BIOL 152-001, Ch. 49.1: Intro to Ecology Reading Summary

Flashcards covering the key concepts from the Day 1 BIOL 152 notes on ecology, including sublevels of ecological study, organismal/population/community/ecosystem/global ecology, abiotic components, energy/nutrient cycling, conservation biology, and exam policies.

What are the sublevels of ecological study?

Organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, and the biosphere.

What does Organismal Ecology study?

Morphological, physiological, and behavioral adaptations; heritable traits that affect fitness in a given environment.

How do salmon/osmoregulation adapt when moving between fresh and saltwater?

Ion balance is maintained by physiological pumps (e.g., sodium pumps) in gills to regulate salinity.

What is Population Ecology concerned with?

How the distribution and abundance of individuals in a population change over time.

How is a population defined in ecology?

A group of individuals of the same species living in the same area at the same time.

What processes affect population size?

Births, deaths, immigration, and emigration.

What does Community Ecology focus on?

Interactions among species (predation, parasitism, competition) and their effects on community structure.

What does Ecosystem Ecology integrate and study?

Integration of organismal, population, and community ecology with abiotic components; energy flow and matter cycling.

What is an ecosystem?

A system consisting of organisms in a region plus abiotic factors like oxygen, water, and soil.

Give examples of abiotic components in ecosystems.

Physical/chemical factors such as oxygen (O2), water (H2O), and soil components.

What key processes drive ecosystems besides biology?

Energy flow and nutrient cycling (e.g., decomposition, nitrogen in soil).

What is Global Ecology about?

The biosphere and global processes across ecosystems.

How wide is the biosphere?

From roughly 5 km below land surface to about 10 km above the surface (with deep ocean portions).

What is Conservation Biology?

Effort to study, preserve, and restore threatened genetic diversity in populations, species, and ecosystems.

What are the goals of Conservation Biology?

Identify threats and propose remedies to preserve biodiversity, clean air, and pure water.