biol 2140 - exam 1

“ecology is a new club” meaning

the field of ecology only really started developing in the 1800s

some key events of the 1800s

• the term ecology is coined by Ernst Haeckel to describe the economies of living forms

• Humbolt learns about plant geography

• Lotka made population models

some key events of the 1900s

• Clements and Gleason fight over in- vs inter- dependency

• Tansley coined the term “ecosystem”

• Elton becomes the father of animal ecology

ecology

the scientific study of the abundance and distribution of organisms in relation to other organisms and environmental conditions

abundance

how many of a specific organism live in a given area

distribution

where are organisms of a species located in space; how they are arranged and spaced out

who is the father of ecology?

Ernst Haeckel

ecology is the _____ of nature

economy

who said ecology is economy of nature

Charles Darwin

abiotic factor

nonliving environment

biotic factor

living entities in a given area

ecological systems

biological entites that have their own internal processes and interact with their external surroundings

is a macromolecule considered an “ecological system”

no. macromolecules (like DNA or proteins) cannot independently interact with an external ecological environment

what is the least complex biological system?

the individual. processes energy and responds to its environment

what is the most complex ecological system?

the biosphere

what are all of the ecological systems from fine to course?

individual, population, community, ecosystem, landscape, biosphere

adaptation

a characteristic of an organism that makes it well suited to its environment

individual

a living being; the most funamental unit of ecology

what is adaptation usually the result of?

evolutionary change via natural selection

population

individuals of the same species living in a particular area

species

a group of organisms that interbreed with each other and produce fertile offspring

why isnt the definition of species universal

can be based on slight genetic differences or like the fact that some species are asexual or some species can mate with other species

what are 4 distinct properties of populations that are not exhibited by individuals?

1. geographic range (ditribution)

2. abundance

3. density

4. composition

geographic range

extent of land or water within which a population lives

density

the number of individuals of a species per unit area

composition

makeup in terms of age gender or genetics

some ways a population can change

• distuption of balance of births and deaths within a population

• immigration and emigrations to and from a local population

community

all populations of a species living together in a particular area

ecosystem

one or more communities of living organisms interacting with their nonliving physical and chemical environments

landscape

multiple ecosystems that are connected by the movement of individuals, populations, matter, and energy

biosphere

all the ecosystems on earth

ecosystem

large area of land or water that contains a distinct, geographically unique blend of communities, species, climate, and landforms

individual approach

biomass of an individual; focus is on morphology, DNA, behavior, and physiology

population approach

variation over time and space in the number, the density, and the composition of individuals

community approach

variation over time and space in the number, the density, and the composition of individuals

ecosystem

stopped at slide 60