What is Ecology
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Complete list of Terms and Definitions for What is Ecology

Terms Definitions
electro electricty
Hydrosphere Water
Figure 2.15 ?
hervivores primary producers
all living things ecosphere
# of levels 4
Troposphere -Altitude, what "layer?"
consumer eats other living things
l'érosion des sols soil erosion
immigration migration TO a location
dominance hierarchy pecking-order in non-territorial animals to compete for mates
herbivore heterotroph that eats only plants
Savannas wide fluctuation in temperatures, seasonal drought
body armor thorns, spines, or prickles;
Anoxic Having a low oxygen concentration.
herbavore consumor thst eats only producers
decomposers breaks down dead food material
developing countries developed and high income
transpiration evaporation from the leaves of plants
G.F. Gause developed the competitive exclusion principle
Ecological Succession How ecosystems change over time
consumers heterotrophs; organisms that rely on other organisms for energy and nutrients
Biological Magnification magnified throughout different species consuming each other; may be like DDT
ecology the study of interactions between organisms with each other and their environment.
Latent Heat Heat loss due to evaporation
Mutualism An interaction between two speices that benefit both partners.
lag time time before negative/positive effects on a population are realized
biomes major terrestrial or aquatic life zones
Exponential Population grows as fast as possible-unlimited resources, so unlimited growth
biome ecosystems with similar biotic and abiotic factors all over the world
eutrophication PROCESS THAT CHANGES POPULATION TYPES IN BODIES OF WATER BY DUMPING NUTRIENT RICH SEWAGE AND FERTILIZER RUNOFF IN TO THE LAKE
When plants secrete chemicals that prevent other plants from growing around them: allelopathy
Emigration The amount of individuals leaving their population towards another population.
Taxonomy practice of classifying plants and animals according to their presumed natural relationships
Host An organism that supports a parisite.
Steppe A treeless grassland dominated by grasses and thistles.
K-strategists Reduced quantity of offspring with increased parental care, characterized by slow growth & development, delayed reproduction,
realized niche the actual niche of a species
deciduous these trees drop their leaves as winter approaches and grow new leaves in spring.
Microclimate Climate within a small area that differs significantly from the climate of the surrounding area.
tundra located in the far northern parts; called permafrost or frozen desert, permanently frozen subsoil. lots of birds in summer to eat abundant insects. arctic animals.
evolution changes that occur within a species over time
Negative density-dependence A population response to increasing density that depresses survival and birth rates.
Decomposer organism that breaks down the wastes or remains of other organisms
Cell Wall provides a protective and supportive barrier in plant cells made of cellulase (plant fibre)
autotroph organisms that can convert energy from sunlight or chemicals into forms living cells can use (make their own food)
detritivore organism that feeds on plant and animal remains and other dead matter
Intraspecific Competition competition amongst members of the same species.
Omnivore All living organisms that eat both meat and vegetation.
Chemosynthesis process by which some organisms, such as certain bacteria, use chemical energy to produce carbohydrates
Janzen studied the history of tropical dry forests in Costa Rica to aid in restoration efforts
Legumes Have nodules in the roots containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria
desert cicadas cool by secreting fluids from plants
eutrophic a nutrient rich, oxygen poor lake having a high rate of biological productivity
Population Density number of individuals per unit area
Niche (ecology) the status of an organism within its environment and community (affecting its survival as a species)
Respiration series of chemcial reactions used to release energy stored in food molecules.
carnivore an organism that eats only other animals including insects (lion)
biogeochemical cycle process in which nutrients are recycled through the biosphere, ex. carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous
Population a group of organisms from the same species
Abiotic Factors The nonliving parts of an organisms habitat.
heterotroph eat other organisms or biotic wate to obtain energy and carbon
territory an area that one or more individuals defend and from which other members of the same species are usually excluded
Sampling the selection of a suitable sample for study
Community the animals and plants that make up the ecosystem
Isogamy Sexes and gametes are roughly the same size
Parasitism the parasite benefits, the host is at a disadvantage. (eg. Sea lampreys latch onto a fish and feeds on its blood until it's full or the fish dies).
Fundamental niche The full potential range of the physical, chemical, and biological factors a species can use if there is no competition from other species.
direct and indirect (through other species or through resources) potential benefits: food, shelter, protection, pollination, seed dispersal benefits are provided at some cost, so benefits must be greater than costs for mutualisms to persist
Heterogeneity The quality or state of consisting of dissimilar elements.
Biosphere The entire life containing area of a planet-all communities and ecosystems.
Trade off between number of offspring and investment per offspring Page 1172?
green world hypothesis SUGGESTS THAT HERBIVORS CONSUME VERY LITTLE PLANT BIOMASS BECAUSE THEY ARE HELD IN CHECK BY MANY FACTORS
Disturbance An abiotic event that kills or damages some organisms and thereby creates opportunities for other organisms to grow and reproduce.
demographic transition complete when the birthrate equals or is less than death rate
prey an organism that is eaten by another organism
What is the term for a photosynthetic eukaryotic unicellular or multicellular producer that does not produce an embryo? alga
What is genetic drift? Random fluctuations in allele frequency in a large distance over time
food chain one organism feeds on another and in turn is eaten by another
Species Evenness the relative abundance of species in a community or collection.
Aphotic Zone part of the ocean where light can't penetrate; chemosynthetic autotrophs
the groupings for how organisms get their food decomposers, consumers, producers decomposers, consumers, producers
ways to estimate population size mark/recapture, quadrat sampling and others...
pioneer community the first population to live in a community
Nitrogen Fixation The process of taking up nitrogen gas and converting it into chemical forms that are more chemically available to organisms.
The long term chemical and biological breakdown of rock eventually forming soil. What is weathering?
Communication any process in which a signal from one individual modifies the behavior of a recipient individual
tropic level the position an organism occupies in a food chain, e.g. producer, secondary consumer, decomposer
Population Crisis in some regions on earth the human population are growning too quickly for regions to support
density independent limiting factors limiting factors that act on the population regardless to how dense the population is (fires, flood, tidal waves)
A species of malaria-carrying mospquito lives in a forest in which two species of monkeys, A and B, coexist. Species A. is immune to malaria but species B is not. The malaria-carrying mosquito is the chief food for a particular kind of bird in the fore Increases mortality in monkey species B.
b, d, r Per capita birth rate (__), per capita death rate (__), and per capita rate of increase (__).
cohort life table follow 1 cohort (group born at the same time) over time (accurate but time consuming)
growth rate how many more or less organisms are in an area in a specific interval of time births-deaths
Example of non-random predation Seed predation often has little or no effect on abundance of plants. Seeds are NOT a random sample of a population, they represent ONE age class. Plant abundance (in some areas) is dependent on SPACE available not RECRUITMENT in to the population. Plenty of seeds, but space is in short supply, so predation on seeds will have little effect on abundance.
flow in one direction role of flash floods (spates) active and passive drift metapopulation structure dispersal in lotic environments; insect larvae, fish, salamanders
what is the birth rate per second in some developing countries? 3 babies per second
Give three examples of plant defencses against predation 1) mechanical- thorns, hooks, spines on leaves 2) chemical- morphince from poppy, nicotine from tobacco 3)
Given equal species richness, which of the following communities would probably have the higher Shannon diversity index? The community in which the relative abundances of all the species are pretty similar
What was the result of Bumpus experiment? If wings were too large or small they died, reducing variation in a population
néfaste harmful
biovre of ecosystem
cryptobiosis extreme dormancy
Abiotic Non living factors
swamps wetlands dominated by trees
la lluvia ácida acid rain
Habitat place an organism lives
Annelida Segmented worms (leeches, earthworms); segmented bodies, may have bristles on each segment
biotic something alive/used to be alive
False Only plants make secondary compounds.
Saprotrophs digests externally (by secreting digestive enzymes) and then absorbs nutrients from non-living organic matter (that they live in or on) Ex: bacteria, fungus Recycle nutrients in an ecosystem, allowing them to be reused. Also called decomposers
heterotrophs herbivores:primary consumers who eat producers (deer) carnivores: secondary consumers who eat the herbivores (bears) omnivores:secondary consumers who eat producers and consumers (humans)
nitrogen fixing bacteria nitrogen gas into ammonia
primary ecological succession dominant characteristic: soil building
What is a food Chain? Algae-Krill-Cod-Leopard Seal
DDE prevents calcium in eggshells... birds crush eggs when incubating... endangered species
symbiosis close association between organisms of 2 or more species
tolerance organism's ability to survive biotic and abiotic factors
Logistic Growth Growth for natural populations... includes a carrying capacity (k)
Macropus rufus Red, arid and semiarid interior
ecosystem all abiotic components of an environment
solo pursuit lone predators (bears, tigers, cheetahs, crocodiles, owls, sharks)
phenolics A group of secondary compounds produced by plants that hinder digestion when eaten.
There is ___________ relationship between climatic instability and species richness. no established
Streams and rivers lotic systems flowing freshwateea
physiological characteristics adaptations of their biochemical reactions (secreting slime, producing venom) which allows the to survive better
Time Lag populations don't respond immediately to changes in density
Grassland biome composed of large communities covered with grasses and similar small plants
Species group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring
resource partitioning when one species evolves through natural selection due to competition
energy released from food when work is needed, all animals/plants burn glucose into energy
adaptation the process of adapting to something (such as environmental conditions)
climate The overall weather conditions in an area over a long period of time. This would include information such as amount of rainfall, annual average temperature, and amount of incoming solar energy.
commensalism a relationship between two species in which one species benefits while the other is not affected
canopy upper layers of trees in a forest
air main sources of motor vehicles and burning of coal and fossil fuels by industry.
primary succession succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil exists
Organism a living thing, different types live in different environments. An organism obtains food, water, shelter, and other things it needs to grow and reproduce from its environment
Gross productivity Gross productivity is the entire photosynthetic production of organic compounds in an ecosystem.
Aquaculture The raising of aquatic organisms for human consumption.
Parasite consumes parts of a living prey, organism, or host
control the group used for the standard against which results are comparison in an experiment ("normal conditions" to compare the experimental group against)
carolus linnaeus developed the heiarchy of biological classification called binomial nomenclature
Food web A system of interlocking and interdependent food chains.
aquatic ecosystems salt or freshwater ecosywstens cthat cover most of the earths sufrace
Inhibition the competitive exclusion of a species from a community by the resistance/activity of the established species. Can occur through the production of a secondary chemical (allelopathy)- plants secrete allochemicals that prevent other plants from germinating or prevent root growth.
mixed-species foraging flock species that use resource partitioning to coexist
biodiversity the variety of organisms in a given area, can compare richness, evenness (the number of individual organisms that belong to each species), and species diversity
predator/prey relationship tend to follow the "bust boom" cycle
true clements notion of the climax as a closed community has been rejected by most ecologists true/false
Area, climate, diversity of niches Factors that affect biodiversity.
carrying capacity the number of individuals that a population can support indefinitely. limited by: energy, shelters, water, nesting sites, etc
Predator an animal that feeds on other animals, usually kills prey
benthic at the bottom of the ocean (clams, mussels)
Omnivores an organism that eats both plants and animals.
Cleptoparasitism form of social parasitism in which the parasite obtains a substantial portion of food by stealing
Water Cycle the continuous process by which water moves from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back
examples of C4 tropical GRASSES, sugar cane, coastal cord GRASSES, some desert shrubs
Gause claimed it is not possible for species with the same niche to coexist. Competitive exclusion principal.
Explain: Dynamic fragility -Predict communities with longer food chains less resilient and hence less likely to survive in nature -Supported by models but difficult to test with real food webs
ecological pyramids a diagram that shows the relative amount of energy or matter contained within each trophic level in a food chain or food web
Community boundaries are determined by: -:Soil Type -Moisture Levels -Other Physical Conditions
condensation the process by which a gas changes to a liquid
Dominant Species Those species in a community that have the highest abundance or highest biomass. These species exert a powerful control over the occurrence and distribution of other species.
light; chemical When plants take in the sun's energy, they take in ________ energy and convert it to ___________ energy which is stored in the bonds of glucose.
habitats a place were a plant or animal lives naturaly
MacArthur (1958) The more complex a system is, the higher the species diversity
False, they show coevolution When organisms of different species depend on each other, they show convergent evolution.
Biotic - Abiotic Two types of factors that affect species distribution are B____ and A____ factors
K-selection/ density-dependent selection -selects for life history tratis taht are sensitive to population density -seen in environments where population is near carrying capacity and competition is strong
What part of the ecosystem cycles constantly? The physical parts.
3 factors that affect population size birth rate, death rate, migration
leaf area index measures the area of leaves per unit ground area
Total count Also called a true census. A count of all members of a species in a given area.
2 ways to deal with fluctuations in environment conformers & regulators
soil conservation: terracing - shaping land to create level shelves of earth to hold water and soil
Sexual Selection/Male Competition - Fighting Intensity -combat over females is common, but not universal -considerable diversity in intensity (death to simple threats) -hypothesis: males should allocate time, energy, risk-taking to extent it improves their fitness -prediction: fighting to death should only occur if alternative mating chances are very limited -do not expect extreme violence to occur regularly in long lived species -in some insects, death by dismemberment is common (short life span encourages aggressive behavior) -greater the potential reproductive return for a winner, the greater the investment a male will make to be an effective fighter
annual low CO2 level summer, plants are doing a lot of photosynthesis
What are the trophic levels of a food chain? Autotrophs, Decomposers, Herbivores, Level 1 Carnivore, Level 2 Carnivore and Level 3.
if conditions are poor for one factor limits for other factors may be reduced
Describe the four predictions of MacArthur and Wilson's theory of island biogeography. 1. The number of species on an island should eventually become roughly constant through time. 2. This should be a result of a continual turnover of species, with some becoming extinct and other immigrating. 3. large islands should support more species than small islands. 4. Species number should decline with the increasing remoteness of an island.
*standard requirement?
tertiary eats carnivores
carnivores: consume animals
Nonvolant Incapable of flight
resource a neccesity of life
carnivores consume only meat (lion)
temperate forests experience four seasons
insecticide a chemical that kills insects
salinity concentration of salt (sodium chloride)
biotic, abiotic, density-dependent, and density-independent population-limiting factors
Facultative -Optional (most relationships are facultative -Example: shade of adult plants can create cooler or moisturized environments for other plants to germinate their seeds
exponential growth fixed interval to instantaeous: del-N/del-t = rN dN/dt = r_inst * N, r_max * N, rN larger r = steeper slope, sooner "upturn" J-shaped curve
Bogs develop in depressions where water flow is very slow or nonexistent decomposition, build up of organic acids, low pH decreases nutrient availability, low productivity low plant diversity
tertiary consumers carnivores that eat secondary consumers; top of the food chain; least stable trophic level b/c changes when other trophic level changes
population crash when resources are rapidly depleted
how is earth temperature regulated global warming
Starch Complex sugar stored in plant leaves.
chaparral dense vegetation consisting of stunted trees or bushes
Facilitator species + effects on other speices
soil llayer of chemical and biologically alter materail that overlies rock or other unalterer material
epilimnion the upper lighter layer of water
Denitrification Process in which fixed nitrogen compounds are converted back into nitrogen gas and returned to the atmosphere
Compaction of living organisms produces: 1)coal 2)oil 3)peat
predation an interaction in which one organism kills another for food
adaptive radiation the evolution of diversely adapted species from a common ancestor upon introduction to new environmental opportunities
Pmax maximum rate of photosynthesis for a particular species of plant growing under ideal physical conditions
Environment All the living and nonliving things with which an organism may interact.
grazing feeding on the tissue of soft plants
density dependent Referring to any characteristic that varies according to an increase in population density.
population ecology explores how biotic and abiotic factors influence the density, distrubution, size, and age structure of populations
Riparian The area that borders streams, rivers, lakes, or wetlands
Biomagnification process of passing chemical or toxins from food
who was the first to use taxonomy aristotle
marsh a treeless wet land ecosystem where such plants as cattails and rushes grow
mutation A permanent, heritable change in the nucleotide sequence in a gene or a chromosome. The process of change occurs in a gene or in a chromosome.
Cheater In a mutualism, an individual that increases its production of offspring by overexploiting its mutualistic partner.
nitrogen cycle the circulation of nitrogen in nature, bacteria is needed to convert nitrogen for most organisms to use
Predator Isocline minimum level of prey that sustain growth of population
experimental group in a controlled experiment, the group recieving the factor being tested
producers Organism that make their own food with nonliving sources.
photosynthesis process by which plants use the sun's energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars
Invasive Species an organism is introduced to a NON-Native habitat.
DENSITY-INDEPENDENT LIMITING FACTOR limiting factor that affects all populations in similar ways, regardless of population size. Frost, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.
dispersion how a population is arranged in its environment
Effects of deforestation servere soil erosion soil hardens into bricklike material soil will lose fertility soils and microclimates can change
organ millions of cells that have a specific job
chemo autotrophs use chemical energy to make food (chemical synthesis)
the role of an organism in its ecosystem is called the organism's _____________. niche
Convection the transfer of heat through a fluid (liquid or gas) caused by molecular motion
Hydrological Cycle This cycle supplys fresh water, come from abiotic and biotic things, powered by the sun
abiotic factor non living factor (soil, light, wind, water)
Community Structure The set of characteristics that shape a community, including the number, composition, and abundance of species.
character displacement a process in which natural selection favors individuals in a species that use resources not used by other species. This results in evolutionary change leading to species dissimilar in resource use.
Scaling Refers to what level of cycling is being discussed
density-independent limiting factors have same effect regardless of density of population (forest fires)
Precipitation the falling to earth of any form of water (rain or snow or hail or sleet or mist)
ozone depletion Which of these does not contribute to global warming?
Territorial Behavior results in exclusive use of space and key resources, resources may be females, food
Facultative mutualism Both species benefit, but if need be, could live without eachother
population size the total number of organisms in a single population
Trade Winds Prevailing winds bewteen 0º - 30º N or S
what are consumers? organisms that rely on other organisms for their energy and food supply
chlorophyll any of a group of green pigments found in photosynthetic organisms
Energy pyramid A chart showing the transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next.
Humans are in the same class as the whales. True
Transpiration refers to... water moving into the atmosphere after evaporation from a plant's leaves.
name four important characteristics of water 1. pH 2. gasses 3. phosphates 4. ammonia and nitrite
Species Diversity Indices: s total number of species in the community
Latent Heat of Evaporation 1 cal can cool 580 g water
Deathrate the ratio of deaths in an area to the population of that area
life history traits: k strategies -slow growth, long life, late maturity, high parental care, later stages of succession, niche specialists, fewer large offspring, extrinsic factors, high trophic levels
international agreement to ban CFCs steps taken to fix the ozone layer
second law of thermodynamics in any conversion of heat energy to useful work, some of the initial energy input is degraded to lower quality, more dispersed, less useful energy
What are the 3 types of symbiosis? 1. parasitism 2. Commensalism 3. Mutualism
Source vs. sink populations + possible outcomes Source: births > deaths Sink: deaths < births -reproduce in a good year -move to source population
within a population life table lx stands for the number of individuals alive at the beigining of age class x
humedo humid
sahara desert ecosystem
Sympatric Species overlap
reciprocal genetic change m
lag phase 10,000BC- 1800
response reaction to a change
Phosphorus Cycle-Out By Animal Waste
limitation to growth carrying capacity
pecking order dominance hierarchy with birds
Chemosynth. process Hyd+sulfide+ox. form sulfur compound+chem. energy-food-waste of carbs
endangered in danger of becoming extinct
coral bleaching when symbiotic microalgae (zooxanthellae) are expelled from the coral polyp
Mesoderm Circulatory system, muscle, internal structures
neutralism oranisms share an indirect relationship
nonequilibrium model describes communities as constantly changing after being vuffeted by disturbances
polygyny male with 2 or more females
Heat Hardiness enzyme structure, denature of proteins
Genetic Drift Random fluctuations in allele frequencies due to chance--60% blood type A, mean is 40% in US and 45% in Germany (fluctuation is due to chance)
Forbs A non-woody, non-grass species of plant
Pollution undesirable state of the natural environment being contaminated with harmful substances as a consequence of human activities
Competition *each species negatively affects the other *populations attempt to use the same limited resource.
Silvertown and Dodd Silverton investigated ecosystem -Used community composition variability as measure of stability. -Represented composition as proportion of community consisting of each plant form. •Dodd showed that although community stability is present, populations of individual species can change substantially. -Therefore, the community or ecosystem stability depends on resolution or the scale an area is investigated at and what components are measured.
Estuaries Wetlands formed where rivers meet the sea
Symbosis may be defined as an intimate association between two or more organisms. There are three main types of this group, including commensalism, parasitism and mutualism.
salinization the build up of evaporating water, leaving salts; destroys desert grounds
secondary consumer An organism that eats primary consumers, carnivore that eats herbivores
keystone species important species that greatly affect balance of an ecosystem
interdependence the dependence of every organism on its connections with other living and nonliving parts of its environment
natural recource sunlight air water soil minerals plants animals forests fossail fuels
Dispersal movement of individuals from home site into/out of a population or subpopulation.
thermal radiation heat transfer by long-wave radiation (or infared radiation)
review articles A scientific article which summarizes the current state of our knowledge on a certain topic.
Organization Orderly structure of cells in an organism.
numbers pyramid how many organisms at each level
sustainable world the goal of environment problems solving is to achive
tropical savanna grasses with intermixed trees and shrubs
What are the shells of algae from Phylum Bacilliariophyta made of? Silica.
biogeochemical cycles The pattern of circulation of an element or molecule among living organisms and the environment.
understory layer in a rain forest formed by shorter trees and vines
Biome- A major type of ecosystem that covers a large region of Earth
Limiting Factors FActors in the environment that limit the size of a population -Abitoic ex amt of o2 dissolved in pond amt of sunlight that reaches the forest floor.
secondary succession process started by an event (fire, hurricane) that reduces an already established ecosystem back into forests
Eye size nocturnal animals have big eyes, deep in the ocean have big eyes
Greenhouse Effect warming of the planet due to atmospheric accumulation of CO2
What is "Actual Evapotranspiration"? -Soil evaporation + plant transpiration -Considers solar radiation, temp. and rainfall
Desertification In areas with dry climates, a process caused by a combination of poor farming practices, overgrazing, and drought that turns productive land into desert.
Diffusion "Net movement of the particles of a substance from where they are more concentrated to where they are less concentrated"
temperate deciduous forest the biome characterized by warmer temperatures than the boreal forest and plenty of precipitation thats huge forests of broadleaf trees; covers regions in southeastern Canada, and eastern United States
species diversity the number and relative abundance of species in a biological community
type I survivorship high survival until late in life
deterministic extinction some force or change from which there is no escape
foreign species organisms that enter into a niche that may not have any natural enemies
Gause's principle no two species with similar needs for the same limiting resources can co-exist in the same place.
ecosystem management a branch of ecology concerned with the long-term sustainability of ecosystems they weigh temporary gains with permanent ramifications
Simple population growth model? N(t+1) = R(t)N(t). This is geometric
Acid Rain Rain that is caused by pollution and is harmful to living things
Tropical Savannah A biome that consists of grasses, and scattered trees. This area's climate gains less precipitation than other tropical regions. The Savannah are located in regions of Africa, South America, and Australia.
Pyramid of numbers the number of individual organisms at each level of a food chain; the number of organism decreases with each level higher in the food chain (there is a greater number of organism at the bottom of the food chain than the top)
desert no rain, hot = day cold = night, poor soil, cacti
Evolutionary Stable Strategy (ESS) Development of a phenotype that is most fit for a given environment.
increase water loss producing a large volume of urine in aquatic animals
Evidence for extinction from Direct human Smaller species less vulnerable Bones found in middens Direct documentation
water table layer of water on top of the zone of saturation
How does cultivation contribute to habitat degradation? They can physically degrade a landscape through the loss of habitat diversity, while heavy irrigation depletes water in rivers and changes their patterns of flow, with adverse consequences for river inhabitants.
What is a limiting factor? When a resource is insufficient to supply an organism
Name 2 aspects of smart growth. Need large population so mass transit is profitable, walking distance of buisnesses
Characteristics of number of links in food chain web: -Avg. length = 2.32 (calculated from FIG. 20.14) -Adding one to this gives the number of trophic levels -Almost all communities have between 2 and 5, most have 3 or 4
What is urban sprawl? What is the impact of urban sprawl to the environment? Rapid expansion of a city into the countryside around the city; increased traffic in the cities, development of housing on marginal land, loss of habitat, increase in cost to maintain infrastructure, increase in the use of natural resources