Bio 130 Pre-Final Additional Information

Ecology

The branch of biology that studies the relationships between living organisms (biotic factors) and their physical environment (abiotic factors) - organismal, population, community, or ecosystem

Organismal Ecology

The study of how an individual organism interacts with its environment through its physiology, behavior, and structural adaptations

Population Ecology

Studies how and why populations of a single species change over time and space, and how they interact with their environment

Community Ecology

Studies how groups of interacting species populations (a biological community) live together, share resources, and shape the structure, diversity, and dynamics of an area

Ecosystem Ecology

Studies how living organisms interact with each other and with their non-living (abiotic) environment in an ecosystem

Littoral Zone

The nearshore area where land and water meet, characterized by sunlight reaching the bottom sediment, abundant nutrients, and high biological activity

Limnetic Zone

The open, well-lit surface area of a freshwater lake or pond that is too deep for rooted plants to grow

Photic Zone

The uppermost layer of an aquatic body (ocean or lake) that receives enough sunlight to allow photosynthesis

Aphotic Zone

The layer in an ocean or lake where sunlight does not penetrate, meaning photosynthesis cannot occur.

Benthic Zone

The lowest ecological zone in a body of water, including the sediment surface and sub-surface layers at the floor of an ocean, lake, river, or stream

Intertidal Zone

The coastal area that is submerged in seawater during high tide and exposed to air during low tide

Neritic Zone

The relatively shallow part of the ocean that extends from the low-tide mark down to the edge of the continental shelf, reaching depths of about 200 meters - part of the photic zone

Oceanic Zone

The open ocean region that lies completely beyond the continental shelf where water depths exceed 200 meters - top part is photic and the bottom is aphotic

Climate

The long-term, prevailing weather patterns (temperature, humidity, wind, precipitation) of a specific geographic region over extended periods (typically 30+ years)

Lieth Climate Diagram

A standardized ecological graph used in biology to visualize a location's climate profile and immediately identify periods of water abundance or water stress for plant growth

Hadley Cell

Tropical atmospheric circulation pattern where warm, moist air rises near the equator (causing rainfall), flows poleward at high altitudes, cools and sinks in the subtropics (around 30° latitude - causes dry deserts), and returns equatorward along the surface

Carrying Capacity

The maximum number of individuals of a specific species that a given environment can sustainably support over time without degrading available resources - s-shaped curve (logistic growth)

Exponential Growth vs. Logistic Growth

Exponential growth is a pattern of population increase where the per capita growth rate stays the same, causing the population to grow faster and faster as it gets larger (J-shaped curve) - alternatively, logistic growth is a pattern of population growth where growth slows down and eventually levels off as the population reaches the maximum number of individuals an environment can support (S-shaped curve)

Competition

An interaction between living organisms or species where both need a shared resource that is in limited supply (food, water, territory, sunlight, mates, etc.)

Parasitism

An antagonistic relationship in which one organism (the parasite) benefits by obtaining nutrients, shelter, or resources from another organism (the host) while causing it harm

Mutualism

An ecological interaction between two or more different species where every participating organism gains a net benefit

Commensalism

A type of symbiotic relationship in biology where one organism benefits from the interaction while the host species is neither helped nor harmed

Mullerian Mimicry

An evolutionary phenomenon in which two or more well-defended, toxic, unpalatable, or dangerous species evolve to share similar warning signals - completely honest because all parties are in fact dangerous

Batesian Mimicry

A biological defense mechanism where a harmless, edible species (the mimic) evolves to imitate the warning signals (bright colors, patterns, behaviors) of a harmful, toxic, or unpalatable species (the model) to deter shared predators - dishonest mimicry - ex. viceroy butterfly mimics monarch butterfly

Succession

The gradual, predictable process by which the species composition of a biological community changes over time following a disturbance or the creation of a new habitat

Two Types:

• Primary: brand-new, barren habitat that lacks soil and organic matter

• Secondary: pre-existing community was cleared or disrupted, but the soil and nutrients remain intact

Ecosystem

A functional unit of nature consisting of all the living organisms in a specific area interacting with each other and with their non-living physical environment

Abiotic Environment

The non-living physical and chemical parts of an ecosystem that surround and influence living organisms

Producers

Any living organism that makes its own food from inorganic materials - aka autotrophs

Consumers

A living organism that cannot make its own food and must feed on other plants or animals to get energy - heterotrophs

Decomposers

Living organisms that break down dead plants, animals, and waste materials, turning them into simpler inorganic substances

Food Chain vs. Food Web

A food chain is a simple, linear sequence showing who eats whom, while a food web is a complex, interconnected network of multiple overlapping food chains in an ecosystem

Trophic Levels

Describe an organism's position in a food chain, food web, or ecological pyramid based on how it gets its energy