Ecology Test Study Guide (BIO)

Flashcards based on the Ecology Test Study Guide covering topics from levels of organization to succession.

Limiting Factor

Environmental factor that slows the growth of a population.

Density-Dependent Factor

Factor triggered by increasing population density that reduces the population (e.g. diseases).

Density-Independent Factor

Factor that reduces a population by the same proportion, regardless of population size (e.g. fires).

Exponential Growth Curve

A growth model that assumes that there are no limits to the resources in an environment.

Logistic Growth Model

A growth model where the rate of growth stops once the carrying capacity is attained due to limited resources.

Predation

Species interaction where a predator eats a prey (+/-).

Competition

Species interaction where organisms compete for the same environmental resource (-/-).

Commensalism

Species interaction where one organism benefits and the other is unaffected (+/0).

Parasitism

Species interaction where one organism benefits (parasite) while the other is harmed (host) (+/-).

Mutualism

Species interaction where both organisms benefit from this interaction (+/+).

Abiotic Factor

Non-living components of an ecosystem (e.g., temperature).

Biotic Factor

Living components of an ecosystem (e.g., frog, plants).

Evaporation

The process of turning from liquid into vapor.

Condensation

The process where water vapor becomes liquid.

Precipitation

Any liquid or frozen water that falls from the atmosphere to Earth's surface.

Transpiration

Process where plants release water vapor into the atmosphere.

Infiltration

Process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil.

Runoff

The unconfined flow of water over the ground surface.

Specialist

An organism with a limited diet and habitat.

Generalist

An organism with a wide range of foods and habitats.

Deforestation

The clearing or cutting down of trees in forests.

Wildfires

Large, uncontrolled fires that spread quickly.

Plastic Pollution

When plastic waste piles up in the environment.

Overpopulation

When there are too many people in an area for the resources.

Eutrophication

When water gets too many nutrients, like from fertilizer, causing algae to grow too much.

Sea Levels Rising

When the ocean's water level increases, mainly due to melting ice.

Climate Change

The long-term change in Earth's weather patterns.

Biodiversity Loss

Decline in the variety of plant and animal species in an area.

Ocean Acidification

When the ocean becomes more acidic due to the absorption of excess carbon dioxide (CO2).

Overfishing

When fish are caught faster than they can reproduce.

Temperate Woodland and Shrubland

Biome with warm, dry summers; cool, moist winters; communities that are more shrubland areas are known as chaparral.

Tundra

Biome characterized by permafrost, strong winds, low precipitation, short summers, and long, cold, dark winters.

Northwestern Coniferous Forest

Biome with mild, moist air and abundant rainfall that nurture many tall conifers; mild temperatures; lush, dense, plant growth.

Temperate Forest

Biome with cold winters and warm summers; year-round precipitation; in autumn, deciduous trees shed their leaves.

Temperate Grasslands

Plains and prairies with fertile soils; land used for farms; heavy grazing by herbivores; plant communities dominated by grasses.

Tropical Rain Forest

Biome with the most species diversity; warm and wet year-round; tall trees form a canopy; shorter trees and vines form the understory.

Desert

Biome that receives less than 25 cm of precipitation annually; undergoes extreme daily temperature changes between hot and cold; many cacti; many animals get water from their food.

Boreal Forest

Also known as taiga; winters are bitterly cold, but summers are mild and long enough to allow the ground to thaw.

Clumped dispersion

A pattern of dispersion whre a population is found in clusters.

Random dispersion

A pattern of dispersion where a population is scattered throughout an area without any particular pattern.

Uniform dispersion

A pattern of dispersion where a population establishes well-defined home ranges.

Type I Survivorship Curve

A survivorship curve where a species has a small number of offspring, but they invest a great deal of energy into protecting and nurturing each one.

Type III Survivorship Curve

A survivorship curve where a species lays thousands of eggs with only a small percentage of young surviving to adulthood.

Type II Survivorship Curve

A survivorship curve where a species has a steady mortality rate across all stages of life.

Primary Succession

Ecological succession starting on bare rock with no previously existing life, often after a volcano or receding glacier. Pioneer species include lichens and mosses. It is a slower process.

Secondary Succession

Ecological succession starting with soil already present, often after a natural disaster like a forest fire or flood. Pioneer species include grasses and weeds. It is a faster process.