Introduction to Life, Plant Diversity & Fungal Ecology – Review Flashcards

A comprehensive set of question-and-answer flashcards summarizing key lecture points on life’s characteristics, plant diversity, ecological adaptations, trophic levels, and fungal roles.

What six core characteristics are commonly used to define life?

Cellular organization/evolution, ability to obtain and use energy, growth, reproduction, response to stimuli, and homeostasis.

What is homeostasis in a living organism?

The regulation of internal conditions to remain stable despite changes in the external environment.

How does reproduction differ from growth in living organisms?

Reproduction creates new organisms, while growth increases size or cell number within an existing organism.

How do unicellular organisms achieve growth?

By enlarging and dividing a single cell into identical daughter cells.

What is the primary energy-making process in most plants?

Photosynthesis, which converts light energy into carbohydrate chemical energy.

In ecology, what is a trophic level?

A feeding level that describes an organism’s position in the energy-transfer chain of an ecosystem.

Who are the producers in most ecosystems?

Photosynthetic organisms (e.g., green plants and algae) that convert solar energy into chemical energy.

What is a phototroph?

An organism that captures light energy to power the synthesis of organic compounds.

Differentiate between niche and habitat.

Niche is an organism’s functional role; habitat is the physical place where it lives.

Which structural adaptation helps many plants reduce water loss during drought?

A thick, waxy cuticle on leaves or stems.

What plant movement closes leaves when touched, helping avoid herbivory?

Thigmotropism (a rapid response to mechanical stimulation).

Explain the mutualism between frugivores and plants.

Fruit-eating animals receive nutrition, while plants gain seed dispersal when seeds pass through or are dropped by the animals.

How do bur-type seeds (“stickers”) achieve dispersal?

They attach to animal fur or clothing and are carried to new locations.

What is pollination mutualism?

Animals (e.g., insects, birds) transfer pollen between flowers in exchange for nectar or other rewards, enabling plant reproduction.

List the four major land-plant groups covered in the lecture.

Bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms.

What key feature distinguishes angiosperms from gymnosperms?

Angiosperms produce flowers and fruits that enclose seeds, whereas gymnosperms have “naked” seeds without fruit.

By what reproductive structures do bryophytes (e.g., mosses) propagate?

Spores formed in specialized capsules, with no seeds or true roots.

Give two ecosystem services provided by mosses (bryophytes).

Soil stabilization and nutrient fixation (especially nitrogen), plus toxin indication and seed-bed creation.

What are peatlands and why are they important?

Wetland areas dominated by peat-forming mosses; over geological time, compressed peat can transform into coal.

How do pteridophytes (ferns and allies) reproduce, and what vascular feature do they have?

They reproduce by spores and possess vascular tissues (xylem and phloem).

What is an epiphytic fern?

A fern that grows on another plant for support without parasitizing it.

Provide an example of a plant adapted to extreme drought.

Resurrection plants, which can survive desiccation and revive when water becomes available.

What does fire tolerance/resistance mean in plants?

The ability to survive or quickly regenerate after wildfire, often by storing energy in below-ground structures.

How does Prunella vulgaris defend itself from herbivory?

It produces a tough, unpleasant-tasting waxy coating that deters grazers.

What is the primary ecological role of fungi?

Decomposition of organic matter, recycling nutrients within ecosystems.

Define mycorrhiza.

A mutualistic association between fungal hyphae and plant roots that enhances nutrient and water uptake.

What is a pathogenic fungus? Give one example.

A fungus that causes disease in plants or animals; example: ringworm fungus.

What does it mean that fungi are ubiquitous?

They are found virtually everywhere in the environment.

Describe the temperature preferences of mesophilic, psychrophilic, and thermophilic fungi.

Mesophiles grow best at moderate temperatures (~20-40 °C), psychrophiles prefer cold (

Which gas do fungi release during respiration, contributing to ecosystem gas exchange?

Carbon dioxide (CO₂).