Ecology Study Cards 23

what type of growth do all populations experience when plenty of food and space is available?

exponential

what is it called when a population reaches a max number of individuals the environment can sustain?

carrying capacity

why is it unlikely to have more than 5 levels in the food chain?

90% energy is lost from each tropic level

A slug and fungus grow on the same side of a dead tree. The slug eats algae, while the fungus eats decaying nutrients from the tree. Do these species have the same habitat?

yes

What is a beetle that eats plant material called in a food chain?

primary consumer

list 5 tropic levels of a typical food web

producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer, decomposer

an example of a mutualistic relationship

cleaner fish & moray eel

describe a producer

an organisms that can obtain energy directly from a non-living/abiotic source in an ecosystem

true or false: biodiversity increases the survival of a population that encounters an environmental change

true

list 3 abiotic factors that must be available within an environment in order for plants to grow?

soil, sunlight, water, nutrients in soil

which density-independent factor most commonly limits population growth?

natural disaster, climate change

a slug and fungus grow on the same side of a dead tree. The slug eats algae, while the fungus eats decaying nutrients from the tree. Do these species have the same niche?

no

provide an example of interspecies competition

wolf and bear competing for elk or birds and squirrels competing for nesting sites. Competition between organisms off diff. species

what is the ultimate source of energy for an ecosystem

sunlight

what is the difference between a niche and a habitat

niche- organisms 'role' in environment

habitat- the place where an organism lives

what type of organism is not native to an ecosystem and causes harm to local environment and species

invasive species

what type of population growth is typical in real-life populations?

logistic growth

organisms moving INTO an occupied area is termed?

immigration

organisms moving OUT of an area where the population is located is termed?

emigration

what is an ecosystem considered an open system in regards to energy?

light/energy/heat flows through the ecosystem in one direction... does NOT recycle

what is the speed at which a population increases in size termed?

growth rate

why is an ecosystem considered a closed system in regards to matter?

it is a closed system for materials moving from producers to consumers. Matter is recycled in an ecosystem

What type of population growth is not common in the real world?

exponential growth

how do human get the usable nitrogen needed to make necessary proteins?

consuming plants and animal tissues

describe carrying capacity

the maximum population size that a particular environment can sustain

how will a predator-prey population study graph look?

the predator population with always lag behind the prey population, prey population will experience 'exponential' growth when predators are few, and predators will experience 'exponential' growth when prey are high in number

\________ two species that live together in a prolonged relationship that benefits at least one species

symbiosis

\______ population growth of slows or stops due to a limiting factor

logistic growth

if primary producers produce 5000 energy units, how much energy is available for secondary consumers?

50 energy units

how did the reintroduction of Yellowstone wolves change the rivers?

wolves preyed on deer/pronghorn that reduce the consumption of shrubs and trees along river edges and strengthened soil to reduce river erosion

order the levels of ecological organization from smallest to largest

organism/species, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere

name 3 types of density dependent limiting factors

increased transmission of disease, increased predation, limited resources

what assumptions 3 must be made to simulate the process of exponential growth?

availability of unlimited resources, no death rate, each population member reproduces

name and describe the 5 types of heterotrophs

herbivores- consumes plant

carnivores- consumes animal tissues

omnivore- consumers plants/animal tissues

detritivores- consumes decaying matter

decomposer- break down organic matter

describe 3 predation defenses

1- coloration- camo and warning

2- batesian mimicry- harmless species mimics the coloration of a harmful species

3- mullerian mimicry- species with the same defense strategy look alike or taste alike

thinking about population size change, how can a species become extinct?

if carrying capacity falls low enough and cannot support even a small population

describe the process of a population experiencing logistic growith

1- starts out with exponential growth

2- resources become less available as the population grows

3- growth rate levels off and hits carrying compacity

name 3 biotic factors

plants, animals, fungi, bacteria

describe the niche of an Idaho bubblebee

role is to locate pollenating flowers, drink nectar, produce honey, build hive in forest

how does density effect fluctuations in population size

increased density results in density dependent limiting factors

Describe exponential population growth

population doubles in each generation

what does abiotic mean?

Non-living

describe why an invasive species is a problem

EX- Burmese python has no natural predators in the Florida area and can reproduce unchecked, consumes local species and disrupts food webs

Why is the term "pyramid" not always correct for what occurs in a food web?

a forest may only have a few large producers and main consumers/birds...the bottom level of a numbers pyramid would be smaller than the next level

If only 10% of energy is available for the next trophic level, where does the other 90% of energy go?

used for reproduction, growth, heat from movement

How does density effect fluctuations in population size?

increased density results in density dependent limiting factors

Thinking about population size change, how can a species become extinct?

if carrying capacity falls low enough and cannot support even a small population

Name three types of density dependent limiting factors

increased disease transmission, increased predation, limited resources

Name three types of ecological pyramids

biomass, numbers, energy

What assumption (3) must be made to simulate the process of exponential growth?

availability of unlimited resources, no death rate, each population member reproduces

How do animals obtain the carbon needed to build new cells?

Consumes plants or other animals

Describe how earth (biosphere) is both and open and closed system?

Open to energy from the sun and closed to matter

Describe the main difference between an autotroph and a heterotroph

autotroph gain energy through non-living resources, heterotrophs gain energy through consumption

Describe a producer

an organism that can obtain energy directly from a non-living/abiotic source in an ecosystem

What is living tissue?

Biomass

Provide a local example of a density independent limiting factor

Oregon/Idaho fires, high snowfall, human industry

All biotic and Abiotic factors in a specific environment is termed?

ecosystem

What does abiotic mean?

non-living factor in the environment

Describe a biological community

several populations living in the same area at the same time

Name two types of primary consumers

photosynthesizes. chemosynthesizers

What kind of growth is is when a populations growth slows or stops dues to a limiting factor?

Logistic Growth

This is where an organism live.

A habitat

Describe the flow of energy.

always in ONE direction

What is the position of an organism in a food chain called?

trophic level

Describe the difference between immigration and emigration

immigration: organisms moving into a a population and increasing the population

emigration: organisms leaving a population, causing a population to decrease.

What is it called when two species live together in a prolonged relationship that benefits at least one species?

symbiosis

How is carrying capacity determined when analyzing a graph?

the area on a line graph the levels off for a long period of time.