biol 122 exam 4

ecosystem provide

market and monetary worth and nonmarket values

market values

raw materials, wetlands filter runoff and treat waste, controlling erosion, recreation

nonmarket values

scientific research, cultural value, teaching and learning sources, intrinsic values

organism ecology

how organisms are adapting to environment through physiological and behavior

population ecology

concerned with population size, growth and density

community ecology

focus on interaction among species

ecosystem ecology

concerned with questions of energy flow and chemical cycling

ecology of biosphere

can study the influence of energy and matter on organism across the biosphere

the biosphere includes both

biotic and abiotic factors

biotic factors

living organisms

abiotic factors

nonliving components

water availability, rocks, minerals, temperature, fire, wind, currents (in oceans)

the most important abiotic factor is

energy

most ecosystem on earth are powered by

solar energy via sunlight

some powered by chemicals

inorganic nutrients can impact

plant growth

ex: nitrogen and phosphorous

the field of ecology and evolutionary biology are

intertwined

population response to

biotic factors and abiotic factors

population respond to environmental condition through

physiological, anatomical and behavioral response

physiological responses

functions of body components

sweating in response to heat, increase red cells at high elevation

anatomical responses

adjusting shape or structure of body

many mammals grow seasonal coat when hibernate, plants orient themselves towards light

behavioral responses

altering behavior in responses to environment

taking a bath when its hot

survivorship curve

predict population vary in density dispersion and age structure

population density

number of members of species per unit area or volume of the habitat

dispersion patterns

how members are spaces in habitat

clumped- like school of fish

uniformed- penguins

random-no proper pattern

population age structure can inform future

population size

current human population growth is affected by birth rates

15-30 years ago, since that’s when today child bearer was born

used to predict future population growth

survivorship

chance individual of population will live to certain age

the survivorship curve has __ curves

describe

3

type 1- high risk at old age

type 2- any age likely to die

type 3- high risk at young age

growth models can predict changes in

population size

exponential population growth

each new generation is a multiple of population growth

unlimited resources, no predators or disease

fast population growth

rabbits

most cannot sustain population growth indefinitely

limiting factors

environmental constrains to population growth

carrying capacity

max population size that can survive in environment

logistic growth model

has limiting factors

population grow rapidly until reach carrying capacity them level out (population size stays constant)

birth rate and death rate is the same

density dependent factors

limit population based on density of a population

disease, competition

density independent factors

factors unrelated to density of a population

weather, environmental disturbances

unlike other population, ______ are growing exponentially

humans

niche

how an organism uses resources

interspecific interaction

competition

two or more species rely on similar resources

competitive exclusion principle

if resources required by two species are too similar they cant coexist

mutualism

interaction between species that benefits both species

symbiotic

living in close physical association w one another but not all symbiotic relationships are mutual

predation

interaction which predator species kills and eat another

herbivore

eating of plant parts by another species

parasite

lives on or in a host but does not kill it but obtains nutrients

pathogens

disease causing microorganisms

trophic structure

describes the feeding relationship within community. also describes how energy transferred

food chains and food webs

describe transfer of organism materials from one tropic level to the next

producers→ primary consumer→ secondary consumer→ tertiary consumer→ quaternary consumer

primary producer

covert solar energy to chemical energy via photosynthesis

primary consumer

herbivores eat primary consumers

secondary consumers

carnivores eat primary consumers

tertiary consumers

top level predators

less energy is available at each transfer

decomposers

organism that breaks down nonliving matter

death at any level sends energy

food web

interconnection of multiple food chains

hypothetical forest community

toxins can accumulate in _____levels

higher

biological magnification

tendency of toxins to become concentrated as they pass through the food chain

species diversity includec

species richness and relative abundance

species richness

same number of species

relative abundance

faction accounted for by each species differs between the two communities

keysone species

species that has disproportionate large effect on environment relative to it abundance

(Yellowstone)

wolves decline→ elk population grow→ eat all food-bevers didn’t have trees→ organism dependent on bearer dames disappeared→ fox population grew bc wolves weren’t hunting them/

reintroducing wolves returned the environment

communities are rarely ____

static

primary succession

area has been rendered virtually lifeless with no soil

secondary succession

disturbance kills most of life bur leaves the soil intact

after disturbance an area reoccupied by series of species this process is called? (takes a long time)

ecological succession

invasive species

organisms introduce in community that is not native. often spread rapidly

invasive species are now a leader cause of __________ of local populations

extinction

Caulerpa taxifolia

invasive species

algae

release into mediterranean

spread through fragmentation

poisonous to many organisms

fast growing

current solution is pumping bleach into species

biological control

intentional release of natural enemy of invasive species

control species must be carefully studied

integrate pest management

uses biological control, pest-resistant crop variety, judicious use of chemicals, release of sterile pest, and other biological and behavioral changes

biodiversity

general term of variety of living things on earth

genetic biodiversity

refers to the collection of genes within a population

severely reducing genetic variation makes population less able to adapt to changing populations

ex: virtually all potatoes in the country were genetically identical, the Irish potato famine causes crop failure

species biodiversity

refer to the number of different species

extinction is the irreversible loss of all populations of a species

estimate that at the current rate half of all living species will be extinct… (unfinished)

extinction debt

delayed species extinctions expected as a consequence of ecosystem perturbation

ecosystem biodiversity

variety of ecosystem found on earth

degradation of ecosystem threatens ecosystems, benefits that ecosystem provides to people such as, waste decomposition, water cycling, nutrients cycling, food production

cause of biodiversity loss

habitat destruction (agriculture, forestry, mining, dam construction)

invasive species (no natural predators)

overharvesting (harvesting species faster than can naturally replenish. ex-hunting)

pollution (air, water, sound)

global climate change

impacts biodiversity at both local and global scales

ex- change in rainfall, disruptions of seasonal pattern, rising temperatures, ocean acidification,

water cycle

perception and evaporation and transpiration

thermohaline circulation

cold water melts from glaciers in north Atlantic

water sinks down and away

make currents throughout oceans

currents carry nutrients and water

biomes

different types of ecological

depends on temperature and rainfall

polar ice

tundares

deserts

low rainfall

both hot and cold