Ecology terms Exam I

Ecology

The scientific study of interactions between organisms and

their environment

The scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment

Ecology definition

Niche

An organism's portion of a habitat; the physical and environmental conditions required by an organism

Haeckel

Person: Developed niches; focused on environmental factors that determine where a species can survive.

Elton

Person said that a niche is determined by an organism's interactions with other species

Hutchinson

Who blended both ideas that both biotic and abiotic factors influence a species; created the N-dimensional hypervolume model

N-dimensional hypervolume model

Describes a species niche

Fundamental niche

Entire set of conditions under which an animal can survive and reproduce

Realized niche

Set of conditions actually used by an animal after interactions with other species have been taken into account

Niche breadth

The diversity of resources used, or environments

tolerated

Specialist

Species with narrow niches

Generalist

Species with broad niches

Principle of competitive exclusion

Two species cannot coexist if the occupy exactly the same niche

Resource partitioning

Evolution of distinct niches by two species

whose niches overlap

Plato

Person: Balance of nature

4 B.C.

Year: Plato and Theophrastus

Theophrastus

Person: “Father of botany”

De Buffon

Person: Ecological succession

1750

Year: De Buffon

Malthus

Person: Population growth (grows until limit is reached)

1798

Year: Malthus

Willdenow

Person: Similar climate have similar flora

1800

Year: Willdenow

Von Humboldt

Person: Temperature and moisture control global plant distribution; “father of environmentalism”; claimed Africa and South America where once connected; did lots of things for different sciences

1809

Year: Von Humboldt

1869

Year: Haeckel

Warming

Person: Founder of plant ecology (environmental adaptions of plants)

1903

Year: Warming

Clements and Shelford

People: Biomes

1900s

Year: Clements and Shelford

Lindeman

Person: Tropic ecology; energy is lost as tropic levels increase

1942

Year: Lindeman

1960s

Year: Ecology movement

Temperature and precipitation

Biomes are shaped by…

Tundra

Northernmost parts of the globe, long cold winters

Coniferous forest

Aka taiga/boreal forest. Long, cold winters

Deciduous forest

Broad-leaf trees, loose their leaves seasonally

Grasslands

Every continent except antarctica. Flat, grassy, scant tree cover

Desert

Both cold and warm climates. Defined by dryness

The ecology movement

Accelerated environmental activism and ecological consciousness

Environmental justice movement

Hazards of industrial pesticides, overdevelopment of open spaces, radioactive fallout, lead poisoning, oil spills

First earth day

April 22, 1970

Autecology

Study of a single species in relationship to their environment (physiological and population)

Synecology

Study of homogenous or heterogenous groups of organisms in relationship to environment (community and biome/ecosystem)

Physical environments

Determines where organisms can live

Abiotic factors

Non-living environmental components that influence life, survival, growth, and reproduction (climate, light, water, soil, temperature)

Leibig

Person: Law of the minimum

1840

Year: Leibig

Law of the minimum

The growth (of anything) is limited by the scarcest resource [aka: Limiting factor]

Probably not

Does one single factor limit an entire community?

Maybe

Can one single factor limit an entire species?

Probably

Can one single factor limit a whole population?

Yes

Can one single factor limit an individual?

Yes

Can limiting factors change?

Light

Electromagnetic radiation within a certain portion of the

electromagnetic spectrum

Visible light

Light visible to the human eye

Radio, microwave, infrared

Order: visible light

Radio, Microwave, infrared, ultraviolet, x-ray, gamma ray

Order: Electromagnetic spectrum

Frequency

What are wavelengths categorized by?

Short wavelength

High energy/frequency

Long wavelength

Low energy/frequency

8

How many minutes does it take for light to reach the Earth from the Sun?

Photons; 186,000

Light is made of _____, that travel _____ miles/sec

Clouds and aerosols

1/3 of light is reflected by?

Ozone, clouds, and water vapor

1/5 of light is absorbed by?

Land and water

½ of light is absorbed by?

Albedo

The amount of solar radiation that a surface reflects

High albedo

High reflectivity (snow)

Low albedo

Low reflectivity (dark soil, tropics)

Wavelength

Not all pigments absorb the same _______.

Forest canopies

Variation in light (can block up to 99.75% of sunlight)

Temperature

Limiting factors of canopies: Cooler understory

Moisture

Limiting factors of canopies: Less evaporation, high soil _____

Evapotranspiration

Limiting factors of canopies: Decreased __________

Compensation levels

Level at which the rate of photosynthesis= rate of respiration (making just enough to cover needs; not growing or dying)

Angle of incidence

Variation in light: Angle at which sunlight strikes a surface

Direct hit

Closer to the equator; stronger and more concentrated

Lower angle

Closer to the poles; spread over a larger area

Season

Another word for angle of incidence: angle of sunlight changes throughout the year

Summer

Your region tilts towards the sun (more direct sunlight)

Winter

Your region tilts away (lower angle, less intense sunlight)

Photoperiod

Variation in light: Length of the day over 24 hours (changes throughout the year

Breaking dormancy

Effects of photoperiods on plants: Many plants will start growing as days grow longer

Bud formation

Effects of photoperiods on plants: Grow buds as days grow shorter to prepare for winter

Flowering

Effects of photoperiods on plants: Plants flower on different length days

Water

Variation in light: _____ filters out specific wavelengths

Red, infrared, and ultraviolet

What “colors” get absorbed quickly in water?

Saltwater

50% of sunlight lost by 1.5m

Freshwater

50% of sunlight is lost by ~3m

Pigment

Plant adaptions to canopies: Increase ________ levels so it can absorb wavelengths that are more likely to pass through the canopy.

Chloroplasts

Plant adaptions to canopies: Orient _______ perpendicular to light; more directly faces the light, helps absorb more light

Larger; thinner

Plant adaptions to canopies: Grow ______ and ______ leaves; more surface area to catch light

Leaves

Plant adaptions to canopies: Orient ______ perpendicular to light; maximize exposure to light (physical movement)

Leaves

Plant adaptions to canopies: Produce ______ earlier before the canopy is fully leafed out

Photoinhibition

Light-induced reduction in photosynthetic capacity (common for algae); too much light

Electron transport chain

Too much light: Causes the _____ ______ ______ to leak electrons

Chlorophyll/chloroplast

Too much light: Damage _______/_______

Death

Too much light: Can lead to plant ______

Red

Plants living closer to the water surface will absorb more _____ light