bio 122 final philips wku '22

Ecology

the study of how organisms interact with their environment

central goal of ecology

to understand distribution and abundance of organisms in an environment

most important factors to ecological studies

climate effect and water depth

Why is ecology critical?

ecology is critical for the conservation of the world and various ecosystems

four main levels of ecological studies

organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems

organismal ecology

The branch of ecology concerned with the morphological, physiological, and behavioral ways in which individual organisms meet the challenges posed by their biotic and abiotic environments.

population ecology

The study of populations in relation to the environment, including environmental influences on population density and distribution, age structure, and variations in population size.

community ecology

The study of how interactions between species affect community structure and organization

ecosystem ecology

all organisms, living (biotic), in a particular region, along with nonliving (abiotic) components and how they all interact. energy flow between these

Terrestrial biomes are primarily characterized by:

average annual temp and precipitation as well as the annual variation of these two variables

types of terrestrial biomes

arctic tundra, boreal forest, temperate forest, temperate grassland, subtropical desert, and tropical wet forests

Biome Productivity

the total amount of carbon fixed by photosynthesis per square meter per year

aboveground biomass

the total mass of living plants, excluding roots

species diversity

the diversity of plant sizes and growth forms. Causes structural diversity

tropical wet forests (rain forests)

found in equator regions where temperatures are high and annual temperature is very low; produce abundant plant growth, leads to high above-ground biomass

subtropical desert

high average annual temps, moderate variation. Very low precipitation. very low level of photosynthesis and productivity.

temperate region

moderate temps relative to tropics and polar regions. Summers are long and warm, winters short and cold. Types we learn about are temperate forests and grasslands

Temperate grasslands

temps moderate, precipitation low. Moderate annual temp variation dictates well-defined growing season. dominant in regions w relatively low rainfall. Productivity of grasslands is normally lower than that of forests. Grassland soil is very often highly fertile.

temperate forest

experience winter with temps below freezing. Plant growth stops during this time. Precipitation is moderately high and constant throughout the year. These forests are dominated by deciduous species, trees that drop their leaves annually. Kind of temperate grasslands, but with more precipitation

boreal forest

A forest biome made up primarily of coniferous evergreen trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons. extraordinarily high annual variation in temperatures, with precipitation moderate to low.

Arctic Tundra

very low temperatures and high annual temp variation. Very low annual precipitation. Around the same rainfall levels as hot deserts. Low plant diversity, productivity, and aboveground biomass

aquatic environments

distinguished by depth of water and rate of water movement rather than by different temperature and moisture regimes

emergent vegetation

plants that grow above the surface of the water

detritivores/decomposers

recycle nutrients within the ecosystem by breaking down nonliving organic matter

stagnant

not running or flowing

lakes, ponds and wetlands

Bodies of standing freshwater are classified as lakes, ponds, or wetlands. Lakes and ponds are distinguished by size—ponds are smaller than lakes—and from wetlands by water depth— lakes and ponds are deeper than wetlands.

littoral zone

a shallow zone in a freshwater habitat where light reaches the bottom and nurtures plants

limnetic zone

well-lit, open-water area of a lake or pond

benthic zone

bottom of an aquatic ecosystem, too little light for photosynthesis

Marshes

wetlands without trees, exhibit a slow and steady rate of water flow

Swamps

wetlands with trees, have extraordinary production.

Bogs

ponds covered in thick floating mats of vegetation, very low or absent water flow. Most water is stagnant, which makes bogs remarkably unproductive.

streams and rivers

bodies of water constantly moving in one direction

Estuary

the area where a freshwater stream or river merges with the ocean

Demography

study of factors such as birth rates, death rates, and emigration rates. These all determine the size and structure of populations throughout time.

Age Distribution

Percentage of the total population, or the population of each sex, at each age level; reveals recent history of births and deaths

carrying capacity

Largest number of individuals of a population that a environment can support

How is carrying capacity determined?

availability of resources, disease, and predators

population dynamics

The study of how complex interactions between biotic and abiotic factors influence variations in population size.

uniform distribution

Distribution where populations are spaced evenly

random distribution

organisms arranged in no particular pattern

clumped distribution

individuals are found in groups or patches within the habitat

Three general types of survivorship curves

Type I

Type II

Type III

Type I survivorship curve

a pattern of survival over time in which there is high survival throughout most of the life span, but then individuals start to die in large numbers as they approach old age

Type II survivorship curve

a pattern of survival over time in which there is a relatively constant decline in survivorship throughout most of the life span

Type III survivorship

Experience the greatest mortality early on in life, with relatively low rates of death for those surviving. Usually r-selected.

density dependent

change in birth or death rates in response to density

density-independent regulation

When birth or death rates do not change with population density; usually abiotic

species life history

how efforts (or energy) are divided among growth, dispersal, and reproduction over time. There are many tradeoffs

biological community

a group of interacting populations that occupy the same geographic area at the same time

Intraspecific

competition between members of the same species

Interspecific

competition between members of different species

sympatric species

Two closely related species that are not geographically isolated from each other

Niche

An organism's particular role in an ecosystem, or how it makes its living.

fundamental niche

The full potential range of the physical, chemical, and biological factors a species can use if there is no competition from other species.

realized niche

Part of a species fundamental niche that it actually uses, limited by competition.

Aposematism

warning colorations that advertise defenses

mimicry

The resemblance of one species to another species

Mullerian mimicry

resemblance of two harmful prey species

Batesian mimicry

A type of mimicry in which a harmless species looks like a species that is poisonous or otherwise harmful to predators.

Succession

development of communities after disturbance

Types of species interactions

competition, predation, mutualism, commensalism, amensalism

competition

A common demand by two or more organisms upon a limited supply of a resource; for example, food, water, light, space, mates, nesting sites. It may be intraspecific or interspecific.

predation/parasitism

one species benefits and the other is harmed or affected

Herbivory

interaction in which one animal feeds on producers

Parasitism

consumption of small amounts of tissues from another organism, or host, by a parasite

Predation

killing and consumption of most or all of another individual by a predator.

constitutive defenses

defenses that are always present

inducible defenses

defensive traits produced only in response to the presence of a predator

Commensalism

one organism benefits and the other is unaffected

Mutualism

A relationship between two species in which both species benefit

Amensalism

a relationship in which one organism is harmed and the other is unaffected

keystone species

A species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem

Major trophic levels

producers-primary consumer-secondary consumer-tertiary consumer

grazing food web

food web in which most energy is transferred from producers to grazers (herbivores)

decomposer food web

show species that eat the dead remains of organisms

food chain

connects trophic levels - shows how energy moves from one trophic level to another

food chains are normally embedded into a food web

food web

A community of organisms where there are several interrelated food chains

Pyramid of Productivity

A pyramid that represents the flow of energy through a trophic level and invariably show a decrease along the food chain.

biomagnification of toxins

toxic substances become increasingly concentrated in the tissues of organisms in each higher level of the food web

important trophic states

oligotrophic and eutrophic

Oligotrophic

a condition of a lake or other body of water characterized by low nutrients, low productivity, and high oxygen levels in the water column.

Eutrophic

A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae or cyanobacteria.

biogeochemical cycles

process in which elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another

embryonic germ tissues

the 3 primary germ layers in early embryo, known as ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm

6 major innovations of animals

embryonic germ tissues, symmetry, gut, body cavity, cephalization, and segmentation

types of symmetry

none, radial, bilateral

types of gut

none, complete, incomplete

Sponges

porifera with no germ cell layers, no body symmetry, and no true tissues or organs; filter feeders

Choanocytes

create flow and filter food

Spicules

Found in sponges, these consist of inorganic materials and support the animal

types of body cavities

acoelomate, pseudocoelomate, coelomate

cephalization

increased development of head

Types of Segmentation

none, present, present with fusion

Segmentation

the division of the body of an organism into a series of similar parts

radial symmetry

body plan in which body parts repeat around the center of the body; animals move slowly or not at all

bilateral symmetry

Body plan in which only a single, imaginary line can divide the body into two equal halves; more rapid movement with most sensory organs found/concentrated at the head

Cnidarians

jellyfish, anemones, corals

Cnidarian (characteristics)

Radial symmetry

Two germ cell layers

True tissues

Gut has one opening

Protostomes vs. Deuterostomes

Protostomes: 1st indentation develops into the mouth, anus develops from 2nd opening

Deuterostomes: 1st indentation becomes the anus, mouth develops from second opening