Ecology

Part of module 2

Ecology

The study of the relationship of an organism to another organism and their surroundings

Biosphere

Parts of Earth where life exists

Community

A group of different species of organisms living in the same place. Simple: group of several species in a common location. Ex. forest of trees and plants with animals living in it and bacteria in the soil

Species

A group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding

Population

All the inhabitants of the same species in a particular area

Ecosystem

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment; includes both biotic and abiotic factors

Biome

Large geographical area of distinctive plant and animal groups.

Biotic

Anything that is or was living. Ex. Trees, flowers, insects

Abiotic

Physical rather than biological; not derived from living organisms; in other words, have never been [associated] with living

Habitat

The natural environment of an animal, plant, or other organism. Simple: The natural home of an organism. Ex. frog in a pond, caterpillar on a leaf in a tree

Trophic Level

Any class of organisms that occupy the same position in a food chain: producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and tertiary consumers

Producer/Autotroph

Organisms that obtain energy from sunlight and get nutrients from carbon dioxide. Ex. PLANTS and some BACTERIA

Consumer/Heterotroph

An organism that cannot manufacture its own food and instead obtains its food and energy by taking in organic substances, usually plant or animal matter

Herbivore

An organism that only eats plants to obtain its energy. Ex. A cow eating grass

Carnivore

An organism that only eats meat to obtain its energy. Ex. A wolf eating a deer

Omnivore

An organism that eats a variety of both plants and meat to obtain its energy

Detritus

Waste or debris of any kind left behind by all organisms

Decomposer

Consumer that returns unused resources and nutrients to soil through digestion outside of the body; return nutrients for the producers to use

Food Web

A system of interlocking and interdependent food chains; typically displaying all of the possible food chains in an ecosystem

Food Chain

A hierarchical series of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food

Pyramid of energy

A graphical model showing the transfer of energy between one organism to another in an ecosystem-the amount of energy received by each organism above on the pyramid decreases each time

Biomass Pyramid

An accurate indication of how much living material is passed on at each trophic level- decreases each time as the pyramid gets taller

Evaporation

The changing of a liquid into a gas, often under the influence of heat

Transpiration

The process where plants absorb water through the roots and then give off water vapor through pores in their leaves

Biogeochemical cycle

A pathway by which a chemical substance moves through both biotic (biosphere) and abiotic (lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere) compartments of Earth

Nitrogen Fixation

The conversion of N2 [atmospheric nitrogen; nitrogen gas] to NH4+ [organic compounds; ammonium] and then nitrite to nitrate, a form of N which plants can use

Algal bloom

A rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in a water system; resulting in colored scum on the surface of the body of water

Limiting Nutrient

A nutrient that is vital to a species; therefore, when in low amounts or in complete absence the species begins to weaken or grow slower

Ecological Succession

A series of changes over time in the types of organisms in an ecosystem

Primary Succession

The appearance of organisms in an area previously devoid of life and soil, such as a lava flow or quarrying

Pioneer species

The first stages of ecological succession. Common species include lichens, bacteria, and fungi. These species usually have the ability to survive in harsh environments while others can't

Secondary Succession

A change in a community's species' composition following a disturbance

Photic zone

Also known as the 'sunlit zone', the area in bodies of water in which sunlight can penetrate through, typically 200 m from the surface of the water body. Organisms who are producers (through photosynthesis) are found on this layer/zone

Aphotic zone

Anything under the photic zone; where there is slight to no sunlight. No photosynthesizing organisms are found here

Symbiosis

A usually long term, close interaction between two organisms of different species

Predator-prey relationship

When predators consume prey, while prey are consumed by predators. The populations of both prey and predators constantly increase and decrease- keeps a healthy balance

Mutualism

A relationship between two organisms ,of different species, in which both species benefit from the interaction

Commensalism

An association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other receives no harm or benefit

Parasitism

A non-mutual relationship between two organisms in different species in which the parasite benefits from the interaction with the host, and the host is harmed

Demography

Changes in birth, death, disease, etc. in a population

Age-structure diagram

Also typically known as a population pyramid, this diagram displays the distribution of a population at different ages

Rapid Growth

Developing Countries; where there are more young people (births) than old (deaths)

Slow Growth

Stable Countries (Developed); where the difference in the amount of births and the amount of deaths is not very big

Zero Growth

Developed Countries; where there is no significant difference in the amount of births and deaths; population will remain the same

Population density

The amount of organisms per given unit of area

Immigration

The organisms entering a community/ecosystem; increases the population

Emmigration

The organisms leaving a community/ecosystem; decreases a population

Exponential growth

"J" curve. The population size increasing at a constant and steady rate; eg. invasive species

Logistic growth

"S" curve. A population size increases until it hits the carrying capacity, and then the size grows slowly until it reaches a maximum; this time of growth is IDEAL and REQUIRED for a good, substantial population in an environment

Carrying capacity

The highest amount of population that an environment can withstand; limiting factors affect how high or low a carrying capacity is

Limiting factor

Any environmental factor that - by its decrease, increase, absence, or presence - limits the growth, metabolic processes, or distribution of organisms or populations

Density-dependent limiting factor

Any factor limiting the size of a population whose effect is dependent on the number of individuals in the population

Density-independent limiting factor

Any factor limiting the size of a population whose effect is not dependent on the number of individuals in the population

Niche

Displays how an organism fits into an ecosystem - the role or position it has; note that only one species of organisms can live in a niche

Resource partitioning

Describes how species use the same resources but in different ways or at different times

Competitive exclusion principle

States there cannot be more than one species playing the exact same role in an ecosystem

Herbivory

The relationship an animal has with the plants that it eats

Keystone species

An animal or plant that plays a critical role in the overall health of an ecosystem

Invasive species

A non-native species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health

Aquatic succession

The predictable pattern of where a body of water gradually becomes solid ground

Eutrophication

The addition of limiting nutrients to an aquatic ecosystem that causes rapid growth of algae and eventual death of animal life

Intraspecific competition

Competition between members of the same species

Interspecific competition

Competition between members of different species

Ecological equivalents

species that occupy similar niches but live in different geographical regions

10% rule

Only 10% of the energy in one trophic level gets passed onto the next trophic level

Deflected succession/Plagioclimax

A community that remains stable only because human activity prevents succession

Age structure diagram

graph of the numbers of males and females within different age groups of a population