Finals Bio
Epilimnion - the upper layer of water in a stratified lake
FPOM - fine particulate organic matter
Fundamental niche - the full potential range of physical, chemical, and biological conditions and resources an organism could theoretically use if there were no competition from other species
CPOM - coarse particulate organic matter
Realized niche - the set of conditions that can exist when competitors are present
Hypolimnion - the lower layer of water in a stratified lake
Semelparous - reproduction occurs once and then parents die (produce many offspring)
Littoral zone - the shallow, sloped area where the land and water meet in a lake, river, or sea
Intraguild predation - 2 predators that compete for the same food and also eat each other
Iteroparous - reproduction occurs multiple times over several years (produce few offspring)
Limnetic zone - the highest level of water where the most light hits and the most photosynthesis is occurring
r-selected species - many small offspring, early reproductive age, generalist, low ability to compete
Type I, II, and III survival curve - refers to the three different patterns observed in how organisms within a population survive throughout their lifespan, with Type 1 showing high survival rates until old age, Type 2 showing a constant mortality rate across all ages, and Type 3 showing high mortality early in life with few surviving to adulthood
Profundal zone - the middle level of lakes that has some light, but no photosynthesis
k-selected species - fewer large offspring, later reproductive age, specialists, stable population size
Marxist views of population growth - poverty is the result of unequal distribution of wealth, the world has enough resources
Cornucopian views of population growth - technology can raise carrying capacity, humans are the ultimate resource
Malthusian views of population growth - there is a finite amount of resources on the planet and many have already been depleted.
Benthic Zone (Benthos) - bottom of a lake
Logistic growth - a type of population growth where the growth rate is influenced by the population size
Consumption overpopulation - where the collective consumption of resources by humans exceeds the Earth's capacity to replenish them
Euphotic zone - the upper zone of the ocean that receives enough sunlight to support the growth of phytoplankton and algae
Exponential growth - a population increase where the growth rate is proportional to the current population size
Elaisome - a fleshy structure found on the surface of many plant seeds that attracts ants to help disperse the seeds
Bathyal zone - The bathypelagic zone or bathyal zone is the part of the open ocean that extends from a depth of 1,000 to 4,000 m below the ocean surface. It lies between the mesopelagic above and the abyssopelagic below
Negative density-dependent regulation - negative effect proportionately greater when the population is high
Phoresy - a temporary relationship when an organism attaches itself to a host organism solely for travel
Abyssal zone - the part of the ocean that extends from 3,000 to 6,500 meters below the surface
Negative density-independent regulation - negative effect is the same regardless of population density
Constitutive plant defense - defenses that are always present
Pelagic zone - the open, free waters away from the shore, where marine life can swim freely in any direction
Positive density-dependent regulation (Allee Effect) - increasing anti-predator benefits w/ herd size
Inducible plant defense - defenses that are made when a plant is attacked
Intertidal zone - the area between the high and low tide marks where the land and ocean meet
Island Biogeography Theory - Islands further from the mainland receive fewer species than closer ones, and there are more extinctions on small islands than on large ones.
Physical plant defense - structures that are always present that help defend the plant. (Thorns, spines, etc)
Estuary - where freshwater and saltwater meet
Epiphyte - plants that grow on other plants
Qualitative plant chemical defenses - poison herbivore/modify behavior
Quantitative plant chemical defenses - impede digestion, and may cause constipation
Myrmecophile - a species that lives among ant populations
Biotic plant defense - when species such as ants/spiders protect a plant
Stream linkage number - a unique number assigned to each segment of a channel between junctions
Batesian mimicry - a harmless species resembles a dangerous one
Masting - synchronized overproduction within a population
Stream order number - a numerical system that classifies streams and rivers based on their position in a stream network
Mullerian mimicry - when multiple dangerous species resemble each other
Positive feedback loop - when the product of a reaction leads to an increase in that reaction
Watershed - an area of land that channels rainfall, snowmelt, and runoff into a common body of water
Aposematic coloration - a defense mechanism that animals use to warn predators that they are toxic or harmful in some way
Negative feedback loop - a normal biological response in which the effects of a reaction slow or stop that reaction
Endorheic lake - a body of water that does not flow into an ocean or sea and has no apparent outlet
Gilbertian mimicry - where prey imitates its predator
10% rule with respect to trophic transfer - only 10% of the energy available at one trophic level is passed on to the next trophic level in an ecosystem
Lake turnover - when a lake's water mixes from top to bottom
Vavilovian mimicry - where a weed evolves to share characteristics with a crop plant
Energy pyramids - Shows how much energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next
Number pyramids - Represents the total mass of living organisms at each trophic level.
biomass pyramids - Shows the number of individual organisms at each trophic level.
Eutrophic lake - an old lake characterized by murky shallow water
Aggressive mimicry - appearing harmless, when actually dangerous
Gross primary production - the total amount of carbon that plants absorb through photosynthesis
Mesotrophic lake - in between oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes with moderate signs of age
Wassmanian mimicry - a type of mimicry where one organism evolves to look like another in order to live with it (social parasites)
Net primary production - the rate at which plants convert carbon dioxide and water into energy-rich carbon compounds
Oligotrophic lake - a young lake that is typically very clear and deep
Parasitism - one benefits, while the other is harmed
Ecotone - a region of transition between two biological communities.
River continuum concept - describes the entire river system as a continuously integrating series of physical gradients as the river flows from headwater to mouth.
Parasitoidism - one benefits while one is eventually killed
Autotroph - An autotroph is an organism that can convert abiotic sources of energy into energy stored in organic compounds, which can be used by other organisms.
Shredder - organisms that cut or chew pieces of living or dead plant material
Commensalism - one benefits while the other is neither helped nor harmed
Obligate Commensalism - one organism (the commensal) completely depends on another organism (the host) for survival
Facultative Commensalism - one organism benefits from another without harming it, but the relationship is not essential for survival
Species rarefaction curve - a graph that shows the number of species in a community as a function of the number of samples taken. It's used to assess the richness and diversity of species in a community and to determine if more samples are needed
Collector - organisms that feed on fine particulate organic matter or other small particles
Mutualism - both individuals benefit
Obligate mutualism - the relationship is necessary for both to survive
Facultative Mutualism - both benefit, but both parties could survive on their own
Primary consumers - those that consume the primary producers (plants)
Secondary consumers - an organism that eats primary consumers
Tertiary consumers - an organism that occupies the highest level in a food chain, feeding primarily on secondary consumers
Keystone species - species that have a disproportionately large influence on community structure and species diversity because of their ecological role
Robert Paine - coined the keystone species concept to explain the importance of keystone species on their ecosystems
Endoparasitism - a parasite that lives inside its host
Mesoparasitism - parasite partially embedded in its host
Ectoparasitism - a parasite that lives on the outside of its host
Pro-natalist policies - policies that encourage families to have children (tax breaks, family leave etc)
Trophic cascade - when predators in a food web suppress the abundance or alter the behavior of their prey thereby releasing the next lower trophic level from predation.
Competitive exclusion principle - two species cannot coexist if they compete for the same limited resources
Dependency load - a ratio that measures the pressure on the working-age population to support those who are not typically in the labor force
Demographic transition - a theory and phenomenon that describes the historical shift from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates