apes - unit two

Primary succession

follows disturbance that removes vegetation; rebuilt from scratch

Example of primary succession

lakes drying up

Secondary succession

follows disturbance that alters an existing community but doesn't destroy all matter

Pioneer species

species that arrive first and colonize the area

Regime shift (aka phase shift)

when the character of the community fundamentally changes Difference between an introduced species and an invasive species

Why might an introduced species become invasive in its new habitat?

limiting factors that regulate pop. growth are absent

Example of restoration ecology

a forest's ability to cleanse the air, build soil, etc.

Species

a particular type of organism

Population

group of individuals of a given species that live in a particular region at a particular time

Evolution

inherited changes in pop. of organisms from gen. to gen.

Natural selection

traits that help w/ survival are passed on, while traits that aren't are not Adaptation

Mutations

accidental changes in DNA

Genetic variation

organisms mix their genetic material through reproduction

Convergent evolution

unrelated species living in similar environments in separate locations Example of convergent evolution

Selective breeding

some species don't breed

Example of selective breeding

dogs

Artificial selection

selection about animals under our own direction

Biological Diversity (definition)

the variety of life in a community

Speciation

process where new species are made

Allopatric speciation

species formation whereby species form after pop. (e.g. how might this occur? river blocking two sides)

What are phylogenetic trees used for?

showing relationships among species, groups of species, populations, genes, etc.

Fossil

minerals replacing original material

What is the fossil record and what does it demonstrate?

looking at the beach / record of life & fossils worldwide

Extinction

disappearance of a species from Earth

Endemic

only live in one region

Background extinction rate

extinction occurs gradually, one species at a time

Mass extinctions

wiped off massive numbers of species at once

Biosphere

total of living things on Earth

Landscape

geographic region w/ multiple ecosystems

Ecosystem

system of community, environment, and their relation

Community

set of pop. of different species living together in particular area

Population

group of individuals in a page

Organism

individual living thing

Habitat

living and nonliving elements

Niche

functional role in society

Habitat use

phone

Habitat selection

organisms select

Negative feedback loop (def. & example)

outputs that result from system moving in opposing direction (stabilizes systems).

Example: body temperature

Positive feedback loop (def. & example)

increased output equals increased output / exponential growth of a pop.

Dynamic equilibrium

when processes move in opposing directions at equivalent rates so that total effects balance out

Homeostasis

tendency of a system to maintain stable internal conditions

Eutrophication

process of nutrient overenrichment and subsequent ecosystem degradation How does eutrophication work?

Nutrient sources in Mississippi River

fertilizer, wastewater

Consequences of eutrophication

creates lifeless death zones

Ecosystems

all organisms and non

Energy flow in an ecosystem

goes in one direction

Primary production

autotrophs perform photosynthesis

Gross primary production (GPP)

the total amount of chemical energy produced by autotrophs Secondary production

What does high net primary productivity mean?

plants convert energy quickly

Which terrestrial biomes and aquatic systems have high NPP?

freshwater wetlands, kelp forests, coral reefs, etc.

Which terrestrial biomes and aquatic systems have low NPP?

deserts, tundra, ocean, etc.

Net primary production (NPP)

the energy remaining after respiration and is used to generate biomass

Productivity

the rate at which autotrophs convert energy to biomass

Competition

multiple organisms competing for the same resource

Intraspecific competition

competition between members of the same species

Interspecific competition

competition between members of different species

Competitive exclusion

a successful/effective competitor that excludes another species from that resource

Species coexistence

when no single competitor fully excludes others; reaches state of equilibrium

Fundamental niche

full niche / potential role of an organism

Realized niche

the portion of the fundamental niche an organism actually plays/uses, usually as a result of competition

Resource partitioning

species divide their common resource by specializing in different ways Character displacement

Predation

relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed; process where individuals of one species (predator) hunt, kill, and eat individuals of another species (prey) for food

Predator

individual of a species that hunts and kills another species for food

Prey

the species hunted and killed by another for food

Parasitism

relationship where one organism benefits and the other is harmed; parasite depends on host for nourishment

Host

the organism losing nourishment/harmed in parasitism

Parasite

the organism taking nourishment/benefiting in parasitism

Pathogens

parasites that cause disease in their host

Coevolution

parasites and hosts constantly adapt to beat each other

Herbivory

animals feed on the tissues of plants

Mutualism

relationship where two or more species benefit from interacting with one another Symbiosis

Pollination

free

Example of symbiotic mutualism

fungus helps a plant absorb nutrients from the soil, and plants provide energy/nutrients to fungus

Community

assemblage of populations of organisms living in the same area at the same time Trophic level

Is it possible for an organism to be both a secondary consumer and a tertiary consumer? Explain.

Yes, depends on how many levels

What is the difference between a food web and a food chain?

Food chains show one connection; food webs show all relationships

What do the arrows in a food chain represent?

Where the energy is going

Keystone species (def. & example)

A species that has a strong impact far out of proportion to its abundance. Tend to be predators, ex: bear

Trophic cascade

Predators at high trophic levels that keep other levels in check

Disturbance

An event that has dramatic impacts on environmental conditions

Resistance

A community that resists change and remains stable

Resilience

A community that changes but later returns to its original state

Macronutrients

Elements/compounds needed in large amounts

Micronutrients

Nutrients needed in small amounts

Ecotones

Areas where ecosystems meet

Patches

Ecosystems, habitats, communities, etc.

Landscape ecology

Scale used to study how landscape structure affects the abundance and distribution

Mosaic

How patches are distributed over a landscape

Metapopulation

When organisms move or mate with members between patches

Conservation biology

Study of the loss, protection, and restoration of biodiversity

Remote sensing

Process of collecting data about an object without making physical contact

GIS (Geographic Information System Ecosystem services)

Provisioning, regulating, cultural, supporting

Examples of ecosystem services

Hiking, ecotourism, photosynthesis, food, water purification What is Gross primary productivity

Biological diversity

The variety of life across all levels of biological organization

Species diversity

Describes the number of species present

Species richness

Number of species living in the area Species relative abundance (evenness)

Species

A distinct type of organism; set of individuals with shared characteristics and the ability to breed

Genetic diversity

The differences in DNA composition among individuals

Inbreeding depression

Occurs when genetically similar organisms mate and produce weak offspring