APES Unit 1

Fundamental niche

The niche potential of a species, if competitive

exclusion and resource partitioning were non-existentent

realized niche

The actual niche of a species bc competition is a thing

specialist species

animals that require specific resources

generalist species

species that can live in many different enviromentents and can eat many types of food

ecosystem engineer

species that modify the environment so that other organisms rely on the changes to survive

trophic cascade

A ripple effect across trophic levels caused by changes at one level.

• Removing a top predator can increase herbivores, reduce plants, and alter habitat structure, erosion, and nutrient cycling.

• (reciprocal changes in other pops)

indicator species

one whose presence/absence/health reveals environmental conditions.

• Sensitive species can signal pollution or oxygen stress before broader ecosystem damage is obvious

• species sensitive to certain enviromental conditions

invasive species

• introduced species may outcompete natives.

• Common invasive traits include fast growth, rapid reproduction, high dispersal, tolerance of many conditions, broad diets, association with humans, and prior invasion success.

• generalists and usually outcompete specialists

Commensalism

• +/0

• One benefits while one is unaffected

Parasitism

• -/+

• One is benefitting while one is being harmed

Mutualism

• +/+

• Both benefit

Predation

1 organism gains energy from another (hunter/predator eats prey)

Intraspecific competition

Competition of resources between the same species

Interspecific competition

competition b/w different species

Competition Exclusion principle

if 2 different species in the same territory start to fill the same niche, they will compete for the same resources and one willl lose

Resource partitioning

Different species use the same resource in different ways to reduce comp

temporal partitioning

use same resource at different times

spatial partitioning

using diff areas of shared habitat/resouce

Tropical rainforest

• Most diverse biome

• high precipitation and heat

• Nutrient-poor soil decaying matter quickly sucked up becuase of a lot of vegetation

Morphological partitioning

• species evolve different structures to use the same resource differently

• different resouces based on evolved body features

savannah/ tropical grasland

• small shrubs

Temperate grassland

• richest soil

• cooler temps

• less biodiverse

Tundra

• Permafrost frozen ground

• cold desert

• short growing season

temperare decidious forest

• all four seasons

• oak hickory trees

• moderat rainfall

Aquatic biomes

• characteristics: salinity (marine biome-salt/freshwater-no salt)

• factors: pH & light availability- light is needed for photoautotrophs (photoplankton are primary consumers of surface)

Freshwater & layers of lake

• no salt & drinking water

• Litoral layer: shallow water with emergent plants (1st layer)

wetlands

• area w soil submerged in water for at least part of the year

• lessens floods

Estuaries

Where the river meets the sea (transition zone)

• high productivity (plant growth)

Intertidal zone

• marine

• Fluctuating tides (narrow band of coastline b/w high & low tide)

• organisms must be adapted to survive

Disolved oxygen

Amount of oxygen available in the water

• Cold water= holds more oxygen

• Warm water = less oxygen (release)

• Running stream holds more oxygen (colder)

• eutrophication often causes low-oxygen “dead zones”: decomposition increases and oxygen drops.

Biological oxygen demand

how much oxygen is needed

• Amt of D.O. used by aerobic microrganisms

• More organic matter = greater BOD

Human impact - sediment pollution

• turbitity = measure of dissolved/suspended solute

• Light cant penetrate → less productivity

Eutrophication

Excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or water

• due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life & death of animal life from lack of oxygen.

• unoff brings nutrients and silt, but fertilizer pollution can dramatically accelerate algae growth and deplete oxygen

Carbon sinks

• largest carbon sink: ocean (hydrosphere)

• Lithosphere - sediments/soil

• Biosphere- vegetation (3rd largert)

• sink/reservior: stores more while source releases more

Carbon cycle

• Photosynthesis removes CO2 from air or water and stores it in organic molecules.

• Cellular respiration returns CO2 to air or water.

• Decomposition releases CO2, and can release methane in low-oxygen environments.

• Combustion of biomass or fossil fuels rapidly releases CO2.

Solutions- increase biomes and plant trees

Nitrogen cycle

1.