Biology for Science Majors II (BIOL 1307) - Ecology Overview

This set of flashcards covers key concepts from the lecture on ecology, including definitions, relationships, and influences affecting biomes and ecosystems.

What is ecology?

Ecology is the scientific study of the interactions of organisms with their environments.

What are biotic factors?

Biotic factors include all of the organisms in an area, the living component of the environment.

What are abiotic factors?

Abiotic factors are the environment’s nonliving component, including physical and chemical factors.

How do climate and biomes relate?

The influence of abiotic factors results in biomes, the major types of ecological associations that occupy broad geographic regions of land or water.

What is a population in ecology?

A population is a group of individuals of the same species living in a particular geographic area.

Define community in ecology.

A community is an assemblage of all the populations of organisms living close enough together for potential interaction.

What is an ecosystem?

An ecosystem is the community of organisms in an area and the physical factors with which they interact.

What does landscape ecology study?

Landscape ecology focuses on the exchanges of energy, materials, and organisms across multiple ecosystems.

What is the biosphere?

The biosphere is concerned with global ecology and extends from the atmosphere several kilometers above Earth to the depths of the oceans.

What most influences the structure and distribution of terrestrial biomes?

Earth's climate influences the structure and distribution of terrestrial biomes.

List the key abiotic factors that determine the biosphere’s structure.

Energy source (usually solar), temperature, abundance and type of water, inorganic nutrients, availability of oxygen, wind, and fire.

What are the two potential explanations for a species’ presence in a location?

The species may have evolved from ancestors in that location, or it may have dispersed and survived there.

What is climate?

Climate refers to the prevailing long-term weather conditions found in an area.

What is the difference between weather and climate?

Weather consists of specific short-term atmospheric conditions, while climate refers to long-term patterns.

What are the major types of terrestrial biomes?

Major types include tropical rainforests, savannas, deserts, chaparral, temperate grasslands, temperate forests, coniferous forests, tundra, and polar ice.

What is desertification?

Desertification is the conversion of semi-arid regions to desert, a significant environmental problem.

Define anthropogenic biomes.

Anthropogenic biomes are biomes affected by human activities, resulting in significant land-use changes.

How do ocean currents affect climate?

Ocean currents result from prevailing winds, the planet's rotation, and unequal heating of surface waters, significantly impacting regional climates.

What role do freshwater biomes play in the ecosystem?

Freshwater biomes cover less than 1% of Earth’s surface, contain less than 0.01% of its water, and harbor 6% of all described species.