Ecological Succession

Flashcards covering key concepts related to ecological succession.

Ecological Succession

A series of more-or-less predictable events that occur in a community over time.

Primary Succession

Succession that begins in areas that have no remnants of an older community.

Pioneer Species

The first species to colonize barren areas, such as lichen.

Secondary Succession

Succession that occurs when a disturbance affects an existing community but doesn't completely destroy it.

Climax Community

A specific, uniform, and stable community at the 'end' of succession, but recent research shows they are not always uniform and stable.

Natural Disturbances

Events such as natural disasters that lead to changes in communities, prompting succession.

Human-Caused Disturbances

Disturbances caused by human activities that impact existing communities and lead to succession.

Trophic Levels

The hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and top predators.

Food Chain

A linear sequence showing the flow of energy and nutrients from one organism to another.

Biomagnification

The process by which toxin concentrations increase at each trophic level in a food chain.

Habitat Fragmentation

The process where large habitats are divided into smaller, isolated patches, affecting species survival.

Ecological Niche

The role and position a species has in its environment, including all its interactions.

Biodiversity

The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem, encompassing species diversity, genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity.

Trophic Levels

The levels within an ecosystem that categorize organisms based on their roles in energy transfer, including producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and top predators.

Food Chain

A sequential chain illustrating how energy and nutrients are passed from one organism to another.

Biomagnification

The escalation of toxin concentration at successive trophic levels in a food chain.

Habitat Fragmentation

The division of large habitats into smaller, isolated sections, which can impact the survival of species.

Ecological Niche

The functional role and position a species occupies in its environment, encompassing all interactions.

Biodiversity

The range of different organisms present in a particular habitat or

Ecosystem Services

The benefits that ecosystems provide to humanity, including provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services.

Biotic Factors

Living components of an ecosystem that affect the organization of the environment, including plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Abiotic Factors

Non-living physical and chemical components of an ecosystem, such as climate, soil, water, and nutrients.

Energy Flow

The transfer of energy through an ecosystem, primarily through food chains and food webs, starting from producers to consumers and decomposers.

Nutrient Cycling

The process by which nutrients are recycled in an ecosystem, including the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles.

Keystone Species

A species that has a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem, often maintaining the structure and diversity of the community.

Biome

Large ecological areas on the earth's surface, with flora and fauna adapting to their environment, such as forests, deserts, and grasslands.

Terrestrial Biomes

Land-based biomes characterized by specific climate conditions, soil types, and types of vegetation, including tundra, taiga, temperate forest, and desert.

Aquatic Biomes

Biomes related to water environments, which can be freshwater (like lakes and rivers) or saltwater (like oceans), each hosting unique ecosystems.

Tundra

A cold, treeless biome characterized by short growing seasons and permafrost, often found at high latitudes.

Desert

A biome characterized by low precipitation, extreme temperatures, and specialized plant and animal life adapted to arid conditions.

Savanna

A grassland biome with scattered trees, found in regions with a warm climate and seasonal rainfall, supporting a variety of herbivores and predators.

Deciduous Forest

A biome with trees that lose their leaves seasonally, typically characterized by four distinct seasons and rich biodiversity.

Coniferous Forest

Also known as taiga, this biome is dominated by conifer trees, adapted to cold, dry climates with long winters and short summers.

Grassland

A biome where grasses are the dominant vegetation, with few trees, and can be found in both temperate and tropical regions.

Biosphere

The global sum of all ecosystems; the zone of life on Earth, encompassing terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric portions.

Biogeochemical Cycles

The cycles that describe the movement of elements and compounds through biological, geological, and chemical processes, including the carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles.

Food Web

A complex network of feeding relationships among various organisms in an ecosystem, showing how energy and nutrients move through different species.

Population Dynamics

The study of how and why populations change over time, including factors that influence population growth and decline.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely without being degraded.

Invasive Species

Non-native species that spread rapidly in a new environment and can cause harm to local ecosystems, economies, or human health.

Growth Rate

The change in the size of a population over a defined period of time, typically expressed as a percentage.

Emigration vs Immigration

Emigration is the movement of individuals out of a population, while immigration is the movement of individuals into a population.

Logistic Growth

Population growth that starts rapidly, then slows as it approaches carrying capacity, forming an S-shaped curve.

Exponential Growth

A model of population growth with unlimited resources, leading to a rapid increase, depicted as a J-shaped curve.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustain indefinitely.

Habitat vs Niche

Habitat is the physical environment where a species lives, while a niche is the role or function a species has in that environment.

Microhabitat

A small, specialized habitat within a larger habitat, often providing unique conditions for the organisms living there.

Tolerance

The ability of an organism to withstand environmental conditions, such as temperature or salinity.

Intraspecific vs Interspecific Competition

Intraspecific competition occurs between individuals of the same species, while interspecific competition occurs between individuals of different species.

Competitive Exclusion Principle

The theory that two species competing for the same resources cannot coexist at constant population values.

Predator-Prey Relationships

The dynamics between predator and prey populations, often illustrated through graphs showing population size over time.

Keystone Species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance, crucial for maintaining ecosystem structure.

Symbiosis

A close ecological relationship between organisms of different species; it includes mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.

Primary Succession

Succession that begins in lifeless areas, such as volcanic islands or areas exposed by retreating glaciers.

Secondary Succession

Succession that occurs after a disturbance alters a community but does not destroy it, such as after a forest fire.

Pioneer Species

Species, like lichen, that are the first to colonize previously uninhabited areas during primary succession.

Climax Community

A stable and mature ecological community that undergoes little change in species composition.