Community and Ecosystem Ecology Flashcards

Flashcards about community and ecosystem ecology, covering topics such as definitions, food chains, biodiversity, extinction, and species interactions.

Ecology

The study of the interactions living things have with each other and with their environment.

Population

Individuals of the same species living in a given area.

Community

Populations of different species living in the same place.

Ecosystem

Community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (air, water, soil, etc.), interacting as a system.

Food Chain

Linear flow of energy and matter within an ecosystem (Sun → producers → primary consumers → secondary consumers).

Producers

Photosynthetic organisms.

Primary Consumers

Feed on producers.

Secondary Consumers

Predators that feed on primary consumers.

Decomposers

Feed on dead organisms and put minerals and carbon back into the system.

Food Web

Natural interconnection of food chains.

Trophic Level

Each position on the food chain.

Trophic Pyramid

Represents the flow of energy and matter along a food chain.

Biodiversity

Variety of different types of life found on the Earth.

Extinction

Complete loss of a species.

Primary Causes of Human-Driven Extinction

Loss or degradation of habitat, introduction of non-native species, overexploitation of species, and pollution.

Habitat

The place where a particular species lives and obtains resources for survival.

Habitat Fragmentation

Large natural areas subdivided into smaller areas.

Overexploitation

When the rate of human use of a species outpaces its reproduction.

Pollution

Release of poisons, excess nutrients, and/or other waste products into the environment.

Mutualism

Interaction between two species that benefit each other.

Commensalism

Relationship in which one species benefits and the other is unaffected.

Parasitism

Relationship in which one species benefits (parasite) at the expense of the other (host), which is affected negatively.

Predation

Species that survives by eating another species.

Competition

Occurs when two species require the same resources for life.

Keystone Species

Plays a key role in the food web of an ecosystem and has an unusually strong effect on the community.

Mass Extinctions

Species losses that are global in scale, affecting large numbers of species and are dramatic in impact, likely due to climate fluctuations, change in sea levels, asteroid impact.

Background Extinction Rate

The rate at which species are lost through the normal evolutionary process.

Species Area Curve

Measures the relationship between the size of natural areas and the number of species supported.