BIOL 3410 Exam 3 Review

Ecology

The scientific study of the abundance and distribution of organisms in relation to other organisms and environmental conditions.

Habitat

The place, or physical setting, in which an organism lives.

Potential niche

The range of abiotic and biotic conditions that an organism can tolerate.

Realized niche

The range of abiotic and biotic conditions that an organism actually occupies.

Distribution

The geographic area where individuals of a species are present.

Abundance

The total number of individuals in a population that exists within a defined area.

Conservation of energy

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but rather changes form.

Conservation of mass

Mass cannot be created or destroyed, but rather changes form.

Biotic factors

Living factors of an environment, including organisms and their interactions.

Abiotic factors

Non-living factors of an environment, such as climate, soil, and water availability.

Hierarchy of Ecological Organization

The levels of ecological organization, including Individual, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Landscape, and Biosphere.

Predation

An interaction where one organism (predator) kills and eats another (prey).

Herbivore

Organisms that consume producers (plants).

Parasite

An organism that lives in or on a host organism and obtains nutrients at the host's expense.

Climate

The long-term average of weather in a specific area.

Weather

Short-term variation in light, temperature, wind, humidity, etc.

Albedo

The fraction of solar energy reflected by a surface.

Hadley Cell

A type of atmospheric circulation where hot, moist air rises and cool, dry air sinks.

InterTropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

A region of convergence between trade winds, leading to increased precipitation near the equator.

Milankovitch cycles

Changes in Earth's geometry that influence climate and contribute to glacial and interglacial periods.

Phenotypic plasticity

Variation in phenotype from the same genotype as a response to environmental conditions.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of a nearly constant internal environment within a varying external environment.

Carrying capacity (K)

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely.

Exponential Growth Model

A model of population growth where the population increases rapidly under ideal conditions.

Logistical Growth Model

A model of population growth that incorporates carrying capacity, where growth slows as the population approaches K.

Net Primary Production (NPP)

The net carbon gain by photosynthesis after accounting for plant respiration.

Trophic Efficiency

The overall efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels, typically around 10%.

Keystone species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its biomass.

Autotrophic respiration

Respiration by plants that convert organic matter into energy.

Heterotrophic respiration

Respiration by organisms other than plants that rely on consuming organic matter.

Decomposition

The physical and chemical breakdown of detritus, crucial for nutrient cycling in ecosystems.