ecology

define ecology

the interaction between organisms and the environment

what are the 6 levels or organization from lowest to highest

niche, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere

define biosphere

all of the area on a given planet that can support life

define biome

an area defined by plant life, which is determined by climate

define ecoystem

all species and abiotic factors (can be as big or small as you want)

define community

all the species in the area

define population

a group of the same species

define niche

all biotic and abiotic resources used by an organism

define abiotic factors and provide 3 examples

non-living component: food, predators, and symbiosis

define biotic factors and provide 3 examples

living components: sun (temp, winds), and water

what are the 2 kind of population growth and describe their shapes using a letter

theoretical: J, actual: S

what is the lag phase

slow population growth when a species is first introduce to an area

what is the log/exponential growth phase

fast population growth: birth rate exceeds death rate

what is the only organism that can have theoretical population growth and why

humans because we can modify the environment to eliminate factors that would keep us at a carrying capacity

what kinda of growth are log phases and log/exponential growth phases in

both - theoretical and actual

what is carrying capacity

when birth rate = death rate - population plateaus due to limited food, space, etc

are the curves of growth graphs raw data or lines of best fit and why

lines of best fit because populations experience periods when they exceed and decrease on population size due to factors like food supply and predator numbers

what are the 2 kinds of reproductive strategies

r strategists and k strategists

what are r strategists and provide an example

boom/bust cycles with numbers of offspring and no parental care: salamanders with eggs

what are k strategists and provide an example

very few offspring that are slow to grow and develop and experience extensive parental care: puppy litters

what are the 6 requirements for a species to be invasive

not native to the area, once in the area population grows fast, well suited to the new environment, incredibly good source of food (no competition), lacks a predators to keep the population in check, causes disruption to natural ecosystem

what are examples of invasive species

burmese python in southern florida, murder hornets in west coast

define mutualism and provide an example

both organisms benefit: clownfish with sea anemonie - protection from predators and cleans

define commensalism and provide an example

one organism benefits, other is indifferent: whale and barnacle - stable habitat and no effect

what is parasitism and provide an example

one organism benefits, other is harmed: cymothoa exigua

what is coevolution and provide 3 examples

creatures evolve together and balance out their changes; if one evolves negatively the other is affected: plant+pollenator, mimicry, camouflage

who will be higher in a graph for predator prey relationship and provide an example

the prey: snowshoe hare and lynx (hare)

fill in the blank: _ react before _, but they have the same general _

prey, predators, curve

what is the rule of 10

only 10 percent of the energy from the lower trophic level is available to the next trophic level (why quaternary consumers do not exist)

what is biological amplification/magnification and provide an example

the opposite of rule of 10 - organisms gain material through food chains: DDT from water, plankton, small fish, big fish, birds

fill in the blank: producers are always _ and consumers are always _

autotrophs, heterotrophs

list the order of a food chain and provide examples for each

primary producer/flower, primary consumer/grasshopper, secondary consumer/mouse, tertiary consumer/snake, quaternary consumer/eagle

what needs to happen for a food chain to shift

a creature is removed; most major effects are from producers and keystone species

define keystone species

an unexpected creature keeping everything in balance

define ecological succession

ordered process of specific change in an environment

define primary succession

occurs in areas with no soil that previously supported living things

define secondary succession

occurs in areas with soil where the community was destroyed by a catastrophe

what are the 4 biomes ordered from lowest water to highest water and provide an example for each (plant+animal)

desert: camel/cactus, savannah: grasses/lion, chaparral: olive tree/coyote, tropical rain forest: fern/snake

what is the most diverse biome and why

tropical rainforest because it is so easy to live in due to easy water access and a good temperature for chemical reactions to occur

what are seasonal climates determined by

difference in how long seasons last

what are the 5 biomes from order of lowest temp and lowest water to highest temp and highest water

polar (ocean producers - biomolecules move from water to land), tundra (affected by permafrost), grasslands (ex: buffalo), taiga (a pine forest that grows in frozen conditions because they make their own antifreeze - ex: moose), deciduous forest (shed leaves in winter - ex: maple trees, raccoons)

define permafrost

permanent layer of ice in the soil - size of defrosted soil determines limit of plant life due to root depth

what is the reservoir of the carbon/oxygen cycle

carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and living things

what is the reservoir for the nitrogen cycle

oxygen in the atmosphere

explain the nitrogen cycle in steps

what is nitrogen needed for

amino groups in amino acids and nitrogenous bases in nucleic acid