BIOL 208 - Disciplines and Concepts in Ecology - Lec 2

Vocabulary flashcards covering the subdisciplines of ecology, hierarchical levels of biological organization, ecosystem components, and the scientific method.

Autoecology (Ecology of Individuals) +key processes

focuses on individuals of a single species to understand survival and reproduction
key processes: morphology, behaviour, and physiology.

The individuals is the unit of

natural selection

What information does a bull’s bellow communicate during the mating season? (Autoecology)

this behaviour communicates to other females that he is available to mate, also strength and physical condition, and competitive ability to defend his territory and mate

How do bison respond physiologically to different climates? (autoecology)

Bison adjust their body-surface temperature and heat loss according to local climate. In warmer climates, they must release more heat, which uses energy and reduces growth and body size. In cooler climates, bisons release less heat and use less energy, which supports greater growth and body size.

Population Ecology

focuses on population of a single species in a particular time and space to understand factors that influence population size, structure, and dynamics

key processes: birth rates, mortality rates, immigration & emigration rates

What kind of ecology is this an example of?
Disease–Predation hypothesis - population declined due to wolves killing bison and outbreak of disease among bison. As bison decreased, wolves decreased, meaning more calves survived. Juvenile bisons were also less susceptible to disease, allowed the bison population to increase

population ecology

Population is the unit of

evolution

Can population’s exist isolated?

No, all species in a community interact and are influenced by one another

Community Ecology

The study of multiple species
focused on understanding how biotic and abiotic factors influence community structure (diversity) and function (productivity = biomass)

key processes: interactions among species and environmental filtering

What does it mean when a community has high productivity?

community generates high biomass (high enegry flow), supports lives in the community

What are 4 ways that bison activity influence plant community structure in grasslands? (community ecology)

1. selective feeding - bison might prefer certain grass types over others

2. soil compaction - bison walk on soil, only some grass can survive this

3. wallowing (disturbance patches) - bison roll around to release parasites and leave bare patches in grass

4. seed dispersal - bison disperse seeds to different areas by their fur or waste

Ecosystem Ecology

focuses on how multiple species interact with environment to influence energy flow and nutrient cycling

key processes: primary production, decomposition, energy flow, and nutrient cycling (N, F, C)

Energy flow (ecological systems)

transfer of energy between tropic levels

What kind of ecoology is this an example of?
-Bison and cattle grazing increase soil nitrogen cycling in a tallgrass prairie ecosystem

Ecosystem ecology

What kind of ecoology is this an example of?

Effects of forest fire on soil organic matter and nutrients in boreal forests of north america (burning plant material rapidly increases cycling of nutrients - conversts dead plant material into nutrient rich ash)

Ecosystem ecology

What kind of ecoology is this an example of?
-Effects of elk and bison carcasses on soil microbial communities and ecosystem functions in the USA (carcass releases nutrients into soil, which herbivores eat)

Ecosystem ecology

Ecosystem

An arbitrarily defined geographic volume containing interacting biotic and abiotic factors, connected to other ecosystems by a series of inputs and outputs, with a temporal dimension.

Landscape Ecology

focuses on how connections among ecosystems influence organism movement, population distribution, and flow of water/energy/nutrients

key processes: spatial patterns, habitat connectivity, disturbance, human influence

True or False:Landscapes created genetic diversity

True

Landscape

A large area containing different ecosystems that are connected to one another (ex. region, province, national park)

How does the arrangement of meadows influence bison movement?
And what type of ecology is this question based on?

landscape ecology
bison prefer meadows connected by favorable forest habitat with more plant biomass

How do roads, pipelines and seismic lines affect wood bison movement in Alberta?
And what type of ecology is this question based on?

landscape ecology
roads make it easier for bison and wolves to move between habitats (other species avoid them)

Macroecology

focuses on continental or global scale

key processes: abundance, distribution, and diversity.

What type of ecology is this question based on?
How will climate change alter where suitable conditions for bison occur across North America?
What areas will be suitable for bison in the year 2100 (in 80 years)?if higher emission from climate change = bison move south

macroecology

Global Ecology (biosphere)

focuses on how life interacts with Earth's climate, atmosphere, land, and oceans at the planetary scale

key processes: global climate, energy balance, cycling of C, N, and water

What type of ecology is this question based on?
How could rising CO2 concentrations and global warming affect species extinction risk worldwide?

global ecology

What type of ecology is this question based on?
How do zebras regulate their internal water balance?

Autoecology (individual)

What type of ecology is this question based on?
What factors control zebra populations?

population ecology

What type of ecology is this question based on?
How do species interact? How do these interaction affect coesitence?

community ecology

What type of ecology is this question based on?
How does fire affect nutrient availability in grassland ecosystems?

ecosystem ecology

What type of ecology is this question based on?
How do vegetated corridors affect the rate of movement by mammals among isolated forest fragments?

landscape ecology

What type of ecology is this question based on?
What role does concentration of atmospheric CO2 play in the regualtion of global temperature?

global ecology

Biosphere

Portions of the Earth that support life, land, water, and atmosphere.

Fill in the blank: The formal definition for an ecosystem is an ____ _____ geographic volume with a _____ dimension, containing interacting _____ and ____ factors, connected to other ______ by a series of _____ and ______

arbitrarily
time
biotic
abiotic
ecosystems
inputs
outputs

Why do ecosystems have arbitrarily defined geographic volumes?

Ecosystems can have different spatial scales
ex. BC rainforest is an ecosystem & a whale carcass is an ecosystem

Abiotic Factors

non-living parts of ecosystems
ex. water, light, temperature, air, salinity, and heavy metals.

Biotic Factors

living parts of ecosystems
ex. plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and unicellular eukaryotes.

What are some examples of how humans are part of the ecosystem?

Urban, grasslands, national parks, agricultural ecosystems (agroecosystems)

Scientific Method

A systematic method of inquiry used to develop and test explanations of the natural world through observation and experimentation.

Hypothesis

A proposed explanation that accounts for observations of the natural world, proposing a cause-and-effect mechanism that must be testable and falsifiable.

True or False: Hypothesis are not proven, they are either supported or falsified

True

If urban ecosystems are altered to

bee diversity and. abundance is low in urban ecosystems, then

We hypothesized if A. thaliana seedlings are exposed to insufficient phosphate levels, then their root architecture will be limited compared to the seedlings grown in sufficient phosphate levels, as phosphate is critical for juvenile root growth. If experimental data supports the hypothesis, the experimental group will have delayed maturation compared to the control group. The seedlings will have shorter, less branched out roots that won’t be able to absorb as much nutrients, making the leaves smaller and frail. In the event of a null hypothesis, the difference between the mean root lengths will be insignificant. Any variance patterns will therefore have been a result of natural variation.