Unit 14 & 15 Ecology Vocabulary Flashcards

Test Dates

• A-Day: Tuesday, April 15th
• B-Day: Monday, April 14th

Section 1: Studying Ecology

• Ecology: Study of relationships between living things and their environment, encompassing various aspects such as interactions, distributions, and patterns of organisms in their habitats.
• Balanced Relationships: Healthy environments maintain a balance where organisms coexist, exemplified by how sharks control ray populations, preventing overgrazing of sea grass beds.
• Unbalanced Relationships: An unhealthy environment occurs when the balance is disrupted, such as the removal of sharks leading to overpopulation of rays, which can devastate marine ecosystems.
• Ecologists: Scientists who study ecology at various levels, focusing on:
  1. Organism: An individual living being, examining its behavior, physiology, and interaction with other organisms.
  2. Population: A group of the same species in a particular area, analyzing density, distribution, and dynamics over time.
  3. Community: Different species living together in an area, exploring interactions like competition, predation, and mutualism.
  4. Ecosystem: Biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) components of an area, studying energy flow and nutrient cycling within the system.
  5. Biome: Major regional ecosystems with organism adaptations to specific environmental conditions, such as desert or tropical regions.
• Ecosystem Components:
  • Biotic Factors: Living components such as animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria, which interact with each other and their environment.
  • Abiotic Factors: Nonliving components such as moisture, temperature, sunlight, soil, and nutrients that influence the ecosystem.

Biodiversity

• Biodiversity: Variety of species in a specific area, essential for ecosystem resilience and stability; can be high, medium, or low based on environmental factors.
• Example ecosystems for biodiversity:
  • High Biodiversity: Sonoran Desert, Great Barrier Reef - areas with complex, interdependent species.
  • Low Biodiversity: North Pole - limited species diversity due to extreme conditions.
• Keystone Species: Organisms with a disproportionately large impact on their ecosystem structure; their removal can lead to ecosystem collapse, like the role of wolves in maintaining balance in Yellowstone National Park.

Section 2: Energy in Ecosystems

• Sun: Primary energy source for most ecosystems, driving photosynthesis and supporting food webs.
• Photosynthesis: Process by which producers (autotrophs like plants) convert sunlight into energy, producing oxygen and organic materials, crucial for sustaining life.
• Consumers: Organisms that consume other living things:
  • Herbivores: Eat only plants (e.g., giraffes, rabbits).
  • Carnivores: Eat other animals (e.g., cheetahs, lions).
  • Omnivores: Eat both plants and animals (e.g., grizzly bears, humans).
  • Decomposers: Break down dead organic matter (e.g., fungi and bacteria), returning nutrients to the soil for reuse by producers.

Energy Flow in Ecosystems

• Food Chain: Sequence of feeding relationships showing energy transfer from producers to various consumer levels.
• Trophic Levels: Different levels of nourishment:
  1. Producers (autotrophs)
  2. Primary Consumers (herbivores)
  3. Secondary Consumers (carnivores)
  4. Tertiary Consumers (Apex Carnivores)
• Food Web: Complex network of feeding relationships; combines multiple food chains to show interconnections among species.

Section 3: Models and Cycles

• Energy Pyramid: Compares energy use across trophic levels; only 10% of energy is passed between levels due to energy loss as heat, illustrating inefficiencies in energy transfer.
• Biogeochemical Cycles: Movement of chemical elements through biotic and abiotic parts of ecosystems:
  • Carbon Cycle: Involves photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition, regulating carbon levels in the environment.
  • Oxygen Cycle: Interaction of oxygen in respiration and photosynthesis, crucial for life processes.
  • Water Cycle: Continuous movement of water through precipitation, evaporation, and transpiration, supporting life and shaping our climate.

Section 4: Populations

• Population Characteristics:
  • Density: Individuals per unit area; important for understanding species interactions and resource availability.
  • Formula: \text{Population density} = \frac{\text{Number of individuals}}{\text{Area (units}^2)}
  • Dispersion: Spatial distribution of individuals in a population (clumped, uniform, random), influencing mating, resource use, and survival.
  • Survivorship Curves: Graphs showing survival rates across various ages; they provide insights into species' reproductive strategies and mortality rates.
  • Type I: Low infant mortality (e.g., humans).
  • Type II: Constant mortality rates (e.g., birds).
  • Type III: High infant mortality (e.g., many plants).

Section 5: Biomes

• Succession: Stages of ecological recovery following disturbance or in newly formed environments.
  • Primary Succession: Begins in lifeless areas; soil is created by pioneer species such as lichens and mosses.
  • Secondary Succession: Reestablishment of an ecosystem in areas where soil remains after a disturbance (e.g., after a fire or flood).
• Biome Types:
  1. Tropical Rainforest: Hot and humid, with high rainfall year-round; supports immense biodiversity.
  2. Grassland: Dominated by grasses; periodic fires and grazing maintain ecosystem health.
  3. Desert: Very dry with minimal rain; organisms have adaptations to conserve water.
  4. Temperate Forest: Experiences distinct seasons; characterized by deciduous trees that shed leaves in fall.
  5. Taiga: Boreal forests characterized by coniferous trees; long, harsh winters.
  6. Tundra: Cold environment with permafrost and limited vegetation; sensitive to climate change.

Section 6: Protecting Resources

• Resource Types:
  • Renewable resources: Resources that replenish naturally over time (e.g., solar, wind).
  • Nonrenewable resources: Finite resources that do not replenished quickly (e.g., fossil fuels).
• Pollution: Adverse environmental effects resulting from human activities:
  • Air Pollution: Emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere, leading to health issues and climate change (e.g., smog, acid rain).
  • Water Pollution: Contamination of water bodies through point source (specific discharge) and nonpoint source (diffused discharge) pollution.
  • Biomagnification: Toxins that accumulate in organisms through the food chain, impacting top consumers most severely.
• Human Impact: Activities such as habitat loss, introduction of invasive species, overfishing, and decreasing biodiversity have significant consequences on ecosystem health and stability.
• Sustainable Practices: Emphasizing the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle to preserve resources and ensure a healthier environment for future generations.

• Note: Focus on conservation methods for a balanced ecosystem to ensure a healthier planet for the future.