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Biology II
ECOLOGY
30
Biology
Undergraduate 2
10/09/2012

Additional Biology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
COMMUNITY
Definition
  • Assemblage of many populations that live in the same place at the same time.
  • Variety of scales, can be nested
Term
COMMUNITY ECOLOGY
Definition

Studies how groups of species interact and form functional communities

Term
SPECIES RICHNESS
Definition

Number of species in each community.

 

Varies according to geographic range.

  • Increasing from polar to temperate, max in tropics.
  • Increases by topographical variation.
  • Reduced by peninsular effect.
Term

TIME HYPOTHESIS

for latitudinal gradient

 

Drawback: doesn't work with marine organisms.

Definition

Communities diversify (gain species) with time.

Temperate regions younger = less diverse.

 

Drawback?

 

Term

AREA HYPOTHESIS

for latitudinal gradient

 

Drawback: Asia, Tundra, open ocean have low richness by area.

 

Definition

Larger area =  more species: can support larger populations and a range of habitats.

 

Drawback?

Term

PRODUCTIVITY HYPOTHESIS

for latitudinal gradient

 

Support: more plants in warm & wet areas.

Drawback: some tropical seas have low productivity but high richness; sub-Antarctic Ocean has high productivity but low richness.

 

Definition

more plants = more production = more species

 

Support?

Drawback?

Term

INTERMEDIATE-DISTURBANCE HYPOTHESIS

for latitudinal gradient

 

Support: coral reefs (hurricanes), tropical forests (landslides and treefalls)

Definition

Highest number of species with intermediate levels of disturbance.

Disturbance by natural disasters or species interactions i.e. herbivory, predation, parasitism

 

Support?

Term
SUCCESSION
Definition

 

Gradual and continuous change in species composition and community structure over time.

 

Each colonizing species makes the environment a little different.

Term
PRIMARY SUCCESSION
Definition
succession on a newly exposed site
Term
SECONDARY SUCCESSION
Definition
succession on a site with life but that has undergone a disturbance
Term
CLIMAX COMMUNITY
Definition
Endpoint of succession?
Term
SERE
Definition

Each phase of succession = ______

-disturbance might set the community back to earlier ___

Term

FACILITATION

 

Definition
Colonizing species changed the environment so that it becomes more suitable for the next species.
Term
INHIBITION
Definition

Early colonists may exclude subsequent colonists.

 

-what gets there first determines later community structure

 

Term
COMPETITION-INTOLERANT
Definition

Species more successful at first

 

Term
COMPETITION-INTOLERANT
Definition
species appear later
Term
ECOSYSTEM
Definition

Community of organisms in an area + the abiotic environment affecting that community.

-difficult to give "boundaries"

Term
ECOSYSTEM'S ECOLOGY
Definition
Concerned with the movement of energy and materials through organisms and their communities.
Term
HETEROTROPHS
Definition
Eat other organisms.
Term
HERBIVORES
Definition

Primary consumers eat primary producers.

 

Term
CARNIVORES
Definition
Secondary consumers eat primary consumers.
Term

DETRITIVORES


or decomposers

Definition
Eat detritus -- plant & animal remains, waste.
Term
AUTOTROPHS
Definition

Use light or chemical to gain energy.

Primary producers form the base of the food chain.

Term
CHEMOAUTOTROPH
Definition
Oxidize inorganic compounds
Term
FOOD CHAIN
Definition
Linear depiction of energy flow.
Term
TROPHIC LEVEL
Definition
Each feeding level in a chain is a ____ ____.
Term
FOOD WEB
Definition
More complex models have interconnected food chains.
Term
CHAIN LENGTHS
Definition

Short in most food webs.

# of links beween levels.

Usually less than 6 levels.

Based on laws of physics and chemistry.

 

Term
2ND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS
Definition
Energy conversions are not 100% efficient.
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