BIO 2207- Ecology & Environmental Biology

These flashcards cover the fundamental definitions, components, and interactions within ecology as presented in the BIO 2207 lecture notes.

Ecology

The study of the patterns of interactions between organisms and their environments, examining population structure and biotic and abiotic interactions.

Haeckel

The individual who coined the term "ecology" in 1866.

Population structure

A concept that includes species richness, diversity, density, abundance, and distribution.

Biotic interactions

Interactions between organisms that include interspecific competition, intraspecific competition, symbiosis, disease, and predation.

Abiotic interactions

Interactions between organisms and non-living factors including space, sunlight, water availability, temperature, humidity, and elevation.

Fundamental Niche

The theoretical range different species have in response to their environment.

Realized Niche

The actual range a species occupies, which is dependent on its ability to disperse onto a site and its competitive ability to establish, survive, and reproduce.

Population

Organisms of a given species that occur together; they can grow, decline, or face extinction based on environmental factors.

Community

Assemblages of species that have similar responses to their environment and are typically found together.

Resource partitioning

The differential use of resources within a community that allows multiple species to coexist.

Positive interactions (Facilitation)

Interactions where one or both organisms gain, such as mutualism ($+ \text{/}+$) or commensalism ($+ \text{/}0$).

Negative interactions

Interactions where an organism is harmed, such as interspecific competition ($+ \text{/}-$), intraspecific competition ($+ \text{/}-$), and parasitism ($+ \text{/}-$).

Ecosystem

An integrated system made up of all the organisms present on a site along with the physical environment.

Carbon

The energy currency of almost all ecosystems.

Primary producers (autotrophs)

Organisms that obtain energy from the non-living environment and convert it into a biologically useful form (carbohydrates), usually via photosynthesis.

Heterotrophs

Organisms (consumers or decomposers) that obtain energy by eating primary producers, other heterotrophs, or decomposing dead organic matter.

Biomass

The form in which ecosystems store a large quantity of energy and nutrients, specifically in plants and soil organic matter.

Flux

The constant state of change in ecosystems due to shifts in abiotic factors, disturbances, arrival or extinction of species, or evolution.

Ecological succession

The directional change in community structure following a natural disturbance.