Ap Bio Ecology Chapters 51-56

Ecology

the study of the interactions of organisms with their environment

biosphere

the global ecosystem, the sum of all the planets ecosystems. It is the most complex level of organization.

ecosystem

the second level of organization of ecology. living and non-living components in an area.

biotic components

living things in an ecosystem like plants and animals

abiotic components

the non-living components of an ecosystem such as temperature energy, gases, water, nutrients, chemicals, rocks, and soil.

community

the third level of organization in ecology. all the organisms of different species that live in an area

habitat

an environmental area in which organisms live. they include communities of organisms. abiotic factors also makeup it up such as rivers, likes, oxygen, temp

population

the fourth level of organization in ecology. an interbreeding group of individuals belonging to the same species and living in a particular geographic area.

organism

the lowest level of organization in ecology. a individual living thing, such as a plant, animal, bacteria, fungus etc.

biome

a specific ecosystem, largely determined by climate, vegetation, and the organism that live there.

lakes

a type of aquatic biomes. standing bodies of water of varying sizes. vary in nutrient and oxygen concentration as well as salinity.

wetlands

a type of aquatic biomes. areas covered with water at least long enough to support aquatic plants. low in oxygen and rich in organic matter that helps filter pollutants. high rates of photosynthesis.

estuaries

a type of aquatic biomes. a transition area between a river and the sea. salt and freshwater mix, and are home to algae, grasses, invertebrates, and birds.

intertidal zone

a type of aquatic biomes. periodically submerged and exposed by the tides, usually twice daily.

oceanic pelagic biome

a type of aquatic biomes. a vast realm of open blue water. oxygen levels are high, nutrients levels are low. this biome covers 70% of Earth.

marine benthic zone

a type of aquatic biomes. the seafloor, from shallow to abyssal. the deeper you go the less sunlight and oxygen is available while pressure increases. hydrothermal vents made by volcanoes are found here.

photic zones

areas in bodies of water where there is enough sunlight for photosynthesis.

aphotic zones

areas where little light penetrates in aquatic biomes

benthic zone

at the bottom of all aquatic biomes, the substrate (sand and sediment)

terrestrial biomes

a type of biome. characterized by weather, plants, and animals living in a certain area.

tropical forests

a type of terrestrial biomes. occur in equatorial areas where the temperature is warm and days are 11-12 hours long year-round they are one of the most complex biomes with a huge diversity of species.

deserts

a type of terrestrial biomes. the driest of all biomes with low and unpredictable rainfall, high temperatures, and dry air.

temperature deciduous forests

a type of terrestrial biomes. forests with deciduous trees, cold winters and hot summers

coniferous forests

a type of terrestrial biomes. characterized by cone-bearing evergreen trees. the largest biome on earth aka taiga

the tundra

a type of terrestrial biomes. between the taiga and permanently frozen polar regions. treeless, but has permafrost: permanently frozen subsoil

canopy

is the upper layer of trees/leaves in a forest

litter layer

is another word for forest floor

biodiversity

the sum total of different kinds of organisms

diversity of genes

one component of biodiversity. (genetic variation: crossing over, independent assortment, sexual reproduction, mutations.)

diversi of species

the second component of biodiversity.

variety of ecosystems

third component of biodiversity.

nutrient cycle

nutrients and materials must be recycled between organisms and abiotic reservoirs. there are 4 main abiotic reservoirs: water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus

the water cycle

one of the nutrient cycles. is driven by heat from the sun. water cycles through precipitation, evaporation, transpiration

the carbon cycle

one of the nutrient cycles. is used by photosynthesis and produced by cell respiration. the ones from the atmosphere is turned into organic compounds like glucose by plants that do photosynthesis. decompositions adds it to the soil. fossil fuels created by mineralization in the ground.

the nitrogen cycle

exists int he atmosphere as N2 but that cannot be used by plants and animals. it must be converted to ammonia and nitrates by bacteria. the most useable version of it is stored in the soil.

nitrogen fixation

a part of the nitrogen cycle. nitrogen gas into ammonium

nitrification

a part of the nitrogen cycle. ammonium to nitrites and then nitrates

assimilation

a part of the nitrogen cycle. uptake of nitrogen by plants

ammonification

a part of the nitrogen cycle. turning decomposed material back into ammonium.

denitrification

a part of the nitrogen cycle. returning nitrogen back into the atmosphere.

the phosphorus cycle

one of the nutrient cycles. depends on weathering of rock, and adding minerals to the soil. plants need it to grow. consumers get it by eating plants. it is needed for DNA, ATP, and phospholipids.

population ecology

studies the changes in population size and the factors that regulate populations overtime

dispersion pattern

refers to the way individuals are spaced within their area

clumped

a type of dispersion pattern. individuals live in small groups or patches throughout the area. this is the most common pattern in nature

uniform

a type of dispersion pattern. even pattern dispersion resulting from interactions and competitions between organisms.

random

a type of dispersion pattern. patternless, unpredictable dispersion of organisms.

exponential growth

fives an idealized picture of unregulated growth of a population. it is an unrealistic j shaped curve

population limiting factors

food, water, breeding area, hunting, competition, birth, death

logistic Growth Models

show population growth when you take into account limiting factors. they are s-shaped and more realistic. they level off at carrying capacity.

carrying capacity

maximum population size. not a set number. will change from year to year, season to season, species to species, etc. depends on population number and resources. growth rate is 0 because birth=death and immigration=emigration

Density-dependent limiting factors

limiting factors that depend on population size. only limiting when population density reaches a certain level. affect large/dense populations more than small/scattered populations.

competition

a density-dependent factor. if a population is crowded, organisms compete for food, space, light, water, etc. more individuals=faster resources are used.

parasitism and disease

a density-dependent factor. spread faster in a large/dense population. can weaken individuals (reduces reproduction) or increase death rate.

density independent factors

affect all populations in similar ways regardless of population density. ex: weather, natural disasters, human activities. usually causes crashes in population density.

survivorship curve 1

low death rates in early and middle life. increase with age (people, large mammals)

survivorship curve 2

death rate is constant regardless of age (rodents, lizards, plants)

survivorship curve 3

high death rates for young, but then declining if they survive their youth (oysters, fish, insects)

r-selection

species in which a high reproductive rate is the chief determinant of their lives. ex. weeds and insects.

k-selection

species that live lives in order to produce relatively few offspring that have a good chance of survival. ex. mammals, people, birds

population stability

is reached when there is zero population growth, when birth rates = death rates

age structure

affects how slowly or quickly the population grows. it shows how many people of each age living in a country

keystone species

a species (not necessarily abundant) that exerts strong control on the community structure

dominant species

the species that are most abundant (have the most biomass)

niche

the position or function of an organism in a community

competitive exclusion principle

no two species can occupy the same niche at the same place at the same time

disturbance

an event that changes a community

succession

things grow back from small to big

primary succession

no soil is left behind after a disturbance (a glacier or volcano)

secondary succession

soil is left behind (fire, farming)

cryptic coloration

is camouflage where animals blend into their surroundings

aposematic coloration

when animals that are toxic/poisonous are brightly colored (ex. dendrobates frogs)

batesian mimicry

when a harmless species mimics a dangerous one (moths that look like snakes)

symbiosis

two species live in close association with one another. one must benefit from the relationship

mutualism

a type of symbiosis both organisms benefit = +/+

commensalism

a type of symbiosis one organism benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed = +/0

parasitism

a type of symbiosis one member benefits while the other is harmed = +/-

producer level

energy level starts here. make food. they are also autotrophs, and typically include plants

primary consumers (herbivores)

the second level of energy flow

secondary consumers (carnivores)

the third level of energy flow

tertiary

the fourth level of energy flow

quaternanry consumers

the 5th level of energy flow

consumers

eat things, they are heterotrophs

energy pyramids

a type of ecological pyramid. represents the amount of energy at each trophic level. only 10% of the energy in one trophic level is passed on to the next energy rule of 10%

biomass pyramid

represents the amount of living tissue (biomass) at each trophic level. the amount of food available.

pyramid of numbers

represents the number of individuals at each trophic level. shape not always a pyramid

innate behavior

behaviors due to genetic programming ex. kinesis and taxis

learned behavior

the modification of behavior resulting from specific experiences ex. alarm call of vervet monkeys

kinesis

a type of innate behavior. a change in activity due to a stimulus

taxis

a type of innate behavior an automatic movement towards or away from a stimulus

associative learning

the ability of many animals to learn to associate one stimulus with another

classical conditioning

is a type of associative learning

operant conditioning

trial and error learning. an animal learns to associate of its own behaviors with a reward or punishment

habituation

a loss of responsiveness to unimportant stimuli or stimuli that do not provide appropriate feedback

imprinting

animals learn a behavior through watching others during a particular stage in life

pheromones

are chemical substances that animals use to communicate (usually related to reproduction)

altruism

is when an animal behaves in a way that reduces its individual fitness but benefits other individuals in a population

promiscuous

no strong bond pairs between males and females

monogamous

one male mating with one female

polygamous

an indivudal of one sexmating with several of the other sex

polygyny

a specific example of polygamy, where a single male mates with many females