on earth where all life exists |
| law of tolerance | the size (#) and distribution of a species is determined by whether it can tolerate all of the abiotic factors in that area |
| zones | arctic temperate tropical temperate arctic |
| biomes | large areas of the world characterized by certain climates (and flora/fauna) which are the result of latitude, topography, and temperature and precipitation |
| tundra | - forms circumglobal band - long cold winters, permafrost - little precip - land generally flat with much wetlands - few trees, mostly mosses, lichens, and grasses - abundant insects, shorebirds, and waterfowl - few species but lots of them |
| taiga | - boreal forests - form circumglobal band south of tundra - dominated by conifers (evergreen trees) - soil thaws in summer, more precip - more species than tundra |
| deciduous forests | - varies in location, but generally south of taiga - rainfall abundant - summers long and warm, humid - increased plant and animal species |
| tropical rainforests | - rainfall extremely abundant - most complex communities on earth (w/ coral reefs) - enormous species diversity - many canopy layers - slash and burn farming |
| grasslands | - large areas in temperate and tropic zones - low precip - warm/cold season - uneven seasonal precip - large herbivores are numerous |
| deserts | - large areas, often north of tropic of cancer or just south of tripic of capricorn - less than 10 inches of annual precip - extreme daily fluctuations in temp - animals active at night |
| altitudinal biomes | biomes that are the result of differing altitudes, higher altitudes, correspond to higher latitudes |
| aquatic ecosystems | communities which are in shallower, warmer waters - more diverse than those in deeper and colder waters |
| arrows in food webs show | transfer of energy |
| niche | ecological role a species plays in a community |
| trophic levels | only 10% of the energy in one trophic level is passed onto the preceeding trophic level |
| loss of energy is due to | - inability to eat it all - inability to digest it all - some is used for respiration - 90% is lost as heat |
| gross primary productivity | only .001 of sun's energy is captures and converted into photosynthetic products (total amount) |
| net primary productivity | what is available after plant's respiration (whats leftover) |
| decomposers | bacteria, fungi, detritus feeders |
| producers | green plants |
| primary consumers | herbivores |
| secondary consumers | carnivores |
| biomass | number of individuals |
| biogeochemical cycles | how elements are recycled in the environment |
| fixation | ingorganic-->organic molecules |
| atoms that existed billions of years ago are the same now | true |
| carbon cycle | 1. free CO2 -----> phototsynthesizes 2. glucose-----> cellular respiration back to CO2 ----> old plants in soil compacted to oil then used as fossil fuels and cumbusted to CO2 |
| where do fossil fuels come from? | old plants that were compacted for millions of years that were turned into oil, then refined into fossil fuels |
| how is human activity altering the carbon cycle? | we are increasing the % of CO2 by burning more fossil fuels |
| 4 organic molecules that contain carbon | - carbohydrates - proteins - lipids - nucleic acids |
| how do humans get C in body? | eating it |
| nitrogen cycle | 1. N2 ----> nitrogen fixation 2. N containing compounds used by plants: conversion to plant proteins -----> animals consume the plants 3. organic nitrogen in soil from animal excretion and decomposers ------> denitrification 3. back to N2 |
| bacteria are key players in the nitrogen cycle because | they convert N2 into NO3- and NO2- |
| phosphorus cycle | 1. rocks (P) ----> erosion (fertilizers) 2. plants absorb phosphorus through roots 3. animals eat plants containing P ---> dead plant/animal decay 4. back to #2 |
| phosphurus is needed for | - DNA - ATP - phospholipids |
| N is needed for | - DNA/RNA - animo acids (proteins) |
| global warming | problem: CO2 builds up in lower atmosphere and traps heat escaping off earth effect: gradual warming of earth causes: burning fossil fuels |
| ozone depletion | problem: a depletion of protective O3 layer around earth effects: an increase in harmful UV waves in sunlight reaching surface of earth (increased cancer, mutations) causes: release of CFC's a chemical used in refrigerante and making plastic foam |
| acid rain | problem: depletes soil of nutrient cations effects: loss of soil fertility and increase in toxicity causes: emission of sulfur dioxide from factories |
| premature eutrophication | problem: too much P and N released into water = algae blooms---> bacteria explosion ---> dissolved O2 in water is depleted ---> dead fish |
| biological magnification | problem: fat soluble toxics released into environment become concentrated in fatty tissue of organism at top of food chain effects: high conc. causes reproductive problems causes: use of biologically stable pesticides DDT |
| cold water can hold more O2 why? | because hot molecules move faster, so fish who need the most O2 live at the bottom of bodies of water where the water is colder |
| why is bacteria so important in the N cycle? | The bacteria get energy through photosynthesis and, in return, they fix nitrogen into a form the plant needs. |
| why is O2 important in aquatic systems? | essential for the survival of fish and other aquatic organisms. When dissolved oxygen becomes too low, fish and other aquatic organisms cannot survive. |
| two main environmental factors that influence biomes | average temp / average precip. |
| large part of the soviet union are covered in confierous forests. these regions are cold in winter and warm in summer. this biome is known as | taiga |
| climax formation of much of the state of kansas is | grassland |
| the dominant trees of the taiga are birch and maple | false |
| vermont is | the temperate deciduous biome |
| the ecosystems most associated w/ great diversity are | tropical rainforests and coral reefs |
| order to cross different biomes | tropical rain forest, deciduous forest, taiga, tundra |
| global ecosystem | biosphere |
| all organisms in a given place at a given time | community |
| functional role of an organism in its community | ecological niche |
| progressive change in the plant/animal life in an area | succession |
| intrinsic growth rate of a pop. | r |
| major determiner of pop. density | mortality rate |
| carrying capacity | K |
| group of individuals belonging to the same species | population |
| stable stage of succession | climax community |
| density-dependent limitation on pop. growth | competition |
| sum total of the physical features and organisms in a given area | ecosystem |
| a population with more offspring per generation will _____ have a faster r than a similar pop w/ fewer offspring per generation | often (not always) |
| predations is a | density depended limiting factor |
| two sympatric species ___ occupy the same niche | cannot |
| interspecific competition could result in | extinction of the inferior species |
| energy utilization is usually _____ efficient in a climax community | more |
| human intervention generally makes communities | less complex |
| the pyramid of productivity hold true for all populations | true |
| the pyramid of numbers hold true for all populations | false - many |
| most flowering plants us nitrate in preference to ammonia as their source of nitrogen | true |
| carnivores are most likely to have high concentrations of DDT in their tissues than comparable herbivores in the same ecosystem | true |
| a temperate deciduous forest usually has more plants than a taiga forest | true |
| a deciduous forest is____ productive than a tropical rain forest | less |
| almost no producers are found in the benthic division in the aphotic zone of the ocean. | true |
| of the five elements that are the most important constituents of living things, the only one that requires the action of microorganisms to enter the living system is | nitrogen |
| combustion of fossil fuels most directly affects the | carbon cycle |
| important processes of the water cycle include all of the following except | rock weathering |
| nitrogen fixation | nitrogen is fixed by both free-living and symbiotic bacteria |
| biological magnification is | the concentration of stable, nonexcretable chemicals in organisms at higher trophic levels |
| DDT has been more of a problem in predatory birds because | biological magnification concentrates DDT in higher trophic levels |
| the cycle most important for modifying temp fluctuation | water cycle |
| fertilizer runoff interfere profoundly with the | nitrogen and phosphorus cycle |
| the pollutant that contributes most to acid rain is | sulfur dioxide |
| the cycle with a major reservoir in rock is the | phosphorus cycle |
| the step in the nitrogen cycle that provides the N source most useful to most flowering plants is the formation of | nitrate ions (NO3-) |
| water, oxygen, and minerals are most available to plants growing in soils that are called | loams |
| soil fertility can be destroyed by | - cutting down forests - acid rain - overgrazing - over-irrigation |
| distribution of life on the earth is determined by | - altitude - latitude - geological history |
| the concept. of continental drift says | north america and europe were connected throughout much of their geologic history |
Created by:
tpolinsky24
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