Basic Ecology Vocabulary Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, definitions, and figures from the Basic Ecology notes.

Ecology

The scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment.

Oikos

Greek for 'household' or 'place to live' (part of the word ecology).

Logos

Greek for 'study' (part of the word ecology).

Ernst Haeckel

German zoologist who coined the term Ecology in 1869.

Niches

An organism's portion of a habitat; the physical and environmental conditions required by the organism.

Joseph Grinnell

American ecologist who defined niche focusing on environmental factors that determine where a species can survive (1917).

Habitat

The 'home address' or place where an organism lives.

Niche

The job/role of an organism within its habitat.

G. Evelyn Hutchinson

Ecologist who proposed the multi-dimensional N-dimensional hypervolume model of the niche.

N-dimensional hypervolume

A conceptual space where each dimension is an environmental variable; the combination defines a species’ niche.

Fundamental niche (FN)

The full range of environmental conditions under which a species can survive and reproduce.

Realized niche (RN)

The range of conditions actually used by a species after accounting for interactions with other species.

Niche breadth

The diversity of resources used or environments tolerated by a species.

Specialist

Species with a narrow niche (specialized requirements).

Generalist

Species with a broad niche (tolerant of a wide range of conditions).

Competitive Exclusion Principle

Two species cannot coexist if they occupy exactly the same niche.

Resource partitioning

Evolution of distinct niches by overlap between species; leads to occupying different resources, foods, or times.

Autecology

Study of a single species in relation to its environment.

Synecology

Study of groups/communities of organisms in relation to the environment.

Biomе

A large ecological unit; a major community type shaped by climate (e.g., tundra, taiga, deciduous forest, grasslands, desert).

Victor Shelford

helped define biomes and described major biomes (tundra, taiga, deciduous forest, grasslands, desert).

Biomes (Shelford’s concept)

Distinct biological communities shaped by climate and precipitation.

Trophic-dynamic concept

Idea that energy is lost as it moves up trophic levels.

Ray Lindeman

Ecologist who introduced the trophic-dynamic concept (energy transfer in ecosystems).

Carrying capacity (K)

The maximum population size an environment can sustain indefinitely.

Exponential growth

A rapid, unlimited population increase without immediate resource limits.

Logistic growth

Population growth that leveling off as it approaches carrying capacity.

Thomas Malthus

Proposed that population tends to grow until limited by resources.

Carl Ludwig Willdenow

proposed that similar climates have similar flora.

Alexander von Humboldt

Proposed that temperature and moisture control global plant distribution.

Eugenius Warming

Founder of plant ecology; described how soil, climate, and water shape plant communities.

Frederic Edward Clements

Studied plant succession; coined the term Biome (1916) and studied ecological organization.

Victor Shelford

Helped define biomes and their major types (tundra, taiga, deciduous forest, grasslands, desert).

Ecology Movement (1960s)

Era of heightened environmental activism; Earth Day first held April 22, 1970.

Population size

The number of individuals in a population.

Population ecology

Subdiscipline focusing on populations of species and their dynamics.

Habitat vs. Niche distinction

Habitat is where an organism lives; niche is its role/function and requirements within that habitat.

Biotic vs. Abiotic

Biotic factors are living components; abiotic factors are non-living physical/chemical factors.

Autecology vs. Synecology (summary)

Autecology studies individuals/species; Synecology studies communities and ecosystems.

Ecology (history)

Field traced from ancient ideas of balance of nature to modern science, with key contributors like Haeckel, Warming, Clements, Shelford.

Limiting Factors

Growth is limited by the scarcest resource

How much light is reflected vs absorbed

½ is absorbed by land & water, 1/3 is reflected by clouds and aerosols, 1/5 is absorbed by ozone, clouds and water vapor.

Albedo

The amount of solar radiation that a surface reflects

How much light does snow reflect

high up to 90%

How much light does soil and the tropics reflect

low ~5-10% dark soil and ~20-30% tropics

Chlorophyll a light absorption peaks

440, 670nm

Chlorophyll b light absorption peaks

480, 640nm

Carotenoid light absorption peaks

450-520nm

How much light can forest canopies block

99.75% of sunlight

Compensation Levels

The level at which the rate of photosynthesis = rate of respiration

What can plants do to combat low light

Increase accessory pigments

Orient chloroplasts perpendicular to the light

Grow larger thinner leaves

Orient leaves perpendicular to the light

Produce leaves earlier

What happens when a plant absorbs too much light

Induce photoinhibition which reduces photosynthetic capacity

How much sunlight is lost in water

Saltwater 50% at 1.5m

Freshwater 50% at ~3m

Angle of incidence

Angle at which sunlight strikes a surface

What does the angle of incidence create

seasons

What are photoperiods

Length of the day over 24hrs that affect plant dormancy, bud formation, and flowering and also changes throughout the year

Causes of temperature variation

Solar radiation

time of day/season

latitude and altitude

Cloud cover and weather patterns

vegetation cover

How does the temperature of soil vary daily

Surface soil is quickly heated during the day and cools at night

Variation in temperature is most extreme in the top few centimeters

Under 20-30cm variation is minimal

How does soil temperature vary yearly

Soil responds to seasonal changes

Delayed response in deeper soil levels (thermal lag)

Depths +~1m are relatively stable temperatures year round

what do the changes in soil temp influence

Seed germination, root growth, microbial activity, irrigation timing, fertilizer efficiency, crop planning

How does soil type affect temperature

fine soils are tightly packed and retain heat better

coarse soils have larger particles allowing gaps which reduces heat retention

Slope Exposure

the direction a slope faces affects how much sun it gets

South more sun less moist

North less sun

Latitude

influences the intensity and duration of sunlight

Facing

direction a surface or structure is oriented

Plant heat balancing methods

Albedo

Reraditaion

Thin Leaves

Convection

Lobed Leaves

Evapotranspiration

Wilting

Leaning

White Spines

Low compensation point

Sets Northern and high elevation limits

High compensation point

Sets southern limits and low elevation limits

Can high latitude plants survive farther south if at a higher elevation?

Yes

What is the rate that air cools as elevation increases

.6C every 100m

3.3F every 1000”

How can plants keep their internal temperatures ideal in the long term

Evolve adaptation

Acclimation (not heritable)

Cyclic temperature events

Dormancy

Germination

What do seeds require to trigger germination

Cold exposure(sometimes)

Temperature and moisture

Extracellular freezing

waters drawn out and freezes between the cells. Cells die from dehydration

Intracellular freezing

Ice forms inside cells puncturing membranes and disrupting organelles.

What if a plant cant absorb more water than its losing

tugor pressure drops

photosynthesis slows or stops

Girdling

a disruption in water and nutrient flow in trees due to extreme heat presents as a ring on tree bark

What can animals do to manage heat

Sunning

Hibernation

Color

Fur

Blubber

Concurrent heat exchangers

Warn blood from the body core flows past cold blood returning from the limbs in closely aligned blood vessels

Bergmann’s rule

Species living further north tend to be larger-bodied, rounder, and shorter allowing for lower surface are to volume]

Allan’s rule

species in colder climates have shorter appendages

Turgor Pressure

internal pressure that keeps cells firm

How do ocean currents impact temperature

heat is carried through ocean currents such as the gulf stream

at what height does atmospheric circulation occur

within 18km of the atmosphere

what part of the earth gets the most direct sunlight year round

the equator

what part of the earth gets the least direct sunlight year round

the poles

What direction do objects veer due to earths rotation

Northern hemisphere (right)

Southern hemisphere (left)

What are the three circulation cells

Hadley

Ferrel

Polar

What determines where life thrives

wind and moisture

How is rainfall distribution affected

Mountain ranges create rain shadows limiting precipitation

Cold ocean currents reduce rainfall along coasts

Rain formation in basic steps

1. moist air rises

2. Air cools as it rises

3. humidity increases

4. water vapor condenses forming clouds and eventually rain

Thermal Mechanisms of convection

Intertropical convergence zone

• ITCZ intertropical convergence zone

• Near equator constant warm air rising causing lots of rain

Daily Convection

• hot humid days where air rises rapidly causing thunderstorms

Monsoonal rain

Caused by the seasonal reversal of wind direction bringing moist oceanic winds onto land causing daily rains

Water table

upper surface of the zone of saturation

What soil type holds water the strongest

Clay

What soil type holds water the least

sand

What soil type has medium water retention

silt