Ecology 1111

Ecology

The study of interactions that exist among organisms and the physical enviroment, seeks to understand the factors controlling abundunce and distribution

Biosphere

global ecological system integrating biotic and abiotic elements in the major sphere

Biome

Ecological areas defined by abiotic factors

Ecosystem

community and the abiotic factors

branches of ecology

global ecology, ecosystem ecology, community ecology, population ecology, organismal ecology

Abiotic factors controll biotic orginisms

golbal and ecosystem ecology

Biotic organisms themselves

community, population, organismal ecology

Organismal ecology

the study of an induvidual organisums structure, pehaviour, physiology, and morphology

they respond to challenges and disturbances in the enviroment and become competitive through adaptation

Population Ecology

a group of organisms of the same species in the same place

Community Ecology

a community of species living in the same space, interacting, studys the factors influncing biodiversity, community, structure, and distribituon

Ecosystem Ecology

a community of living orginisms and there interactions, two main brances terrestrial and mariene

Global ecology

The study of interactions among the earths ecosystems

Principles of terrestrial ecology

Context of the ecosystem, mechanisms where the ecosystem functions, patterns in a ecosystem, integration the effect of ecosystem processes and interactions on its function

Boreal Forest Biome

largest terestrial biome on earth, complex landscape, diverse vegitiation, provides important ecosystem services, provides natural resources

natural disturbances

wildfire, floods, drought, insect outbreak

Anthrpogenic disturbances

Drainage, forest harvesting, land usage changing, industrial devlopment, atomospheric nutrient input

Ecosystem resilience

Capacity of an ecological system to maintain similat structure, functioning, and feedbacks following disturbances, functional redundancy and diversity are key

Ecosystem thresholds

critical levels of an ecosystem controls that can lead to abrupt modification of ecosystem structure and function

Species Richness

The number of diffrent species within the community

Relative Abundunce

The poroportion of the community made up by a given species

Species evenness

The distribution of individuals among species

Dominance

A term used to describe a community made up of primarily one species

Trophic Levels

Groups of orginisms that derive energ in a similar way

Niche

The role an organism plays in its environment, including the conditions it needs to survive and reproduce

Guild

A group of species that exploit a common resource

Functional Type

A group of species with one common response to the environment, a common evolutionary history, or a common role within the community

Autotrophs or producers

Species that do not eat other biotic organisms and instead convert abiotic resources into energy, plants are also in this catagory

Herbivores or consumers

an organism thar feeds on other consumers

Carnivores or consumers

organisums that feed on other organisms

Omnivores

Organisms that feed on both autotrophs and other consumers

Competition

One species benefits one species is harmed ex lion and hyena competing for prey

Predation

one species benefits one species is harmed ex a polar bear eating a seal

Parasitism (symbiosis)

One species benefits one species is harmed tapeworm inside a host slowy eating them

Mutualism

Both species benefit bee gains nectar from flower and flower is pollinated

Comensalism

One species benefits one is indeferent

Amensalism

an association between organisms of two diffrent species in which one is inhibited or destroyed and the other is unaffected

Canopy

The upper layer consiting of tree tops recieves the most light and is the site of the most photosysthsis

Understory

mid layer of stuntrd trees and saplings composition and density is dependedn on the light passing through the canopy

Shrub layer

a mid layer consisting of shrubs composition and density is light dependent

herb layer

a lower layer of grasses ferns wildfowers etc it is dependent on light

Forest floor or gorund layer

lowest layer of moss lichen and plant litter light is density dependent this layer is essental for the cycling of nutirents which support all plants

Spatial varibility

variation in the landscape of a biome based on type of soil moisture content and nutrients available

Fundemental Niche effect

the niche of a plant dictates what landscape or zone it will grow in

Fundemental Niche

a range of environmental conditions under which a living organism can survive due to adaptation

Indirect species interaction

When one species dose not directly effect another but dose based on their prey or predator

Species tolerance

the structure of a community is constrained by the environmental tolerance of a species can affect interaction and landscpes

Global distribution of energy

this is dependent on the solar angle of incidents ex the portions of earth with more light are closer to the equator

Subsolar point

where the suns rays are directly overhead with no shadows

Biome vairation?

this is mainly controlled by temerature and percipitation but are also controlled by ocean currents and wind patterns

Ecosystem energetics

the study of how energy flows through ecosystems organisms and populations

Photosynthsis light

between 400 and 700nm light with longer wavelengths not enough energy and light with shorter too much energy

Photosysnthsis equation

Energy + 6co2 + 6h2o —> c6h1206+ 602 oxygen is a biproduct of photosysthsis

Cellular resperation equaton

c6h1202 + 602 —→ 6co2 + 6h20 + Energy

Photosysthisis job

Process which energy is is harness to convert c02 into simple sugars o2 is a byproduct

Cellular resperation job

energy is released through the breakdown of carbohydrates allowing plants to use energy for growth and reproduction

primary productivity

the rate which energy comes from the sun to photosynthsis

gross primary production

the total photosynthsis or energy assimilation by producers but some energy is lots throguh heat

Net primary production

the rate of energy stored in plants after loss NPP = GPP-R

Secondary production

storage of organic matter by organisms other then primary producers once consumed the energy is used for growth

Consumption effecency

precentage of total prpductivity at a given trophic level consumed by one level up 5 in forests

Assimilation effecency

precentage of food energy that is assimilated across the gut wall available for growth or work 20-50 herb 80 carnivores

Production efficency

presentage of assilimated energy converted to new biomass

Ecological paraymids

quantity of energt flowing up a trophic chain only 10 precent is transferd to the next level

Light conpensation point LCP

the rate of carbon loss compared to the uptake below the carbob loss is greater

Light saturation point

the value of the par when no furhter increase occours

Transpiration

process of water movment through a plant evap through the stomata

Stomata

Microscopic pores on the surface of a plant

Hydrological cycle

responsible for water movement in ecosystems and storge, all water is not equally distributed, 63 precent in glaciers oceans have 77 water and 80 co2

To change phase what needs to happen

they either require or release energy ex boiling water vs the sun driving movment of water

Solar radiation and absorption

a large ammount of incoming solar radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere or reflected by the earth, not all sun is available to be processed only 50 precent is absorbed, brighter light reflects, darker absorbs

Albedo

the fraction of light that a surface reflects

Longwave radiation

energy absorbed by the earth is emitted and absorbed by the atmosphere

net radiation

the diffrence between the amoutn fo radiation incidnet at the durface of the earth and what is reflected measured by a machiene net + more absorbed then released net - oppisate

energy leftover bty reflection and emission

Sensible heat flux

in ecosystems this describes the exchange of heat between the earths surface and the atmosphere

Latent heat flux

Heat absorbed or released due to phase changes of water. evaopration of water requres or consumes energy.

This occours at all temps above freezing.

The rate of evap increases as temp does.

Ground heat flux

as the surface of the ground warms some heat is transfered downwards via conduction towards the center of the earth

Changes in heat storage

as objects gain energy they increase in temperature and store more heat, loose energe decrease store less heat

During the day positive net radiation

solar radiation comes in, latent heat is transfered to the atmpsohere through evapotransporation heat warms air

At night negitive net radiation

latent heat may be transfered to the surface through condensation if humdidty is high enough and the surface is colder then the air, one the ground is cool heat warms the surface if the ground is colder then the air,

Desert during the day

incoming solar radiation, lack of water leads to small latent heat flux so heat is in the air causing alots of warming

Water budgets

the amount of water avalible to support ecosystem productivity depending on inputs and outputs water in water out balance

Holding capacity

the ability soil has to store water before the capacity is filled

Blue water

runoff and groundwater recharge

Green water

evaopration and transporation or evapotranspiration

Water inputs

percipitation rainfall snow, fog can also be a source of water ex cloud forests, many ecosystems groundwater dependent

Biogeochemistry

the study of chemical physical geological and biological processes and reactions that govern the composition of the natural environment

The biogealchemical cycles

carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, hydrolgical

Gaceous biogealchemical cycles

atmosphere and ocean constutes major resovoirs of matter essentally wint transfer of nutrients

Sedementart biogeanchemical cycle

soil and rocks are a major resovoir of nutrients

Hybrid cycles

important resovoirs are in the lithosphere as well as the atmosphere and ocean

Nutrient inputs

Nutrients cycled in the atmosphere, weatherd from rocks percipitation and deposition, two ways of input wet or dry deposition

Nutrient Outputs

represent losses of nutrients from a ecosystem

organic matter exports, nutrient leaching, nutrient conversion to gas

The carbon cycle

photosynthesis is how carbon enters the air, cycled between biotic and abiotic, trophic transfer, death of biotic orfanisms, released through resperation or combustion

The Nitrogen cycle

Nitrogen is found in the atmpsohere as n2 gas not acessible for plants, plants can uptake nh4 and no3 from the soil and then n can be transfered through trophic levels, when organisms die n is dead in biomass untill decomposition

Nitrogen fixation

process in soil where bacteria converts n2 into nh4 and no3

Denitrification

where nitrogen is lost from terrestrial ecosystems by dentrifying bacteria

Phosphorous cycle

No atmpspheric resovoir, acessible to plants in phosophate released through weathering, when the die it is locked in biomass, primary loss is from runoff to aquatic ecosystems

geochemical Phosphorous

most of p that leaves land is not cycled back but it is available from erosion and weathering, rapidly cycled

Sulfur Cycle

not normally nutrient dependent, lithosphere is the large resovoir, mainly concered is when sulfur dioxide is released into percipitation, no atmosphere storage but cycles through it

Plant litter

main source of organic matter for decomposition