Unit 2 Ecological Relationships and Energy

Terms in this set (82)

study the relationships of animals, plants, and their environment

interdependence

organisms rely on interaction with their environment for survival

portion of the earth & atmosphere supporting life

all the living & non-living things in a particular environment

all the living things in an area

all the same species living in the same area

an individual in the area

living parts of an environment

abiotic factors

non-living parts of an environment (physical & chemical)

place where an organism lives

the organism's role in the environment (usually based on what they eat)

broad niche with a wide tolerance for changes, able to use a variety of resources

narrow niche with small tolerance level to changes, uses specific resources

tolerance curve

a graph showing the range of conditions an organism can survive

some living things can adjust their tolerance to abiotic factors in their environment

organisms that do not control their internal conditions

organisms that use energy to control their internal conditions

hide and reduce activity for the duration of unsuitable conditions

relocate away from unsuitable conditions

make their own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis

energy made by producers (after biological processes) available to consumers

the amount of living organic material produced in an ecosystem

gets energy by eating other organisms

eat other consumers

eat producers and consumers

feed on "garbage" or dead organic matter (worms, millipedes, vultures)

break down dead organic matter into simpler molecules (fungi and bacteria)

position in a series of energy transfers in a food chain

keystone species

Has disproportionately large effect on the ecosystem, dictates community structure

water vapor enter the atmosphere

evaporation of water through the leaves of plants

water vapor that leaves the atmosphere

converting light energy into organic compounds (C6H12O6)

cellular respiration

breaks down sugar to release energy and CO2 is released into atmosphere

burning of fossil fuels for energy releases CO2

nitrogen fixation

bacteria convert nitrogen gas (N2) to usable form, NH3 (ammonia)

decomposers break down wastes (urine, feces, death) to NH3

bacteria convert NH3 to nitrates (NO3-), these are fertilizers that plants can use

plants absorb nitrate to make amino acids (enters food chain)

denitrification

bacteria return nitrogen to atmosphere (NO3- --> N2)

random dispersion

population is randomly scattered throughout the area

uniform dispersion

very evenly spaced from each other, usually due to social interactions

clumped dispersion

population is clustered together, usually around resources or due to social behavior

Type I survivorship curve

low birth rate, low infant mortality, survives to old age
Ex. Humans and large mammals

Type II survivorship curve

Survivorship rate is equal at all ages
Ex. Birds and reptiles

Type III survivorship curve

High birth rate and high infant mortality rate, if survives infancy has a good chance of living a long life
Ex. Fish, insects, plants

Growth Rate equation

(births - deaths)/(# of individuals in the population)

Exponential Growth

Type of growth that shows slow growth at first, followed by increasingly faster rates of growth
Birth and death rates are constant, births are higher than deaths
Limited by density-independent factors

Logistic Growth

Population growth starts out fast as there are more births than deaths
Slows down, then levels off when the carrying capacity (K) is reached
Limited by density dependent factors

carrying capacity (K)

the number of individuals the environment can support over time

Density-independent factors

no regard for population density
Limits exponential growth
Examples: Weather, seasons, natural disasters

Density-dependent factors

increase or become more prominent when the population density increases
Limits logistic growth
Ex. Predation, pollution, food storage, crowding

Agricultural Revolution

humans started to domesticate animals and grow plants for food
This stabilized and increased the food supply
Population started to increase at a much faster rate

The Population Explosion

sharp decline in the death rate due to better sanitation and hygiene
and increased availability of food

Percent of the world living in developed countries

Percent of the world living in developing countries

one species eats another

organism that eats another organism

cryptic coloration disguises an animal so it's less visible to predators or prey

warning coloration

intended not to camouflage an organism but to make it more noticeable
bright coloring to warn potential aggressors of toxicity

physical or behavior resemblance of one species to another

action by prey just before death that is unexpected by predator

alluring coloration

animals are colored so a predator's attention is drawn to a non-vital part of the prey's body

deceptive markings

markings that resemble fake eyes or false heads to startle predator

close ecological relationship between two or more organisms of different species that live in direct contact

(+/+)
Both organisms benefit

(+/0)
One benefits and one is neither helped nor harmed

(+/-)
One organism lives on or in a host and harms it, but does not immediately kill it

small and lives on or in the host organism

occurs when two organisms fight for the same limited resources

intraspecific competition

competition between organisms of the same species

interspecific competition

competition between different species

competitive exclusion

when two species are competing for the same resources and one species is better suited to the niche, result of interspecific competition

character displacement

evolution of different characteristics due to competition for resources

niche/resource partitioning

dividing of niche by two competing species (e.g. top or tree, or bottom of tree)

innate behavior

Inherited actions that are performed effectively from birth

learned behavior

Actions that change with experience

cyclic behaviors

develop due to changes in the environment
ex. migration, hibernation

social group benefits

for protection and successful foraging

an individual sacrifices its survival for the benefit of the group

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

OTHER SETS BY THIS CREATOR

THIS SET IS OFTEN IN FOLDERS WITH...

;