Lecture 37 - Our Global Environment/Ecology/Biosphere I Flashcards

1
Q

What is ecology?

A

scientific study of interactions between organisms + the environment

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2
Q

What are the 6 levels of ecology?

A
  1. global
  2. landscape
  3. ecosystem
  4. community
  5. population
  6. organismal
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3
Q

What is the biosphere?

A
  • global ecosystem

- sum of all the planet’s ecosystems

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4
Q

What is global ecology?

A

-examines influence of energy + materials on organisms across the biosphere

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5
Q

What is a landscape?

A

-mosaic of connected ecosystems

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6
Q

What is landscape?

A

-mosaic of connected ecosystems

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7
Q

What is landscape ecology?

A

-focuses on exchanges of energy, materials + organisms across multiple ecosystems

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8
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

-community of organisms in an area + physical features they interact with

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9
Q

What is ecosystem ecology?

A

-emphasizes energy flow + chemical cycling among various biotic + abiotic components

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10
Q

What is a community?

A

group of populations of different species in an area

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11
Q

What is community ecology?

A

-examines effect of interspecific interactions on community structure and organization

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12
Q

What is a population?

A

-group of individuals of same species living in an area

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13
Q

What is population ecology?

A

-focuses on factors affecting population size over time

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14
Q

What is organismal ecology?

A

-studies how an organism’s structure, physiology + behavior meet environmental challenges

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15
Q

What are abiotic factors?

A

-temperature, light, water, nutrients

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16
Q

What are biotic factors?

A

-other organisms that are part of an individual’s environment

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17
Q

What are biomes? What are they characterized by?

A
  • major life zones

- characterized by vegetation type (terrestrial) or physical environment (aquatic)

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18
Q

What are 2 types of climate?

A
  • macro

- micro

19
Q

What is dispersal?

A

-movement of individuals or gametes away from centers of high population density or area of origin

20
Q

The ability for a species to disperse or transplant often depends upon _____

A

abiotic factors

21
Q

What are 5 biotic factors that affect distribution of organisms?

A
  1. predation
  2. herbivory
  3. competition
  4. mutualism
  5. parasitism
22
Q

similar characteristics can arise in distant biomes through _______

A

convergent evolution

EX: cacti in N. America and euphorbs in African deserts

23
Q

Population growth is ____ under ____ conditions

A

exponential

idealized

24
Q

What is r

A

growth rate

25
Q

Why is exponential population growth unrealistic?

A

-population will reach carrying capacity (K)

26
Q

What is carrying capacity? (K)

A

maximum amount the environment can support

27
Q

6 factors that are affected by density

A
  1. competition for resources
  2. disease
  3. predation
  4. territoriality
  5. intrinsic
  6. toxic wastes
28
Q

As population becomes more ______ this leads to movement out or _____

A
  • dense

- emigration

29
Q

What are metapopulations

A

-groups of populations linked by immigration and emigration

30
Q

What are 3 main variables of life history?

A
  1. age at which reproduction begins
  2. how often the organism reproduces
  3. how many offspring are produced per reproductive episode
31
Q

What is semelparity?

A

“big-bang” reproduction

-reproduce once and die

32
Q

What is iteroparity?

A
  • repeated reproduction

- produce offspring repeatedly

33
Q

Which kind of environments favor semelparity?

A

-variable/unpredictable environments

34
Q

Which environments favor iteroparity?

A

dependable environments

35
Q

What is k-selection?

A
  • density dependent selection

- selects for life history traits that are sensitive to population density

36
Q

What is r-selection?

A
  • density-independent selection

- selects for life history traits that maximize reproduction

37
Q

When did human population start growing exponentially?

A

1650

38
Q

When did growth of the human population slow?

A

1960s

39
Q

Different populations in the world go through _____ at different times

A

demographic transition

40
Q

What is demographic transition?

A

high birth/death rate to low birth/death rate

41
Q

What is a major factor associated with demographic transition?

A

-improved healthcare/education for women

42
Q

What figure can you use to tell what stage of the demographic transition that a country is in?

A

age structure pyramids

43
Q

What is an ecological footprint?

A

summarizes aggregate land and water area needed to sustain the people of a nation