Integrated Notes on Ecology and Community Dynamics

These flashcards cover key concepts, definitions, and vocabulary relevant to ecology and community dynamics.

Ecology

The scientific study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment.

Hierarchy of Biological Organization

A system of biological organization from biosphere to individual organism.

Biotic Factors

Living components of an ecosystem such as bacteria, plants, and predators.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living elements of an ecosystem, including temperature, sunlight, and chemistry.

Nutrient Cycles

Key elemental pathways involving carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur, essential for ecosystem functioning.

Trophic Relationships

Describe energy flow through food chains, food webs, and trophic cascades.

Community Roles

Various roles species play in ecosystems, including focal, indicator, keystone, umbrella, and ecosystem engineer.

Predation

One species consumes another, benefiting the predator and harming the prey.

Mutualism

A type of interaction where both species benefit from the relationship.

Commensalism

An interaction where one species benefits while the other is unaffected.

Parasitism

An interaction where one organism benefits at the expense of another, typically not killing the host.

Top-down regulation

When predation influences and controls the populations of lower trophic levels.

Bottom-up regulation

Occurs when primary productivity limits the populations of higher trophic levels.

Keystone Species

Species that have a disproportionately large effect on their environment relative to their abundance.

Ecosystem engineers

Species that physically modify their environment, such as beavers.

Trophic Cascades

Disruptions at one trophic level that affect others in the ecosystem.

Water Cycle

Movement of water through different physical states in the environment.

Carbon Cycle

Involves photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition processes.

Nitrogen Cycle

Conversion of gaseous nitrogen into usable forms for living organisms.

Phosphorus Cycle

Movement of phosphorus through rocks, soil, and living organisms.

Sulfur Cycle

Involves processes that affect sulfur in the environment, such as volcanic activity.

Species Diversity

The number of different species in a community.

Species Richness

The count of species in a community.

Species Evenness

The relative abundance of each species within a community.