IB Biology: Ecology

19 flashcards · Other · by Gabrielle Wong

1. Species: group of organisms capable of producing fertile offspring together, have similar morphological characteristics, and a common gene pool

   Some limitations to this definition include: hybrid species infertility geographical separation Species -> Population -> Community -> Ecosystem

2. Population: group of members of a species living together

   Species -> Population -> Community -> Ecosystem

3. Community: members of different species living and interacting together

   Species -> Population -> Community -> Ecosystem

4. Ecosystem: the interaction of biotic and abiotic elements of the envrionment

   Species -> Population -> Community -> Ecosystem

5. Autotroph: able to produce own food (usually through the process of photosynthesis)

   Examples: grass, algae, trees, certain types of bacteria

6. Heterotroph: must obtain food by consuming it

   Examples: zooplankton, fish, insects

7. Saprotoph: a consumer and decomposer, releasing digestive enzymes to speed up the brocess of decay

   Examples: bacteria, funghi

8. Detrivore: a consumer and decomposer that feeds on non-living organic matter such as leaves and carcasses

   Examples: earthworms, wood lice, dung beetles

9. Trophic levels: feeding levels for organsisms

   Trophic levels are: Producer Primary consumer Secondary consumer Tertiary Consumer Apex Predator

10. Biomass: The total amount of dry organic matter that is found in an ecosystem or area

    Biomass can be used to measure the rate of photosynthesis :D

11. Pyramid of energy: graphic model to illustrate the flow of energy through an ecosystem, each level is 10-20% of the level before it

    Rules of heat and energy: heat can't be created or destroyed, only converted only 10-20% of an organism's energy is available when consumed (not all of an organism is consumable, cellular respiration, death and decay)

12. Greenhouse effect: ability to retain heat and warmth without sunlight

    The problem is the enchanced greenhouse effect, not the greenhouse effect itself, which is important for life on earth

13. Greenhouse gases: Gasses that trap outgoing long wavelength radiation (heat) in the atmosphere. These include carbon dioxide and water vapor, and to a smaller effect, methane and nitrogen oxides. As a result, they warm the earth through the absorption and re-radiation of heat

    The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is now at over 400 ppm Not all greenhouse gases have the trapping power - methane, for instance, is over 86x more powerful than CO2

14. Carbon cycle: movement of carbon in the ecosystem

    See visual in study aids

15. Carbon sequestration: trapping of carbon

    The storage of carbon shells and sediment in limestone is an example of carbon sequestration.

16. Formation of peat: peat is acidic/waterlogged soil made of at least 30% dead organic matter It forms in spongy, anaerobic conditions like wetlands

17. Formation of methane: produced by cows when they burp due to archaea and metabolism of food

18. Formation of coal: formed through the partial decomposition of peat

    compression of peat with sediment increased pressure exposure to higher temperatures lithification

19. Formation of oil and gas: geological transformations form over many years

    dead reamins produce silt lipids decompose less and form keorgen geological transformations eventually lead to oil and/or natural gas